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At least three private firms are interested in helping to fund Bus Rapid Transit lines in Montgomery County.

In exchange for their investment, the firms could showcase the county's transit system and, they hope, sell their design to other jurisdictions, according to Councilman Marc Elrich (D-At large) of Takoma Park.

Elrich said he could not yet name the interested firms, but said potential private-public partnerships for the $600 million plan were being discussed.

Elrich, who first proposed a Bus Rapid Transit system for the county, said his plan is picking up steam with interest from private firms, the state and federal government and — increasingly — his fellow council members and those running against them in this year's election.

All said they supported BRT during a candidates' forum last week. 

Elrich's proposal calls for 120 lane miles on major north-south and east-west roads, operating more like rail than typical Ride On buses. The BRT buses would resemble "rail-like vehicles," and be faster than current county buses because they would travel in existing medians — away from traffic, he said.

Existing lanes of traffic would not be eliminated, Elrich said.

In some cases, current Ride On buses would act as feeders to the faster BRT buses.

Elrich's proposal has been praised by County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) and former County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, among others.

The county's Planning Board and developers also have a plan in the works to put Bus Rapid Transit down the center of Rockville Pike, Elrich said.

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) supports Elrich's proposal, along with other Bus Rapid Transit projects, according to O'Malley's campaign staff.

And former Gov. Robert Ehrlich Jr. (R), who is running against O'Malley, also has not ruled out Bus Rapid Transit as a cost-effective system, according to Ehrlich spokesman Andy Barth.

Barth called BRT a "more realistic alternative" to light rail, given the costs involved.

Critics of Bus Rapid Transit say it will not draw the ridership that light rail does and could cost more to operate — claims that Elrich denies.

The BRT system would cost $5 million per lane mile in one direction to build. Because Elrich is proposing buses in two directions in some areas with higher ridership, the cost would be $10 million per mile, he said.

The proposed Purple Line between Bethesda and Silver Spring is expected to cost $100 million per mile, and the Corridor Cities Transitway, which would connect the Shady Grove Metro station to Clarksburg, is projected at as much as $75 million per mile, Elrich said.

However, Elrich said his BRT proposal is not a replacement for the Purple Line, which he supports.

Elrich first began discussing Bus Rapid Transit about three years ago, and less than one year ago, the council approved a $460,000 feasibility study.

Parson Brinckerhoff, a New York-based firm, is expected to complete the study by the fall.

If there is still support for the plan, Elrich says the county could be seeking bids for BRT within two years.

The state supported the study, and state officials were present during meetings, Elrich said.

Ridership and the cost to ride the new buses were still undetermined, Elrich said.

Unlike current county bus stops, Elrich said the rapid transit bus stops would look more like light-rail stations.

There would be no bus schedule, and riders would come to expect a new bus every six minutes or so during rush hour.

Elrich said he was pleased with the progress he had made on BRT in just a few years.

"Most ideas get killed here early on," he said of the county.