BRT Bus Rapid Transit Experience in Latin America

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www.fsv.at

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BRT – Bus Rapid Transit

Experience in Latin America

Dr. Orlando Strambi

Polytechnic School

University of São Paulo, Brazil

24 September, 2010

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BRT – Bus Rapid Transit Orlando Strambi

Bus – problems with image

Any man who rides a bus to work after the age of 30 can count himself a failure in life

Margareth Thatcher

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BRTs are in fashion

~50 ~100

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• Curitiba, Brazil

• BRT basics in the 70s

• Recently, BRTs have transformed public transport in many cities

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Pereira, Columbia Cra. 8a. before

Photo: Megabús S.A.

Courtesy of Ramón Muñoz

Pereira, Colombia Cra. 8a. before

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Cra. 8a. with Megabús

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What is a BRT (1)?

• Is a flexible, rubber-tired form of rapid transit that combines stations,

vehicles, services, running ways and ITS elements into an integrated

system with strong identity

TRCP Report 90 – Bus Rapid Transit – Volume 2:

Implementation Guidelines. TRB, 2003.

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What is a BRT (2)?

• Is a high-quality bus-based system that delivers fast, comfortable, and cost-effective urban mobility through the provision of segregated right-of-

way infrastructure, rapid and frequent operations, and excellence in

marketing and customer service

Bus Rapid Transit: Planning Guide. ITDP, 2007.

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Elements of BRT

• Running ways

• Stations/stops/terminals

• Fare collection

• Vehicles

• Service and Operating Plans

• ITS – Intelligent Transport Systems

• Branding and User Education

• Institutions and Regulation

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Elements of BRT

• Running ways

– dedicated lanes/carriageways – curbside or median

– 1 or 2 lanes per direction – at grade

• different degrees of physical separation

– “underground”

– elevated

– guidance (mechanical)

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At grade, 1+1 lane, no physical

separation

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At grade, 1+1 lane, with physical

separation

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At grade, 1+1 lane, with physical

separation

(ma non troppo)

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Underground, 1+1 lane running way

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Elevated, 1+1 lane

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Take a ride...

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Surface, 2+2 lanes, physical separation Is there enough space?

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Quito

Historic District

Bogota

Eje Ambiental

Pereira,

Colombia

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Elements of BRT

• Running ways

• Stations/stops

• Fare collection

• Vehicles

• Service and Operating Plans

• ITS – Intelligent Transport Systems

• Branding and User Education

• Institutions and Regulation

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Elements of BRT

• Stations/stops

– number of platforms

– with or without passing lane – with or without level access

• Terminals

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Number of platforms

Name der Veranstaltung Vortragender

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Passing lane

at stop

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Fonte: E. Vasconcellos

Flexibility: different stops in each direction

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Level boarding, automatic doors

Level boarding,

platform opening

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“Tube” station, autom. doors, bus ramps

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Elevated stations

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... and their consequences

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Terminals

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Terminals

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Elements of BRT

• Running ways

• Stations/stops

• Fare collection

• Vehicles

• Service and Operating Plans

• ITS – Intelligent Transport Systems

• Branding and User Education

• Institutions and Regulation

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Elements of BRT

• Fare collection

– transaction media

• manual or electronic

– on-board or pre-payment – fare structure

• flat or zonal

• integrated or not

– third-party financial services providers

• equipment

• commercialization of cards

• eletronic financial transactions

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Combined media:

money and smart card

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Fare prepayment

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Curitiba Mexico City

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Elements of BRT

• Running ways

• Stations/stops

• Fare collection

• Vehicles

• Service and Operating Plans

• ITS – Intelligent Transport Systems

• Branding and User Education

• Institutions and Regulation

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Elements of BRT

• Vehicles

– capacity

• conventional

• articulated

• bi-articulated

– low floor/entry x elevated

– number (and width) of doors – doors on both sides

• requirement for flexible operation

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Curitiba, Expresso

www.fsv.at

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Low entry

(on the left side)

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“No entry”

(on the right side)

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Elements of BRT

• Vehicles (and the environment)

– propulsion

• Diesel (not always low-sulphur)

• CNG

• biodiesel

• ethanol

• trolleybuses

• hybrid (diesel/electric)

• fuel cells

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Hybrid

Diesel-Eletric

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www.fsv.at

Trolleybus

Hybrid

Land-Water

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Elements of BRT

• Running ways

• Stations/stops

• Fare collection

• Vehicles

• Service and Operating Plans

• ITS – Intelligent Transport Systems

• Branding and User Education

• Institutions and Regulation

(41)

Elements of BRT

• System and corridor planing

– one corridor x few corridors x network – integration with existing systems

– route structure

• feeder-trunk

• closed x open systems

– express, limited stop, all-stop services

• remember: buses make turns – less transfers

– convoy operation

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Feeder terminal

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Express service

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Elements of BRT

• Running ways

• Stations/stops

• Fare collection

• Vehicles

• Service and Operating Plans

• ITS – Intelligent Transport Systems

• Branding and User Education

• Institutions and Regulation

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Elements of BRT

• ITS components

– vehicle prioritization – passenger information – fare collection

– scheduling and dispatch systems – automated vehicle control

• guidance (electronic)

• docking

– automatic passenger counters – security on board and at stations

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Control Center Transmilenio

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Passenger information São Paulo

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Signal coordination Curitiba

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Docking: ITS?

Mexico City, Metrobús

León, Optibús

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Elements of BRT

• Running ways

• Stations/stops

• Fare collection

• Vehicles

• Service and Operating Plans

• ITS – Intelligent Transport Systems

• Branding and User Education

• Institutions and Regulation

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Branding – creating a strong identity

Guadalajara, Macrobus

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Bogota

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San Antonio

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User – and NON-user - education

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Elements of BRT

• Running ways

• Stations/stops

• Fare collection

• Vehicles

• Service and Operating Plans

• ITS – Intelligent Transport Systems

• Branding and User Education

• Institutions and Regulation

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Institutions and Regulation

• fragmented bus ownership

– lack of route structure – lack of integration

– lack of entrepreneurial expertise

• inadequate institutional setting

– planning

– management/supervision – operations

• stakeholders involvement

– long and difficult negotiations – strong leadership required

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Bogota, 1000s of owners/operators

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Transmilenio, small number of

bus companies

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Is the BRT world wonderful?

• problems with design

• problems with implementation

• problems with funding for maintenance

• problems with pavements

• problems with overcrowding

• other problems...

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Victims of poor design

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Pune

São Paulo

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Victims of poor design

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Victims of their own success

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www.fsv.at

Congested Transmilenio

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Flexible systems, flexible results

• What is the range of results in terms of

– daily demand – peak loads

– commercial speeds – boardings per km

– passengers per bus per day

– capital costs (infra+equipment) per km – fares

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1,200,000 246,000

81,000 120,000

1,220,000

8,565,000 220,000

260,000 110,000 80,000

155,000 96,000

4,280,000

0 1,000,000 2,000,000 3,000,000 4,000,000 5,000,000 6,000,000 7,000,000 8,000,000 9,000,000 RIT, Curitiba

Trolebus, Quito Ecovia, Quito North, Quito TransMilenio, Bogota Interligado, Sao Paulo SIT-Optibús, León Metrobús, México Transjakarta Beijing BRT Megabus, Pereira Metrovía, Guayaquil Transantiago

Demand (pax/weekday)

most systems between 100K–250K pax/day

Source: Hidalgo, Custodio & Grafiteaux (2007)

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13,000 9,000

5,000

45,000 20,000

3,000

8,000 3,200

7,000 6,900 5,000

22,000

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000

RIT, Curitiba Trolebus, Quito Ecovia, Quito North, Quito TransMilenio, Bogota Interligado, Sao Paulo SIT-Optibús, León Metrobús, México Transjakarta Beijing BRT Megabus, Pereira Metrovía, Guayaquil Transantiago

Peak Load (pax/hour/direction)

Performance is contrasted: very high loads (20K+ pphpd), medium corridors (8K–13K), small corridors (3K–7K)

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19 14.5

18

23

26 18

18 19 17

25 20

22 18

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Commercial Speed (km/hour)

with most systems operating between 14 km/h and 20 km/h

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10,6 11,1 7,5

5,3

10,0 10,0 5,1

5,2

6,0

8,0 6,4

0,0 2,0 4,0 6,0 8,0 10,0 12,0

Passenger boardings per bus-km

Top operational productivity is over 10 boardings/bus-km with most systems between 5 and 8 boardings/bus-km

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716

2.181 1.928

1.450 625

3.095 680

1.300

1.920

2.418

- 500 1.000 1.500 2.000 2.500 3.000 3.500

Passenger boardings per bus per day

pax/bus/day); others between 0.6K and 1.5K pax/bus/day

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2,40

5,90 2,00

3,00

8,20 3,50

1,80

2,80 1,35

4,80 2,89

1,56

- 1,00 2,00 3,00 4,00 5,00 6,00 7,00 8,00 9,00

Total Cost per Kilometer (Infrastructure + Equipment, USD Million/km)

Total capital costs vary from 1.35 U$ million/km (Jakarta) to 8.2 U$ million/km (Bogotá, infrastructure and equipment only)

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0,80 0,25

0,25 0,25

0,51

1,05 0,50

0,35 0,39 0,25

0,48 0,25

0,70

- 0,20 0,40 0,60 0,80 1,00 1,20

User Fare (USD/pax)

below U$0.40 are receiving subsidies or under financial stress

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Are BRTs in Asia doing better?

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BRT – Bus Rapid Transit Orlando Strambi Source: Hidalgo (2009)

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Demand is not high in Asian cities

BRT – Bus Rapid Transit Orlando Strambi Source: Hidalgo (2009)

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BRT and Urban Development

• Need to transform cities in developing countries

– growing interest in TOD –

Transit-Oriented Development

• Rail modes traditionally seen as more advantageous (fixity)

• Can BRT help?

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BRT and Urban Development

• Bogotá

– every 5 min of additional walking time to BRT station decreases rental price 7 to 9%

• Curitiba Green Line

– real estate prices tripled after city law enabled densification along BRT corridor

• Curitiba RIT – since 1974

– the pictures speak for themselves

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Curitiba

Master Plan

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South corridor

West corridor

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Low capital costs

BRT Eye-catchers

Short implementation times

Not a magical solution, but important alternative in

transport planners’ toolkit

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Cidade do México

Paris Brisbane

Lima

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Guadalajara Changzhou, China

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VREF – Volvo Foundations Center of Excellence for BRT

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• Catholic University Santiago, Chile

• IST – Lisbon Technical University

• MIT

• University of Sidney

• EMBARQ/World Resources Institute

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Thank you

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