URBAN MOBILITY URBAN MOBILITY New network launched for urban systems With over 160 versions in 23 countries operating or under construction, (BRT) systems have become one of the best options to improve urban transport. Nick Michell reveals how a new BRT network launched by C40 is helping cities exchange their mobility knowledge u Photo: C40 Photo:

As well as reducing travel time and cutting road fatalities, Bus Rapid Transit systems can lower CO2 emissions by 40 percent

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he first Bus Rapid Transit BRT is one of the key opportunities activities and discussions are open to be a way of promoting good quality Hidalgo, Director for Research and able to give and receive presentations system opened in , to shift travel from individual everyone and others have more specific BRTs, while also identifying below Practice at EMBARQ. “EMBARQ from other cities across the world on , in 1974, and remains vehicles to public transport, while questions and topics of discussion.” par systems, and help mayors and city helps speed up the planning process their experiences with BRT systems. As Tone of the best in the world today but fostering compact, mixed-use urban C40 has signed Memoranda of officials understand what they need to by tapping into expertise from our the network develops, mayors and city the innovations from that system were development in a cost effective way. Understanding with the Institute for do to achieve a top rated system. own network–7 countries and tens of officials will begin to interact on specific not readily copied or correctly utilised More than 20 cities from C40 have Transportation and Development Policy The partnership with EMBARQ cities–and this is valuable to C40 Cities’ topics and discuss shared problems like and BRT was slow to take off. In 2000, expressed their interest in promoting (ITDP) and EMBARQ, two of the is part of a broader collaboration mayors that want to lead with high- station design, bus efficiency or how to Bogota, , began a second wave of BRTs through the network. leading non-governmental organisations with C40 Cities to which EMBARQ impact sustainable transport projects. build corridors in narrow streets. successful BRT systems, the TransMilenio In the operations phase, we will bring BRT, which significantly surpassed a set of best practices to improve Curitiba in terms of speed, capacity, and visualise the quality of service, quality of service, and the richness of safety, and social and environmental services offered. Its success spurred a performance of BRT systems.” number of cities across the world to build BRT systems and today over 160 systems Knowledge exchange are operating or under construction, Bus Rapid Transit has multiple highlighting how BRT is a flexible concept economic, social, and environmental that can be configured specifically for benefits and the new BRT Network the market it serves and for the physical will attempt to help cities maximise environment in which it operates. the impact of these benefits. In Bogota, “A Bus Rapid Transit system is an Colombia, the BRT has reduced traffic innovative, efficient, high capacity and fatalities by close to 90 percent and cost effective transport solution but has saved 56 lives per year on average BRT systems are complex and depend on the main corridor, not to mention on a number of features to make them cutting travel time in half and reducing a success, meaning there are good and the emission of air pollutants by 40 bad examples across the world,” says percent. The cost of the bus system Andrés Fingeret, C40 BRT Network in Bogota was a tenth of what the rail Manager. “This is why we have created alternative would have cost, and it was the C40 BRT Network: to facilitate and planned and built in less than three promote the interchange of knowledge years. C40 Cities adopting BRT can EMBARQ Photo: and information between C40 cities on improve transport efficiency, cutting BRT systems. Mayors are increasingly cost of travel and time by 30 to 50 Holger Dalkmann, EMBARQ’s Director studying and relying on BRT systems for percent and generating economic their city as they can provide state of the growth around bus stops and terminals. art public transport at a fraction of the Greenhouse gas emissions can be cut “Learning from cost of other systems (usually 15 to 25 by 40 percent and fatalities reduced by experiences in other percent of the cost of a metro).” C40 Photo: 25 to 40 percent, providing a healthier living environment for a city’s citizens. cities can cut planning Bus Rapid Transit systems have become one of the best options to improve urban mobility “Learning from experiences in other time in half and What makes a successful Bus cities can cut planning time in half and Rapid Transit system? “We have been working on the on sustainable mobility. It has also is bringing expertise, connections contribute to reducing costs in the same contribute to reducing planning stages since last June, trying conducted webinars on Clean Bus and know-how, for example, in urban way,” says Holger Dalkmann, EMBARQ’s costs in the same way” The success of BRT systems depends on key to understand what we would like to Technology and a BRT Standard, with planning for sustainable cities, and Director. “Cities involved in BRT features that guarantee its efficiency including: achieve, who would make the best both gaining significant attendance and health and road safety. networking can learn problem-solving Holger Dalkmann, partners, how a BRT network would follow-up interchange between cities. For BRT, EMBARQ has on- approaches from other metropolises, EMBARQ’s Director • exclusive bus or preference for make sense, and what we would ask The webinar on the BRT Standard, the-ground expertise, through the such as: how to involve incumbent public ; cities to provide,” says Fingeret. “The which was managed by the ITDP, organisation’s experience in supporting public transport operators; how to set-up • faster loading and unloading through platforms network is like a living creature, where brought 10 cities together to discuss the planning and implementation of managing agencies; or how to make the at pavement level; at the beginning we are allowing the merits of having a rating system BRT projects in , ; BRT safer through design.” “We have the goal of having physical • a prepayment system for ; everyone that has expressed interest for BRT systems. The Standard would , ; , ; In its initial stages, the network will meetings that will bring everyone to step in and out. As the network allow experts with knowledge of a ; and , Brazil. facilitate the exchange of knowledge and involved in the network together, to • modal integration at stations and terminals; matures, you need to start to have specific corridor to put a figure on “Our experience helps mayors experience between cities through email, connect faces with names and have • ICT-driven control of operation and signalling; more formal agreements between the quality of BRTs, with each able maximise the benefits of BRT with online discussions and phone calls but more in depth discussions that build on • availability of user information. participants and have different to achieve a gold, silver or bronze assistance, both in the planning and the aim is to eventually organise physical previous online dialogue,” says Fingeret. categories of participant, where some level (see graphic on page 51). It will in the operations phases,” says Dario meetings and conferences. Cities will be “C40 will provide the link between cities, u

24 • March 2013 www.cities-today.com www.cities-today.com March 2013 • 25 URBAN MOBILITY maybe taking part of the discussions, “Since BRT is still depending on the wishes of the relatively new, participants and that is where the mayors start to gain from having their staff highlighting the participating in the network discussions, benefits to decision- where they can have a real peer-to-peer exchange and build relationships.” makers remains critical to broadening the base Flexibility The time taken to build a BRT system of interest” is significantly less than what is needed Dario Hidalgo, for a metro system and it can match Director for Research and its capacity. Investment is minimal Practice at EMBARQ and would not require complex work, EMBARQ Photo: which is the case with a subway system. BRT can be easily customised Dario Hidalgo, Director for Research and Practice at EMBARQ to community needs and incorporate low-cost technologies that would provide an ideal short-term transport BRT enables even low-income cities to attract more passengers and ultimately solution, in comparison to the time develop a mass transit system of high help reduce overall traffic congestion. it takes to implement a metro or quality that meets the daily travel needs Its flexibility allows cities to access underground system. And of course of the population. extensions of greater length, and to politicians need short-term options, BRT requires political commitment, adapt to economic changes and demand. one that could help them be re-elected. good planning, implementation teams, Its implementation is faster and its You cannot build a metro system in and adequate levels of funding, especially operation and maintenance are also four years but you can have a pretty in the planning stages. As every city is more economically viable. good BRT in that time.” different, and every corridor is unique within a given city, BRT designs need to be localised within the framework of experience from others. “Since BRT is still relatively new, highlighting the benefits to decision- makers remains critical to broadening the base of interest,” says Dario Hidalgo, Director for Research and Practice at EMBARQ. “Through this new Network, successful experiences from EMBARQ Mexico and EMBARQ Turkiye, in Istanbul, can be shared with places where BRT is being considered and introduced, such as Bangalore, India and , , so that these municipalities maximise the benefits through sound planning and operations.” BRT systems are not only for

Photo: EMBARQ Brasil Photo: transporting people but also represent one important element of measures TransOeste Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to transform cities into more liveable spaces. Integrating BRT with progressive “I was reading a UN document BRT systems are growing in policies for land use, and measures to saying that by 2050, the amount of recognition as one of the most effective restrict car use are part of a strategy that travel in urban areas will double from solutions offered by mass transit, offering underpins the creation of a sustainable what it is now and BRT is the most high quality service with a favourable urban environment. In this sense, BRT reasonable way of meeting that demand cost-benefit ratio for urban areas, both represents the cornerstone of efforts to because it is faster and cheaper,” says in the developed and developing world. improve the quality of life for all segments Fingeret. “From a political standpoint By allowing cities to provide a functional of society through improved mobility and mayors are starting to realise that BRTs network of public transport corridors, to provide greater social equality. 

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