Bus Rapid Transit: Picking Out the Pieces

ABSTRACT: Various African, Latin American, and other cities have embraced Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) as a key component of their transit operations and infrastructural investments. Conceptually, BRT was operational in several cities during the 1990s, with components deployed by transit operators worldwide. The BRT systems have reduced urban travel times, transport costs and other social and economic aspects of the built urban environment. Despite implementation and operational difficulties BRT expansion is underway in several metropolitan areas in the face of institutional and financial constraints. Rapid urbanization plagues many developing countries, and urban infrastructure expansion generally lags population growth in all but the most developed polities. In general, current resources need to be used more efficiently and effectively. BRT has shown that the service form can successfully improve urban mobility and make inroads toward mitigating congestion as well as, possibly, promoting energy conservation as well as reducing vehicular emissions. The relatively high capital and operating costs of full specification facilities as are heavily promoted by purported BRT standards appear– in many instances– unwarranted and capital excessive. An opportunity exists to identify alternative ways of serving the needs of public transit customers. Historically, the burgeoning population in cities created value and spurred economic development with urbanization and economic growth proceeding apace; urbanization in the “Global South” is unfolding differently with populations and the demand for urban services exploding in advance of economic development. Many polities and their urbanized areas can neither raise sufficient domestic revenue nor borrow adequate capital of any source, thus being unable to make the investments needed to respond to inadequate urban infrastructure and services. These metropolitan complexes require cost-effective and efficient commuting opportunities to better serve their constituents.

KEYWORDS: Bus, Effectiveness, Infrastructure, Operations, Traffic, Transit, Priority