Division 44

Environment and Infrastructure

Sector project "Transport Policy Advice"

Bus Rapid Transit

Planning Guide
Planning Guide:
Bus Rapid Transit

Findings, interpretations and conclusions

expressed in this document are based on
information gathered by GTZ and its
consultants, partners, and contributors from
reliable sources. GTZ does not, however,
guarantee the accuracy and completeness of
information in this document, and cannot be
held responsible for any errors, omissions or
Author:
losses which emerge from its use. Lloyd Wright

Editor:
Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH
P. O. Box 5180
D - 65726 Eschborn, Germany
http://www.gtz.de

Division 44,
Environment and Infrastructure
About the author Sector Project "Transport Policy Advice"

Lloyd Wright Commissioned by

University College London Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche
Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
Mr. Wright is currently conducting transport Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 40
D - 53113 Bonn, Germany
planning research at University College http://www.bmz.de
London. Mr. Wright formerly directed the
Manager:
Latin American activities of the Institute for Manfred Breithaupt
Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP).
Comments or feedback?
He also directed the organisation’s International We would welcome any of your comments or
Bus Rapid Transit Programme. Additionally, suggestions, on any aspect of the Planning Guide,
by e-mail to transport@gtz.de, or by surface mail to:
Mr. Wright has worked with the International Manfred Breithaupt
Institute for Energy Conservation, the US GTZ, Division 44
P. O. Box 5180
Environmental Protection Agency, the US D - 65726 Eschborn
Agency for International Development, the Germany
United Nations, and GTZ on transport and Cover Photo:
environmental issues. He was also previously Manfred Breithaupt
a fellow with the US-Asia Environmental TransMileno bus stop, Bogotá (Colombia)
February 2002
Partnership in Bangkok, Thailand. Mr. GTZ Transport Photo CD Rom: Urban Transport,
Wright is currently working towards a PhD Second Edition, September 2004

in Urban Transport Planning at University Photos:

College London. He also possesses an MSc Lloyd Wright and GTZ Transport Photo CD Rom:
Urban Transport, Second Edition, September 2004
in Environmental Assessment from the
London School of Economics, an MBA Layout:
Klaus Neumann, SDS, G.C.
from Georgetown University, and a BSc in
Engineering from the University of Washington. Eschborn, October 2004

i
ii
Acknowledgements
The development of this Bus Rapid Transit create many of the original BRT concepts; these
Planning Guide has benefited from the experi- firms and individuals include Paulo Custodio,
ences of high-quality public transit projects the consulting team at Logit, Pedro Szasz, and
from around the world. The BRT Planning the consultancy of Logitrans.
Guide has benefited greatly from lessons gained The BRT Planning Guide has benefited not only
to date from the TransMilenio system in Bogotá from leading developing-nation experiences but
(Colombia). TransMilenio represents perhaps also from the growing level of interest in BRT
the most complete and inventive BRT system in Australia, Western Europe, Japan, and North
in the world today. The assistance of Angélica America. A similar compendium of experiences
Castro and Carlos Beltrán of TransMilenio SA developed under the United States Transit
has been instrumental in developing this guide- Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) has
book. Further, the former Mayor of Bogotá, been a rich source of world-wide experiences in
Enrique Peñalosa, has become an international BRT. Sam Zimmerman and the consultancy of
champion of promoting the BRT concept. DMJM & Harris have been leading these efforts.
Additionally, insights from municipal officials The concept of BRT owes much to the persistent
and consultants involved with the BRT systems support of key organisations that have worked to
in Quito (Ecuador) and Curitiba (Brazil) have raise overall awareness as well as provide direct
added greatly to the quality and relevance of the assistance to interested developing-nation cities.
BRT Planning Guide. In many respects, BRT The Institute for Transportation & Development
owes its existence to the creativity and deter- Policy (ITDP) under the leadership of its Direc-
mination of Jaime Lerner, the former mayor of tor, Dr. Walter Hook, has consistently been at
Curitiba and the former governor of the state the forefront of providing direct assistance to
of Paraná. César Arias, who previously directed developing cities pursuing sustainable transport
the BRT effort in Quito and is now a consultant options. Likewise, Gerhard Menckhoff, a con-
on the Guayaquil (Ecuador) BRT project, has sultant with the World Bank, has played a key
also lent considerable information for the BRT role in catalysing BRT projects in Latin America
Planning Guide. Likewise, Hidalgo Nuñez and and elsewhere. Also, Peter Midgley, a former
Cecilia Rodriguez of Quito’s Department of World Bank transport specialist, has been a
Transport have provided much assistance. In pioneer with developing-nation BRT efforts.
Asia, Kangming Xu and the Energy Foundation
are contributing greatly to the development of Finally, the BRT Planning Guide and the entire
BRT in China, as is Dr. Jason Chang who has Sustainable Transport Sourcebook would not be
previously led BRT efforts in Taipei. In India, possible without the strong support and effort
Dr. Dinesh Mohan and Dr. Geetam Tiwari of from the team at GTZ, the German Overseas
the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi are Technical Assistance Agency. Karl Fjellstrom
at the forefront of efforts there. was particularly instrumental in developing
ideas for the Mass Transit BRT Planning Guide
A number of consultancies have worked to as well as writing sections comparing different
improve the quality of BRT initiatives. Special mass transit options. Klaus Neumann also
thanks go to Luis (Pilo) Willumsen, Enrique played a key role in providing the layout and
Lillo, and German Lleras of Steer Davies Gleave formatting for the final document. A great deal
who are involved in BRT projects worldwide. of thanks goes to Manfred Breithaupt, Director
Also, Jarko Vlasak of StratCo, and formerly of of GTZ’s sustainable urban transport pro-
McKinsey & Company, has helped to develop gramme, who created the idea of the Sustain-
the BRT business model used in Bogotá. Dario able Transport Sourcebook and who patiently
Hidalgo, Ignacio de Guzman, and Juan Carlos oversaw the development of each module.
Díaz at Akiris have played a central role in the
development of TransMilenio, and they are now Lloyd Wright
leading BRT efforts in several cities. Addition- University College London
ally, several consultancies in Brazil helped to

iii
 3.2 Planning Stage II: Analysis 51
Contents
3.2.1 Background and situational
description 51
About the author i
3.2.2 Stakeholder analysis 51
Imprint i 3.2.3 Transportation data collection 52
Acknowledgements iii 3.2.4 Transportation demand
modelling 58
Acronyms vi
3.3 Planning Stage III:
1. Introduction 1 Communications 63
3.3.1 Public participation processes 63
1.1 Defining Bus Rapid Transit 1 3.3.2 Communications with
existing transport operators 63
1.2 History of BRT 2 3.3.3 Marketing plan 64
1.2.1 The predecessors to BRT 2 3.3.4 Public education plan 66
1.2.2 Modern BRT systems 2
3.4 Planning Stage IV:
1.2.3 Conventional bus systems 5 Operations 69
1.3 Public transport in developing 3.4.1 Corridor identification 69
cities 8 3.4.2 Feeder services 70
3.4.3 Service options 72
1.4 Barriers to BRT 9 3.4.4 Passenger capacity 75
3.4.5 System management and
1.5 Benefits of BRT 11 control 79
3.4.6 Customer service plan 81
2. Choosing a Mass Transit
System 13 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business
and regulatory structure 93
3.5.1 Business structure 93
2.1 Introduction to mass transit
options 13 3.5.2 Institutional and regulatory
structure 101
2.2 Criteria in technology selection 14 3.5.3 Incentives for competition 104
2.2.1 Costs 15 3.5.4 Operational cost analysis 113
2.2.2 Design and development 3.5.5 Tariff options 115
factors 19 3.5.6 Collection and distribution
2.2.3 Performance 28 of revenues 119
2.2.4 Impacts 33 3.6 Planning Stage VI:
2.3 The myths of BRT 38 Infrastructure 125
3.6.1 Conceptual study versus
detailed engineering study 125
3. Planning for BRT 39 3.6.2 Busways 126
3.6.3 Stations 135
3.1 Planning Stage I: 3.6.4 Intermediate transfer stations 141
Project Preparation 41
3.6.5 Terminals 142
3.1.1 Project creation and 3.6.6 Depots 143
commitment 41
3.6.7 Control centre 144
3.1.2 Legal basis 42
3.6.8 Feeder infrastructure 147
3.1.3 Development team 43
3.6.9 Integration infrastructure 148
3.1.4 Project scope and timing 44
3.6.10 Commercial space 149
3.1.5 Planning budget and
financing 48 3.6.11 Traffic signal control 150
3.6.12 Public utilities 150
3.6.13 Landscape 151
3.6.14 Infrastructure cost analysis 151

iv
 3.7 Planning Stage VII:
Technology 155
3.7.1 Vehicle technology 155
3.7.2 Fare collection and fare
verification systems 169
3.7.3 Intelligent transportation
systems (ITS) 175
3.7.4 Equipment procurement
process 176

3.8 Planning Stage VIII:

Modal Integration 177
3.8.1 Pedestrians 177
3.8.2 Bicycles 182
3.8.3 Other public transport
systems 185
3.8.4 Taxis 186
3.8.5 Park-and-ride 186
3.8.6 Auto restriction measures 187
3.8.7 Integration with land use
planning 191

3.9 Planning Stage IX: Impacts 193

3.9.1 Traffic impacts 193
3.9.2 Economic impacts 193
3.9.3 Environmental impacts 195
3.9.4 Social impacts 203
3.9.5 Urban impacts 203

3.10 Planning Stage X:

Implementation Plan 205
3.10.1 Timeline and workplan 205
3.10.2 Financing plan 205
3.10.3 Staffing and management
plans 213
3.10.4 Contracting plan 215
3.10.5 Construction plan 216
3.10.6 Maintenance plan 216
3.10.7 Monitoring and evaluation
plan 217

4. BRT Resources 221

4.1 BRT support organisations 221

4.2 Technical resources 223

4.3 Links to BRT cities 224

References 225

v
 Acronyms
AGV Automatic Guided Vehicle
AVL Automatic Vehicle Location
BRT Bus Rapid Transit
CIDA Canadian International Development
Agency
CNG Compressed Natural Gas
DFID UK Department for International
Development
GEF Global Environmental Facility
GTZ GTZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Technische Zusammenarbeit
(German Overseas Technical
Assistance Agency)
IFC International Finance Corporation
IPCC Inter-governmental Panel on
Climate Change
ITDP Institute for Transportation &
Development Policy
ITS Intelligent Transportation Systems
JICA Japanese International Cooperation
Agency
LPG Liquid Petroleum Gas
LRT Light Rail Transit
MRT Mass Rapid Transit
O-D Origin-Destination
PRT Personal Rapid Transit
QIC Quality incentive contract
Sida Swedish International Development
Agency
TDM Transportation Demand
Management
TOD Transit-Oriented Development
TRB Transportation Research Board
UNDP United Nations Development
Programme
UNEP United Nations Environment
Programme
USAID United States Agency for
International Development
USFTA United States Federal Transit
Administration
USTCRP United States Transit Cooperative
Research Program

vi Acronyms
 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

1. Introduction with an introduction to the concept of BRT as

well as a step-by-step process for successfully
Effective public transit is central to develop- planning a BRT system.
ment. For the vast majority of developing city This introductory section to BRT includes the
residents, public transit is the only practical following topics:
means to access employment, education, and
public services, especially when such services are
beyond the viable distance of walking or cy- 1.1 Defining Bus Rapid Transit
cling. Unfortunately, the current state of public 1.2 History of BRT
transit services in developing cities often does
little to serve the actual mobility needs of the 1.3 Public transport in developing cities
population. Bus services are too often unreliable, 1.4 Barriers to BRT
inconvenient and dangerous.
1.5 Benefits of BRT
In response, transport planners and public
officials have sometimes turned to extremely
costly mass transit alternatives such as rail-based 1.1 Defining Bus Rapid Transit
metros. Due to the high costs of rail infrastruc- Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a bus-based mass
ture, cities can only construct such systems over transit system that delivers fast, comfortable,
a few kilometres in a few limited corridors. The and cost-effective urban mobility. Through the
result is a system that does not meet the broader provision of exclusive right-of-way lanes and
transport needs of the population. Nevertheless, excellence in customer service, BRT essentially
the municipality ends up with a long-term debt emulates the performance and amenity charac-
that can affect investment in more pressing areas teristics of a modern rail-based transit system
such as health, education, water, and sanitation. but at a fraction of the cost.
However, there is an alternative between poor The term “BRT” has emerged from its applica-
public transit service and high municipal debt. tion in North America and Europe. However,
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) can provide high- the same concept is also conveyed around the
quality, metro-like transit service at a fraction of world through different names. These terms
the cost of other options (Figure 1). This mod- include:
ule provides municipal officials, non-govern- High-Capacity Bus Systems,
mental organizations, consultants, and others High-Quality Bus Systems,

Fig. 1
Bus Rapid Transit
provides a sophisticated
metro-quality transit
service at a cost that
most cities, even
developing cities, can
afford.
Photo courtesy of Advanced Public
Transport Systems

1. Introduction 1
Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Metro-Bus, of local circumstances, should follow in devel-

Surface Subway, oping a successful transit service.
Express Bus Systems, and Today, the BRT concept is becoming increas-
Busway Systems. ingly utilised by cities looking for cost-effec-
While the terms may vary from country to tive transit solutions. As new experiments in
country, the same basic premise is followed: A BRT emerge, the state of the art in BRT will
high quality, car-competitive transit service undoubtedly continue to evolve. Nevertheless,
at an affordable cost. For simplicity, the term BRT’s customer focus will likely remain its
“BRT” will be utilised in this module to generi- defining characteristic. The developers of high-
cally describe these types of systems. However, quality BRT systems in cities such as Bogotá,
it is recognised that the concept and the term Curitiba, and Ottawa astutely observed that the
will undoubtedly continue to evolve. ultimate objective was to swiftly, efficiently, and
cost-effectively move people, rather than cars.
Perhaps the most telling difference between
BRT and other transit services is BRT’s cen-
tral focus on the customer. BRT systems are 1.2 History of BRT
designed around the customer-based needs of 1.2.1 The predecessors to BRT
speed, comfort, convenience, cost, and safety BRT’s history resides in a variety of previous
rather than around a specific technology. In fact, efforts to improve the transit experience for the
BRT is really just a collection of best practice customer. The first wide-scale development of
traits from a range of mass transit options. For the BRT concept using bus technology occurred
this reason, this module will include examples in Curitiba (Brazil) in 1974.
from various mass transit applications in order
However, there were several smaller-scale efforts
to present a package of system characteristics
prior to Curitiba that helped to establish the
that best satisfy customer aspirations.
idea. High-occupancy lanes and exclusive bus
While BRT utilises rubber-tyred vehicles, it has lanes appeared in the United States in the 1960s.
little else in common with conventional urban For example, in 1963, express buses using con-
bus systems. The following is a list of features tra-flow bus lanes were developed in the New
found on some of the most successful BRT York City area. The origins of the BRT concept
systems implemented to date: can be traced back to 1937 when the city of
Exclusive right-of-way lanes; Chicago outlined plans for three inner city rail
Rapid boarding and alighting; lines to be converted to express bus corridors.
Free transfers between lines; Likewise, BRT plans were developed for several
Pre-board fare collection and fare verification; other cities in the United States, including:
Enclosed stations that are safe and comfortable; Washington, DC (1955-1959), St. Louis (1959),
and Milwaukee (1970) (Levinson et al., 2003).
Clear route maps, signage, and real-time in-
formation displays; Actual construction of a dedicated busway
Automatic vehicle location technology to first occurred in 1972 with a 7.5 kilometre line
manage vehicle movements; known as “Via Expresa” in Lima (Peru). One
year later in 1973, busways were constructed in
Modal integration at stations and terminals;
Runcorn (United Kingdom) and Los Angeles
Clean vehicle technologies; (USA). The 22-kilometre Runcorn busway
Excellence in marketing and customer service. played a central role in the urban form and
Local circumstances will dictate the extent to development of the city’s New Town area. The
which the above characteristics are actually uti- El Monte Busway in Los Angeles covered a
lised within a system. Small- and medium-sized distance of 11 kilometres.
cities may find that not all of these features
are feasible to achieve within cost and capacity 1.2.2 Modern BRT systems
constraints. Nevertheless, serving customer BRT’s full promise was not realised, though,
needs first is a premise that all cities, regardless until the arrival of the “surface subway” system

2 1. Introduction
 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

developed in Curitiba (Brazil) in 1974 (Figure

2). Ironically, the city initially aspired to con-
structing a rail-based metro system. However, a
lack of sufficient funding necessitated a more
creative approach. Thus, under the leadership
of Mayor Jaime Lerner, the city began a process
of developing busway corridors emanating from
the city centre. Like many Latin American cities
at the time, Curitiba was experiencing rapid
population growth. Beginning at a level of some
600,000 residents in the early 1970s, the city
now has over 2.2 million inhabitants.
In much of Latin America, private sector opera-
tors have dominated the transit market. How-
ever, left uncontrolled and unregulated such
operators have not met the needs of commuters
in terms of comfort, convenience, or safety.
Lacking the resources to develop either a rail- overall replication of the BRT concept was Fig. 2
based transit system or a car-based urban form, actually somewhat slow to gain momentum Under the leadership
Mayor Lerner’s team created a low-cost yet elsewhere. It was only in the late 1990s that of former-Mayor Jaime
high-quality alternative utilising bus technology. Lerner, the BRT system
BRT’s profile became more widely known. Vis- in Curitiba (Brazil)
Today, Curitiba’s modernistic “tubed” stations its by technical and political teams from Bogotá became a world leader
and 270-passenger bi-articulated buses represent (Colombia) and Los Angeles (United States) to in effective transit.
a world example. The BRT system now has five Curitiba served to launch BRT efforts in those Photo by Lloyd Wright

radial corridors emanating from the city core. cities. In 1996, Quito (Ecuador) opened a BRT
The system features 57 kilometres of exclusive system using electric trolley-bus technology,
busways and 340 kilometres of feeder services. and the city has since expanded the system with
The system annually attracts hundreds of city clean diesel technology.
officials from other municipalities, all seeking However, it was the effort in Bogotá with its
to study the organisational and design features TransMilenio system that has particularly trans-
that have shaped Curitiba’s success. The success formed BRT’s perception around the world.
of Curitiba’s BRT system has propelled the As a large-sized city (7.0 million inhabitants)
career of Jaime Lerner, the political backer of and a relatively dense city (240 inhabitants per
the original concept, as he has been re-elected hectare), Bogotá provided proof that BRT was
mayor several times as well as governor of the capable of delivering high-capacity perform-
state of Paraná (Brazil). ance for the world’s megacities. Today, with
The mid-1970s also saw a limited number of both Bogotá and Curitiba acting as catalytic
BRT applications being developed in other examples, the number of cities with built BRT
cities of North and South America (Meirelles, systems or with systems under development is
2000). While not as sophisticated as the Cu- quite significant.
ritiba system, variations on the concept were In 1998, the administrator of the United States
developed in Sao Paulo, Brazil (1975); Arling- Federal Transit Agency (USFTA), Gordon
ton, USA (1975); Goiania, Brazil (1976); Porto Linton, visited the Curitiba BRT system. The
Alegre, Brazil (1977); and Pittsburgh, United qualities of the system enabled a conclusion
States (1977). The Sao Paulo BRT system is that such a system could be applicable in the
currently the largest in the world with 250 United States, where high automobile usage
kilometres of exclusive busways serving 3.2 makes it difficult to justify costly rail-based
million passenger trips each day. options. Since Linton’s visit, the United States
Despite Curitiba’s success and relative fame has embarked on a national BRT programme
within the transport planning profession, the that includes 17 cities. Already, higher-quality

1. Introduction 3
 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 3 and 4
Developed-nation
cities such as Brisbane,
Australia (left photo)
and Ottawa, Canada
(right photo) have also
benefited from BRT.
Brisbane photo courtesy of
Queensland Transport
Ottawa photo by Lloyd Wright

bus systems are in place in Chicago, Honolulu, but low-cost mass transit option (Figures 3 and
Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, 4). The transfer of BRT technology from Latin
Pittsburgh, and Seattle. Likewise, other OECD America to OECD nations has made BRT one
nations such as Australia, Canada, France, of the most notable examples of technology
Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom have transfer from the developing south to the devel-
seen the potential for BRT as a high-quality oped north.

Table 1: High-quality bus systems around the world (as of February 2004)

Cities with a high-quality bus system in operation

Region
(some form of exclusive busway)

Africa Abidjan, Cotê d’Ivoire; Saint-Denis, Reunion (France)

Asia Ankara, Turkey; Istanbul, Turkey; Jakarta, Indonesia; Kunming, China; Nagoya, Japan;
Taipei, Taiwan
Europe Bescançon, France; Bradford, UK; Claremont Ferrand, France; Dijon, France;
Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Essen, Germany; Grenoble, France; Ipswich, UK; Leeds,
UK; Limoges, France; Lyon, France; Montpellier, France; Nancy, France; Rennes,
France; Rouen, France; Runcorn, UK; Strasbourg, France; West Sussex, UK
Latin America Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Bogotá, Colombia; Campinas, Brazil; Curitiba, Brazil; Goiania,
Brazil; León, México; Porto Alegre, Brazil; Port of Spain, Trinidad; Quito, Ecuador;
Recife, Brazil; Sao Paulo, Brazil
North America Alameda and Contra Country, USA; Boston, USA; Chicago, USA; Honolulu, USA;
Las Vegas, USA; Los Angeles, USA; Miami, USA; Ottawa, Canada; Orlando, USA;
Philadelphia, USA; Pittsburgh, USA; Seattle, USA; Vancouver, Canada
Oceania Adelaide, Australia; Brisbane, Australia; Sydney, Australia

Region Cities with a high-quality bus system in the design or construction phase

Africa Accra, Ghana; Cape Town, South Africa; Dakar, Senegal; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Asia Bangalore, India; Beijing, China; Chengdu, China; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Delhi, India;
Hangzhou, China; Shejiazhuang, China
Europe Annecy, France; Brest, France; Caen, France; Cambridge, UK; Coventry, UK; Luton,
UK; Maubeuge, France; Nice, France; La Rochelle, France; Toulon, France
Latin America Barranquilla, Colombia; Bucaramanga, Colombia; Cali, Colombia; Cartagena,
Colombia; Cuenca, Ecuador; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Lima,
Peru; Medellín, Colombia; Mexico City, México; Panama City, Panama; Pereira,
Colombia; Puebla, Mexico; San Juan, Puerto Rico; San Jose, Costa Rica; San
Salvador, El Salvador
North America Albany, USA; Charlotte, USA; Cleveland, USA; Eugene, USA; Hartford, USA;
Louisville, USA; Montgomery County, USA; Reno, USA; Salt Lake City, USA; San
Francisco, USA; Toronto, Canada
Oceania Auckland, New Zealand; Perth, Australia

4 1. Introduction
 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

There is no precise definition of what constitutes Informal transit Standard Higher-quality Mass rapid
service transit service transit service transit
a BRT system and what represents simply an
improved transit system. Table 1 lists the cities
with bus transit systems that possess some of
the qualities of BRT, as of July 2004. Most of
➤ Non-regulated operators ➤ Pre-board fare payment
the cities listed have some form of exclusive ➤ Taxi-like services ➤ On-board fare verification
busways. The table distinguishes between cit- ➤ Poor quality customer service ➤ Higher quality shelters
ies with systems in operation and those in the ➤ Relatively unsafe and insecure ➤ Euro II -– Euro III type vehicles
planning or construction phase. ➤ Very old, smaller vehicles ➤ Marketing identity

Despite this long list of cities with improved

➤ Publicly-owned service ➤ Metro-quality service
transit services, the number of cities with full
➤ Often subsidised ➤ Closed stations
BRT systems is actually more limited (Table 2).
➤ On-board fare collection ➤ Pre-board fare collection
In this case, a “full” BRT system is defined as ➤ Stops with basic shelters and fare verification
systems with the following characteristics: ➤ Relatively infrequent service
➤ Modern, clean vehicles

Exclusive busways utilised on trunk-line cor- ➤ Older vehicles

➤ Integrated transfer stations

ridors;
Pre-board fare collection and fare verification; modest van services to bus systems approaching Fig. 5
Entry to system restricted to prescribed op- the performance of a BRT system. The quality Mass transit speeds and
erators under a reformed business and admin- of public transit can be seen as a spectrum of capacities
istrative structure (“closed system”); possibilities ranging from customer unfriendly
Clean vehicle technology; informal operations to full-feature mass transit
systems that achieve mass transit speeds and
Fare free integration between feeder services
capacities (Figures 5 and 6). It is worth noting
and trunk-line services.
that this spectrum can encompass both road and
Table 2: Full BRT systems rail transit options. In general, most developing
(as of February 2004) cities should be attempting to move towards
higher-quality services. BRT has provided a
Total kilometres of
City means to enter the higher-quality, higher-capac-
exclusive busways
Bogotá (Colombia) 58
ity end of the spectrum but at a substantially
reduced cost in comparison to other options.
Curitiba (Brazil) 57
Goiania (Brazil) 13
Mini-buses and vans, both formal and informal,
are quite evident in cities of Africa and Latin
Quito (Ecuador) 26
America. While these services are sometimes of
The Latin American cities of Bogotá, Curitiba, relatively low quality, they often provide transit
Goiania, and Quito probably possess the most options for communities with few other choices.
complete systems, in terms of all aspects of BRT. Standard bus services encompass the conven-
The systems in Brisbane (Australia), Ottawa tional 70 passenger buses (12 metres) plying the
(Canada), and Rouen (France) probably provide streets in most parts of the developing world.
the best examples of BRT in the developed-na- These conventional services are typically safer
tion context. The experiences in Africa and Asia than informal mini-buses, but nevertheless still
are more limited in number and scope. The are not an attractive, comfortable, or convenient
Taipei (Taiwan) and Nagoya (Japan) systems option. The next stage in transit evolution is
perhaps stand out as the more complete systems towards more organised and higher-quality bus
in the Asian region, although not quite reaching services. Such services may feature newer and
the level of full BRT systems. cleaner vehicles, more sophisticated fare collec-
tion systems, bus lanes, and improved stations.
1.2.3 Conventional bus systems Higher-quality conventional bus services, while
Conventional transit systems can vary signifi- not BRT, can be a significant improvement for
cantly in size and quality, even within the same residents of most cities. The conventional bus
city. Transit ranges can range from relatively systems in cities such as Hong Kong, London,

1. Introduction 5
 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Informal services Standard services

Bus Rapid Transit Higher-quality services

Fig. 6 and Singapore have achieved considerable While London has not strictly implemented
Developing cities can success without the full application of BRT busways, the frequent use of well-demarcated
evolve from relatively attributes. London’s bus network serves 5.4 bus lanes has helped to increase average speeds
informal transit services
to formally organised million passenger trips each day, far exceeding and overall reliability. Painted bus lanes with
mass transit systems; the city’s underground metro system. London cameras to control private vehicle infringements
BRT is a cost effective is one of the few cities in the world in which have helped to avoid many of the problems as-
way of making this bus ridership has consistently risen over the past sociated with standard bus lanes (Figure 7). Box
transformation. 1 compares bus lanes to busways.
Photos by Lloyd Wright and Carlos
ten years. London’s success has been predicated
Pardo
upon four broad goals of service quality: Hong Kong has achieved many of the same
1. Frequency (“turn up and go” service with successes as London with priority bus lanes, in-
waits of 12 minutes or less); 2. Reliability (en- tegrated fare structures with other mass transit
forced bus lanes); 3. Comprehensiveness; and 4. options, incentive-based contracts with conces-
Simplicity. To accomplish these goals, London sioned operators, and higher-quality vehicles.
has implemented many BRT-type features Whether a system is termed “BRT” or not is less
within a conventional bus service: relevant than the quality of the service provided
Accessible low-floor vehicles for fast boarding and the degree to which continual improvement
is achieved. Most conventional bus services can
and alighting;
be upgraded substantially by considering some
Pre-board fare collection in central areas; of the low-cost customer service enhancements
Real-time information displays at stations; that are evident in BRT systems.
Quality incentive contracts with conces- However, experiences with bus lanes have often
sioned operators; failed to deliver desired results in developing
Enhanced driver training; cities. In many developing cities the bus lanes
Priority lane measures. are regularly invaded by mixed traffic, even

6 1. Introduction
 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Box 1: Bus lanes or busways

Bus lanes and busways are quite different
in design and effectiveness. While some
well-demarcated and well-enforced bus lane
systems in developed nations have succeed-
ed (e.g., London), in general, bus lanes do
little to enhance the effectiveness of public
transport.
Bus lanes are street surfaces reserved
primarily for public transport vehicles on
a permanent basis or on specific hourly
schedule. Bus lanes are not physically segre-
gated from other lanes. While the lanes may
be painted, demarcated, and sign-posted,
changing lanes is still feasible. In some cases,
bus lanes may be shared with high-occu-
pancy vehicles, taxis, and/or non-motorised
vehicles. Bus lanes may also be open to pri-
vate vehicle usage near turning points.
Busways are physically segregated lanes
that are exclusively for the use of public
transport vehicles. Entrance to a busway
can only undertaken at specific points. The
busway is segregated from other traffic by Fig. 8 and 9
means of a wall, curbing, cones, or other The photo above is taken
well-defined structural feature. Non-transit from a bus in a bus only
vehicles are generally not permitted access lane in Mexico City
to a busway although emergency vehicles (Mexico).
often also may utilise the lane. Busways may Photo courtesy of Lee Schipper

be at surface level, elevated, or underground. The photo on the left

BRT systems typically consist of busway shows a bus only street
infrastructure. in San Jose (Costa
Rica) being invaded by
private vehicles.
Photo by Lloyd Wright.

Fig. 7
While not as effective as
dedicated busways, the
bus lanes in London
are protected from
encroaching traffic by
enforcement cameras.
Photo by Lloyd Wright

1. Introduction 7
Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

when the buses are travelling in a counter-flow declining. A selection of developing cities
direction (Figures 8 and 9). Without the strong indicates that public transit systems are typi-
enforcement environment and resources of a cally losing in the area of between 0.3 and 1.2
city such as London, bus lanes tend to lose their percentage points of ridership each year (Table
effectiveness. In fact, buses operating along 3) (WBSCD, 2001).
highly-invaded bus lanes will in some instances The reasons for public transport’s demise are not
leave the bus lane to travel more rapidly in a difficult to discern (Figures 10 and 11). Poor
mixed traffic lane. Bus lanes also force unavoid- transit services in both the developed and devel-
able conflicts with turning vehicles. With bus oping world push consumers to private vehicle
lanes on the sides of the roadways, vehicles must options. The attraction of the private car and
cross the bus lane or even utilise the bus lane to motorcycle is both in terms of performance and
enter or exit side streets. image. Public transport customers typically give
the following reasons for switching to private
1.3 Public transport in developing vehicles:
cities 1. Inconvenience in terms of location of stations
For much of the world’s population, public and frequency of service;
transit is a necessary evil that must be endured 2. Failure to service key origins and
rather than appreciated. For many families, the destinations;
ultimate goal is to one day afford individual 3. Fear of crime at stations and within buses;
motorised transport, either in the form of a
4. Lack of safety in terms of driver ability and
motorcycle or automobile. The state of public
the road-worthiness of buses;
transit implies discomfort, long waits, risk to
5. Service is much slower than private vehicles,
personal safety, and restrictions on movement.
especially when buses make frequent stops;
Customer satisfaction with the myriad of infor-
mal and formal vans, mini-buses, and full-sized 6. Overloading of vehicles makes ride uncom-
buses that ply developing city streets is typically fortable;
extremely low. 7. Public transport can be relatively expensive
for some developing-nation households;
Under such conditions, it is not surprising that
such services are losing passengers at alarming 8. Poor-quality or non-existent infrastructure
rates. The private vehicle continues to make (e.g., lack of shelters, unclean vehicles, etc.)
gains in virtually every city. If present trends 9. Lack of an organised system structure and ac-
continue, public transport may have a rather companying maps and information make the
doubtful future. As incomes rise in developing systems difficult to use; and
nations, private vehicles are gaining usage while 10. Low status of public transit services.
public transport’s ridership is almost universally

Table 3: Changes over time in daily average public transport trips, selected cities
(includes bus, rail, and paratransit)
Earlier Year Later Year
Public Public
Population Percent of Polulation Percent of
City Year Transport Year Transport
(million) All Trips (million) All Trips
Trips/day Trips/day
Mexico 1984 17.0 0.9 80 1994 22.0 1.2 72
Moscow 1990 8.6 2.8 87 1997 8.6 2.8 83
Santiago 1977 4.1 1.0 70 1991 5.5 0.9 56
Sao Paolo 1977 10.3 1.0 46 1997 16.8 0.6 33
Seoul 1970 5.5 67 1992 11.0 1.5 61
Shanghai 1986 13.0 0.4 24 1995 15.6 0.3 15
Warsaw 1987 1.6 1.3 80 1998 1.6 1.2 53

8 1. Introduction
 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 10 and 11
The poor-quality urban
transit in Tanzania
(left photo) and
Mozambique (right
photo) exemplifies
the challenges facing
developing cities.
Photos by Lloyd Wright

However, the demise in public transport is not option. Figures 12 and 13 present images of
pre-ordained. BRT is public transport’s response Bogotá, Colombia before and after the develop-
to this decline, with an attempt to provide a ment of its TransMilenio system.
car-competitive service. With the introduction
of the TransMilenio BRT system in Bogotá, 1.4 Barriers to BRT
Colombia, public transit ridership has actually
When measured in terms of economic, environ-
increased in that city. Although the system
mental and social benefits, BRT’s track record
had only opened two of its 22 planned lines in
provides a compelling case for more cities to
December 2000, the system achieved an imme-
consider it as a transit priority. However, as a
diate 6 per cent of transport mode share. Private
new concept, there remain several barriers that
vehicle usage declined from 18 per cent of daily
have prevented wider dissemination of BRT.
trips in 1999 to 14 per cent in 2001 (Como
Vamos Bogotá, 2001). A more detailed study Specifically, these barriers include:
along the TransMilenio corridor indicates that Political will;
the system captured nearly 10 per cent of trips Existing operators;
that would have been otherwise undertaken by Institutional biases;
private vehicle. (Steer Davies Gleave, 2003). Cu- Lack of information;
ritiba’s BRT system witnessed a similar increase Institutional capacity;
when initially opened, and was able to increase Technical capacity;
ridership by over 2 per cent a year for over two Financing;
decades, enough to maintain the public transit Geographical / physical limitations.
mode share when every other Brazilian city was Political will is by far the most important
witnessing significant declines. ingredient in making BRT work. Overcoming
BRT attempts to address each of the identified resistance from special interest groups and
deficiencies in current services by providing the general inertia against change is often an
a rapid, high quality, safe and secure transit insurmountable obstacle for mayors and other

Fig. 12 and 13
Bogotá transformed
itself from road chaos to
formal mass transit in
just three years.
Photo on left by Lloyd Wright
Photo on right courtesy of
TransMilenio SA

1. Introduction 9
 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

officials. Lobby groups from rail and automo- noted that the threat to existing operators may
bile interests can make for a powerful political be more perceived than real. In most cases, an
argument against BRT implementation. How- effective outreach effort with the operators can
ever, for those public officials that have made help dispel unfounded fears. In reality, exist-
the commitment to BRT, the political rewards ing operators can gain substantially from BRT
can be great. The political leaders behind the through improved profitability and better work
BRT systems in cities like Curitiba and Bogotá conditions. The existing operators can effec-
have left a lasting legacy to their cities, and in tively compete to win operational concessions
the process, these officials have been rewarded within the proposed BRT system.
with enormous popularity and success. The professional staff within municipal agencies
While automobiles may represent less than 15 may also represent a barrier to BRT implemen-
per cent of a developing city’s transport mode tation. Such staff often do not utilise public
share, the owners of such vehicles represent the transit as the primary means to travel. Instead,
most influential socio-political grouping. The municipal officials are part of a middle class
idea of prioritising road space to public trans- elite who have the purchasing power to acquire
port may appear to be counter to the interest a private vehicle. Thus, the professionals who
of private vehicle owners. However, in reality, are responsible for planning and designing pub-
separating public transit vehicles from other lic transit systems frequently do not use public
traffic may often improve conditions for private transit. This lack of familiarity with transit user
vehicles. Since public transit vehicles stop more needs and realities can result in less than opti-
frequently, the separation of these vehicles from mum public transit design. Such staff may also
mixed traffic can actually improve flows for all. unwittingly give funding and design preference
Existing transit operators may also prove to individual motorised travel since this mode is
to be a substantial political barrier to BRT the one with which they are most familiar.
implementation. Such operators may be quite Despite the rise of global information networks,
sceptical of any change, especially when the a lack of knowledge of options like BRT
change may have ramifications on their own remains a very real barrier. The long period of
profitability and even viability. In cities such time between the development of the system
as Quito (Ecuador), the existing operators took in Curitiba and the realisation of BRT by other
to violent street demonstrations to counter the cities is evidence of this information shortfall.
development of the BRT system. Likewise, in Through the assistance of international agencies
other cities the private transit operators have and non-governmental organisations, awareness
pressured political officials through recall efforts of BRT has risen sharply in recent years. Visits
and intense lobbying. However, it should be to Bogotá by city officials from Africa and

Fig. 14
Transit officials from
the world over are
visiting Bogotá to
learn more about BRT
implementation.
Photo courtesy of Human City
Foundation.

10 1. Introduction
 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Asia have helped to catalyse new BRT projects one of these issues. Local conditions require
(Figure 14). Nevertheless, many developing local solutions, which ultimately makes each
cities still do not have basic information on BRT project unique in its own way.
understanding the potential of BRT.
The lack of information on BRT at the municipal 1.5 Benefits of BRT
level often occurs in direct correlation with the An effective public transit system can underpin
lack of human resource capacity. The transport a city’s progress towards social equality, eco-
departments of many major developing cities nomic prosperity, and environmental sustain-
must cope with a wide array of issues with only ability. By leap-frogging past a car-dependent
a handful of staff. The lack of institutional and
development path, cities can avoid the many
technical capacity at the local level inhibits the
negative costs associated with uncontrolled
ability of agencies to consider BRT even when
growth that ultimately disrupts urban coher-
general awareness of the opportunity is present.
ence and a sense of community.
Financing is typically a lesser problem with
Table 4 outlines some of the direct benefits that
BRT than other mass transit options. First,
BRT has provided to developing cities. Beyond
BRT is a relatively low-cost option that is
within the funding capacity of most developing these benefits, though, there exist multiplier
cities. Second, the operational cost effective- impacts that can further increase the value of
ness of BRT means that many regional and BRT to a municipality. For example, BRT can
multi-lateral organisations are quite willing to lead to reduced public costs associated with
finance such projects. Unlike other options, the vehicle emissions and accidents. Such impacts
lack of on-going operational subsidies with BRT include costs borne by the health care system,
implies that the sustainability of the project can the police force, and the judicial system. In turn,
often be assured at the local level. by reducing these costs, municipal resources can
be directed towards other areas such as pre-
Various local conditions, such as urban, geo-
ventative health care, education, and nutrition.
graphical and topographical factors, can also
present barriers to BRT implementation. For Methodologies for estimating the economic,
instance, extremely narrow roadways and steep environmental and social impacts of BRT are
hills can pose design challenges. However, in included in later sections of this guidebook.
general, there are technical solutions to each

Table 4: The benefits of BRT

Category Description
Economic • Reduced travel times
• More reliable product deliveries
• Increased economic productivity
• Increased employment
• Improved work conditions
Social • More equitable access throughout the city
• Reduced accidents and illness
• Increased civic pride and sense of community
Environmental • Reduced emissions of pollutants related to human health
(CO, SOx, NOx, particulates, CO2)
• Reduced noise levels
Urban form • More sustainable urban form, including densification of major corridors
• Reduced cost of delivering services such as electricity, sanitation, and water
Political • Delivery of mass transit system within one political term
• Delivery of high-quality resource that will produce positive results for virtually all
voting groups

1. Introduction 11
Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

12
 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

2. Choosing a Mass Transit of permutations possible with each technology.

Some LRT systems may blur the boundaries
System
with the definition of a metro when LRT is
Choosing the type of mass transit system for a utilised on grade-separated infrastructure.
city can be a difficult process. Given the various Likewise, some BRT systems have segments that
interest groups involved and the substantial go underground. Nevertheless, Box 2 provides
private sector contracts at stake, the process a general typology for mass transit systems. The
can become highly politicised. However, it is continued innovation from mass transit devel-
quite possible to make such a decision within opers is likely to mean that these definitions will
a rational framework. This section attempts also continue to evolve.
to provide such a framework, as well as offer a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is just one of several
discussion on each decision variable. types of mass rapid transit. Additionally, there
The choice of mass transit technology will affect are a range of rail-based transit systems that are
travel times, personal transport expenditures, possible, including Light Rail Transit (LRT),
and commuter comfort and safety. The choice trams, underground metro systems, elevated
will also dramatically affect municipal finances
and a city’s economic efficiency. Ultimately, the Box 2:
selection will shape a city’s urban form and the Types of Mass Rapid Transit
very lifestyle of its inhabitants. Thus, an objec-
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) – Bus-based
tive and effective evaluation process is clearly a technology typically operating on exclu-
worthwhile goal. sive right-of-way lanes at the surface level;
The topics discussed in this section, include: in some cases underpasses or tunnels are
utilised to provide grade separation at inter-
sections or in dense city centres.
2.1 Introduction to mass transit options Light Rail Transit (LRT) – Electric rail-based
technology operating either as a single rail car
2.2 Criteria in technology section or as a short train of cars, typically on exclu-
2.2.1 Cost sive right-of-way lanes at the surface level with
overhead electrical connectors; a tram system
2.2.2 Design and implementation can also be considered a type of LRT, but
typically has smaller-sized vehicles and may
2.2.3 Performance share road space with other forms of traffic.

2.2.4 Impacts Underground Metro – A heavy rail transit

system operating on grade separated tracks
2.3 BRT myths that are located principally underground.
Elevated rail transit – A rail transit system
2.1 Introduction to mass transit options operating on grade separated tracks that
are located principally on an aerial structure;
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is collective urban elevated systems can also be considered a
passenger service that operates at high levels of cus- form of metro.
tomer performance, especially with regard to travel Suburban rail – A heavy rail transit system
times and passenger carrying capacity. Mass rapid operating on exclusive right-of-way tracks
transit can achieve reduced travel times through that are located principally at the surface
level but generally grade separated; typically
the provision of widely accessible networks,
carries passengers between suburban and
higher speed vehicles, exclusive right-of-way urban locations; differs from other urban rail
infrastructure, efficient fare collection systems, systems by the fact that cars are heavier and
and/or faster boarding and alighting techniques. the distances travelled are usually longer.
Higher carrying capacities may be achieved Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) – A rail- or
through larger vehicles, multiple sets of vehicles wheel-based system carrying passengers in
(i.e., a train), and/or more frequent service. small Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV); PRT
typically operates on exclusive right-of-way
Box 2 defines the major categories of mass tran- lanes that may also be grade separated.
sit typologies. Of course, there is a wide range

2. Chosing a Mass Transit System 13

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

rail systems, and Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) personal preferences will all likely play a role.
systems. No one of these options is inherently This section will outline some of the factors that
correct or incorrect. Local conditions and local should be considered in selecting the type of
preferences play a significant role in determin- mass transit system for a city. While this docu-
ing the preferred system type. ment focuses upon BRT, many of its attributes
Additional types of mass transit systems are also and design lessons are transferable to other mass
possible. While monorail and maglev train tech- transit types as well. Additional information
nologies could be considered a form of elevated on different mass transit types can be found in
rail transit, these technologies are also distinc- Module 3a of the GTZ Sustainable Transport
tive enough to be considered as separate transit Sourcebook (Wright and Fjellstrom, 2003).
categories. However, over the past forty years In recent years, significant debates amongst
of the technology’s existence, monorail systems transport professionals have occurred on
have not been developed to any great degree. whether BRT or rail-based solutions are the
Other than in Japan, most existing current most appropriate. Such competition between
monorail applications are quite specialised such systems can actually be healthy as it implies an
as in theme parks. However, Las Vegas (USA) environment in which all technologies must
is completing a monorail line in 2004, and strive to improve. A rigorous evaluation process
Seattle (USA) is currently developing its second will also help ensure that a city makes the most
monorail project. Maglev technology is quite appropriate choice.
new and holds the potential to increase vehicle In truth, it may in fact be better to define basic
speeds considerably. The only current passenger transit characteristics prior to selecting a par-
application of maglev is found in Shanghai ticular technology. By understanding customer
(China), where speeds of over 400 km per hour needs with respect to fare levels, routing and
are reached on a 30 kilometre line between the location, travel time, frequency of service, quality
city and its new international airport. However, of infrastructure, and issues of safety and security,
at a cost of over US$ 300 million per kilometre, system developers can characterise the most ideal
the technology is unlikely to be replicated type of service without prejudicing the result to
elsewhere for the foreseeable future. Further, for any particular technology. Such a customer-ori-
many transport professionals, maglev technol- entated approach will likely have the best chance
ogy is seen more as a competitor of air travel for of producing a transit service that can effectively
inter-city travel rather than a practical solution compete with the private automobile. In practice,
within the urban transit sector. though, a political official or technical official
Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) is another rela- will often state a preference for a particular
tively new phenomenon that is being developed technology at the outset. In this case, the service
as an option in lower-density developed cities. is effectively being designed around a technology
PRT utilises Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV) rather than the customer. Mass transit technol-
that avoid the need for a driver, and thus help ogy decisions can thus become a sort of self-ful-
developed cities to reduce their relatively high filling prophecy based upon political or personal
labour costs. These vehicles may be either preferences rather than customer needs.
rubber tyre- or rail-based, and are somewhat The choice of transit technology should be
small in size with each vehicle carrying in the chosen on a range of considerations with
range of two to six passengers. To date, only a performance and cost being amongst the most
few experimental systems have been developed. important. As suggested, these requirements
For these reasons, PRT is not presented in any are ideally derived from an objective analysis
further detail in this document. of the existing and projected situation. Table 5
outlines categories of the characteristics that can
2.2 Criteria in technology selection help shape a city’s decision towards the most
The decision to select Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) appropriate type of mass transit system.
as opposed to other options depends upon many This section attempts to provide an objective
factors. Costs, performance characteristics, and review of each of these characteristics. Again,

14 2. Chosing a Mass Transit System

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Table 5: Factors in choosing a type of Competitiveness of construction industry;

mass transit system Quality of management and organisational
Category Factor capabilities;
Cost Capital costs (infrastructure Local physical conditions (topology, soil con-
costs) ditions, water tables, etc.);
Operating costs Design and safety requirements;
Design and Planning and implementation
Financing costs;
operation time
System capacity Local content versus imported content of
Scalability technology;
Flexibility
Requirements to retire existing vehicle fleets;
Diversity versus homogeneity
Management and administration Levels of import duties;
Performance Travel time / speed Property prices and level of expropriation re-
Service frequency quired for system development;
Reliability
Comfort
Level of competitiveness and openness in the
Safety bidding process.
Customer service Thus, while it is possible to compare capital
Image and perception
costs with other cities, the actual investment
Impacts Economic impacts level will depend upon the nature of local con-
Social impacts
Environmental impacts
ditions. Table 6 provides a sampling of capital
Urban impacts costs from several different cities and several
different mass transit technologies. In making
no one mass transit solution is the right solution such comparisons, one must take extra precau-
for all cities. The local circumstances and public tion that one is comparing the same set of
policy objectives play a significant role in select- cost factors. For instance, one technology bid
ing the optimum transit solution for any city. may consider rolling stock (vehicles) to be part
of capital costs while another bid may place
2.2.1 Costs the item in operating costs. Further, in some
2.2.1.1 Capital costs (infrastructure costs) cases, rail systems may capitalise spare parts
For most developing cities, the infrastructure and regular maintenance activities while other
costs will be a pre-eminent decision-making transit systems will likely expense such items
factor. Developing cities often face a borrowing under operating costs. For the purposes of
cap which acts as a ceiling to the total amount developing a decision-making matrix between
of borrowing that can be undertaken, based system types, one must be strict in categorising
upon lending regulations set by institutions each cost type consistently.
such as the International Monetary Fund and Table 6 indicates that BRT systems are typically
the World Bank. The lending capacity is often in the range of US$ 500,000 per kilometre to
a function of the amount of loans currently US$ 15 million per kilometre. By comparison,
outstanding as well as the relative level of debt at-grade light rail transit (LRT) appears to be in
to gross domestic product (GDP). Addition- the range of US$ 13 million to US$ 40 million
ally, lending in the transport sector will have a per kilometre. Elevated systems can range from
direct impact on a city’s ability to borrow for all US$ 30 million per kilometre to US$ 100 mil-
critical functions, including such areas as water, lion per kilometre. Finally, underground metro
sanitation, education, and health care. Thus, systems seem to range from US$ 45 million per
the decision on a city’s transit system will have kilometre to as high as US$ 320 million per
broad ramifications affecting many facets of kilometre. The significant size of the various
overall development. ranges again indicates the local nature of costing.
The exact capital cost of a system will depend Additionally, the range depends upon the indi-
upon many local factors, including: vidual features sought within each system (e.g.,
Local labour costs; quality of stations, separation from traffic, etc.).

2. Chosing a Mass Transit System 15

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Table 6: Capital costs for different mass transit systems

Kilometres of Cost per kilometre

City Type of system
segregated lines (km) (US$ million / km)
Taipei Bus rapid transit 57 0.5
Porto Alegre Bus rapid transit 27 1.0
Quito (Eco-Via Line) Bus rapid transit 10 1.2
Las Vegas (Max) Bus rapid transit 11.2 1.7
Curitiba Bus rapid transit 57 2.5
Sao Paulo Bus rapid transit 114 3.0
Bogotá (Phase I) Bus rapid transit 40 5.3
Tunis Light rail transit 30 13.3
San Diego Light rail transit 75 17.2
Lyon Light rail transit 18 18.9
Bordeaux Light rail transit 23 20.5
Portland Light rail transit 28 35.2
Los Angeles (Gold Line) Light rail transit 23 37.8
Kuala Lumpur (PUTRA) Elevated rail 29 50.0
Bangkok (BTS) Elevated rail 23 73.9
Las Vegas Monorail 6.4 101.6
Mexico (Line B) Metro rail 24 40.9
Fig. 15 Madrid (1999 extension) Metro rail 38 42.8
The higher cost of rail- Caracas (Line 4) Metro rail 12 90.3
based infrastructure
Hong Kong Metro rail 82 220.0
means a BRT network
can cover an entire city London (Jubilee Line ext.) Metro rail 16 350.0
at the same cost as a few
kilometres of rail
Figure 15 presents a graphical way of looking at
Two system options at the same cost the same comparison based upon the amount
of city area that can be covered by rail and BRT
at equal investment levels. The relative coverage
that each system can provide is not a trivial mat-
ter as it will greatly determine usability. A lim-
ited system of only a few kilometres will mean
that most of a person’s essential destinations are
not reachable by the system. When systems are
quite extensive across the expanse of a city, then
Rail-based system the ability to function without purchasing a
private vehicle is considerably higher.
The relative robustness of capital cost projec-
tions is also an important consideration. Higher-
cost options, such as rail technologies, also tend
to demonstrate greater disparity between pro-
jected and actual costs. This disparity translates
into greater financial risk for those undertaking
the project. Table 7 illustrates the tendency for
certain rail projects to under-estimate expected
BRT system costs and to over-estimate the number of ex-
pected passengers.

16 2. Chosing a Mass Transit System

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

There may a variety of reasons for the under- on-going operating costs of the system. These
estimation of public transit projects, including costs can include vehicle amortisation, labour,
economic self-interest, technological complexity, fuel, maintenance and spare parts. If a system
and psychological factors. Project developers requires on-going subsidies, the financial strain
may under-estimate costs in order to win initial can end up affecting the effectiveness of both
commitment to the project; the underestima- the municipal government and the transit
tion may particularly occur when there is no service to the customer. The level of operating
penalty or risk for doing so (Flyvbjerg et al., costs will also be related to the expected fare
2003). Projects that require tunnelling, elevated levels of the service, and thus will ultimately
structures, and advanced technology probably affect affordability and issues of social equity.
also incur greater cost variance due to the
Labour costs represent perhaps the greatest
relative project complexity that is related to
difference between systems in developed nations
the occurrence of unforeseen events and costs.
and systems in developing nations. Whereas
Allport (2000, p. S-23) notes that “metros are
labour can represent between 35% and 75% of
a different order of challenge, cost and risk.”
operating costs in Europe and North America,
Allport also draws similar cautions with LRT:
the labour component of developing-nation
“LRT is often considered a more affordable systems are often well less than 20%.
alternative to a metro, while having the up-mar-
This difference has greatly shaped the direction
ket and ‘green’ image which busways have so far
usually not had…[but LRT systems] comes at a of public transport in each context. Systems
very high cost, both capital and operating, and such as light rail transit (LRT) have proven
they can be risky: much needs to go right for a quite popular in developed nations, in part due
project to be successful, and a bad mistake can to the reduced need for operating staff. With
spell disaster.” (Allport, 2000, p. S-6) multiple rail vehicles being operated by one
driver, the labour cost per customer is greatly
Additionally, overly-optimistic projections may reduced. In contrast, the relatively low labour
also be due to psychological preferences for costs in developing city applications means
more grandiose and image-driven options. that there is little penalty for modes requiring
In some instances, capital costs can be reduced more operating staff. Further, for social reasons,
through concessionary financing or grants from maintaining or even increasing employment is
developed-nation governments and private often a fundamental objective of public transit
firms. The concessionary funds are provided as a projects in the developing-city context.
means to promote the exportation of developed-
The difference in labour costs, in conjunction
nation products such as vehicles, information
with the higher capital costs for rail-based
technology, and consultants. Concessionary
solutions, largely explains the relative lack
terms can also be an effective technique to lock
of LRT and metro systems in the developing
a city into a particular technology. The financial
world. Outside of major corridors in a few
concessions may even be recouped later as the
developing megacities, rail transit has not been
particular city extends the system. The Mexico
implemented significantly in developing na-
City metro system, the Medellín (Colombia)
urban rail system, and the Delhi metro system tions. Rail options are likely to never fully serve
have also benefited from finance provided by,
respectively, France, Germany, and Japan at Table 7: Cost overruns and passenger projections of rail projects
concessionary interest rates. Unfortunately, in Cost Overrun Actual traffic as a percentage of
the cases of Mexico City and Medellín the cost Project
(%) projected traffic, opening year
of extending the current rail system is prohibi- Washington metro 85 NA
tively expensive since the concessionary terms
Mexico City metro 60 50
are no longer available.
Tyne and Wear metro 55 50
2.2.1.2 Operating costs Kolkata metro NA 5
The long-term financial sustainability of a Miami metro NA 50
transit project is highly dependent upon the
Source: Flyvbjerg, B., Bruzelius, N., and Rothengatter, W. (2003)

2. Chosing a Mass Transit System 17

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

a city’s full transit needs. Only corridors with suggest one solution is better or more appropri-
the highest passenger throughputs can produce ate than another. Instead, it merely reflects
a competitive operating cost structure for rail. highly different local circumstances and cost
By comparison, bus-based systems can cost-ef- structures.
fectively serve a wide spectrum of passenger Beyond labour costs, other operating com-
numbers from lower-density residential areas to ponents tend to favour BRT over rail-based
the high-density corridors of a megacity such as options in developing cities. With rail cars
Bogotá. typically in excess of US$ 2 million and Latin
In developing cities, the lower impact of wages American articulated buses in the area of US$
on total costs means that these costs are largely 200,000, the vehicle amortisation costs are still
overwhelmed by the other components. Porto in the area of three times more costly for rail
Alegre, Brazil offers a unique opportunity to than for bus, even accounting for the longer life
directly compare urban rail and BRT operating of rail vehicles and the greater passenger car-
costs. The city has both types of systems operat- rying capacity. The more specialised nature of
ing in similar circumstances. The TrensUrb rail rail maintenance and spare parts also tends to
system requires a 69% operating subsidy for increase these costs. Comparisons of fuel costs
each passenger trip. By contrast, the city’s BRT obviously depend upon the technology utilised
system has a comparable fare structure, but for the BRT vehicles, which can be diesel, natu-
operates with no subsidies and in fact returns a ral gas, hydrogen, or electricity.
profit to the private sector firms operating the Operating costs are also affected by the econo-
buses (Figures 16 and 17). mies of scale of the given operation. In devel-
In the developed cities of North America and oped nations the lower demand for pubic transit
Western Europe, rail solutions, particularly LRT, services has largely translated into inadequate
are now being implemented with increased revenues to cover costs, especially with regard
frequency. The divergent technology paths to rail-based services. In turn, this differential
between developing and developed cities do not implies often heavy subsidisation of the system.
Likewise, rail-based services in developing cities
also frequently require subsidisation. With the
exception of the metros in Hong Kong, Manila,
Santiago, and Sao Paulo, there are relatively
few examples of systems with fare box recovery
ratios greater than 1.0 (i.e., revenues greater
than costs). Further, crossing into the frontier
of subsidies also brings with it additional costs.
Managing the subsidy process, controlling
misappropriation, and ensuring the right incen-
tives for customer service all require personnel
and resources.
Implementing a system that will require sub-
Fig. 16 and 17 sidies without end raises issues of inter-genera-
The urban rail and tional equity. A commitment to subsidies into
BRT systems in the indefinite future places a potentially heavy
Porto Alegre (Brazil) burden on future generations. In the short term,
provide a comparative such subsidies will reduce annual spending
environment for the available for other development objectives such
different mass transit
options. The rail as health care and education. Gregory Ingram
system requires a 69% of the World Bank supports this possibility with
operating subsidy while (Ingram, 1998, p. 7):
the BRT system requires
no operating subsidies. “The construction costs of Metros in developing
Photos by Lloyd Wright countries are so high that they crowd out many

18 2. Chosing a Mass Transit System

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

other investments…Most systems have operat-

ing deficits that severely constrain local budgets,
as in Pusan and Mexico City.”
In this sense, future generations may be penal-
ised twice by having a lower development base
to build upon and by being forced to continue
subsidies for a transit decision placed upon
them by previous administrations.
Developing-city BRT systems typically oper-
ate without subsidies. Revenues cover all
BRT operating costs in cities such as Bogotá,
Curitiba, Quito, and Porto Alegre. Further, the
fare levels are often quite affordable with BRT;
the customer fare is approximately US$ 0.40 per
passenger in Bogotá and is US$ 0.25 in Quito.
The lack of subsidies also allows these cities to
easily accommodate and manage private sector
concessions on the corridors. Thus, not only are
all operating costs recovered within the afford-
able fares, but a healthy profit is realised by the
private operating companies.

2.2.2 Design and development factors

2.2.2.1 Planning and implementation time
The window of opportunity for transit projects
is sometimes quite limited. The terms in office
of key political champions may only be three
to five years. If implementation is not initiated
during that period, the following administration
may well decide not to continue the project. In
some instances the project may be cancelled just Fig. 18 and 19
because the new administration does not want An initial BRT corridor
to implement someone else’s idea, regardless of can take 12 to 24
the merits of the particular project. A longer months to construct as
compared to the three
development period also means that a host of to five years required
other special interest groups will have more for underground or
opportunity to delay or obstruct the process. elevated rail systems.
Photo above by Lloyd Wright
Ideally, a transit project can be planned and Photo on left by Karl Fjellstrom

implemented within a single political term. This month time horizon. The construction of initial
short time span would provide an additional corridors can likewise be completed in a 12
incentive, as the project’s initiator would want month to 24 month period (Figure 18). Phase
to finish the project in time to reap the political I (40 kilometres) of Bogotá’s TransMilenio
rewards. system was planned and constructed within the
Rail-based options and BRT have significantly three-year term of Mayor Enrique Peñalosa. By
different planning and implementation time contrast, planning a more complex rail project
horizons. Examples of planning and construc- will typically consume three to five years of
tion times vary greatly by local circumstances, time (Figure 19). Examples such as the Bangkok
but the duration from start to completion is SkyTrain and the Delhi Metro also show that
significantly shorter for BRT. BRT planning construction can also require another three to
typically can be completed in a 12 month to 24 five year time horizon.

2. Chosing a Mass Transit System 19

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

1947 1954

Metro Lines

Phase I
Subway Line Phase II

1967 1981

Metro Lines
Phase I
Electric Train System
Phase II

1988 1992

System
Metro
LRT
Urban Rail Project
Fig. 20
For six decades,
various political 1997 2000
administrations
attempted to implement
rail-based transit
in Bogotá without
success. The Peñalosa
administration planned System
and implemented the Metro Line 1
TransMilenio BRT Metro Line 2
system in just three
years.
Metro Line 3 TransMilenio BRT
Trunk routes
Illustrations courtesy Phase I COMPLETED in 2000
of TransMilenio SA

Bogotá (Colombia) makes for an interesting While the years of rail planning provided regu-
case study as the city has pursued both rail- lar incomes to consulting firms, it did little to
based options (metros and LRTs) and BRT. address the city’s growing transport crisis. BRT
Bogotá spent over four decades developing brought the first sense of implementation reality
metro and LRT plans (Figure 20). Not a single to the city’s public transit objectives. As noted,
project advanced beyond the planning stage. Mayor Peñalosa did in a single three-year term

20 2. Chosing a Mass Transit System

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

what could not be accomplished by forty years lanes. Bogotá’s Caracas Avenue corridor actually
of metro dreams. serves an estimated 36,500 pphpd. Such figures
A longer time horizon can also mean greater are achieved due to the following characteristics:
city disruption during the construction phase. 1. Use of articulated vehicles with a passenger
As portions of the city are under construction, capacity of 160;
road traffic and businesses will sometimes need 2. Stations with multiple stopping bays that can
to make inconvenient changes to their normal handle up to five vehicles per direction simul-
behaviour. The ensuing congestion and loss of taneously;
sales caused by such disruption can do much 3. Multiple permutations of routing options that
to harm the goodwill that a transit project can include local, limited stop, and express services;
otherwise deliver. 4. Average vehicle headways per route of three
Obtaining the project financing can be another minutes, and as low as 60 seconds during
significant time delay. Because rail-based op- peak periods; and,
tions typically have higher capital requirements, 5. Station dwell times of approximately 20 sec-
arranging the financing can be more compli- onds (achieved by use of at-level boarding
cated and more time consuming. Further, since and alighting, pre-board fare collection and
rail-based options typically involve some form fare verification, and three sets of large dou-
of public sector subsidy, the involvement of ble doors on each vehicle).
the private sector becomes a more complicated Systems such as Quito (Ecuador) and Curitiba
structural issue to design and negotiate. (Brazil) that utilise just one lane in each direc-
tion reach capacities of approximately 10,000
2.2.2.2 Passenger capacity
pphpd. However, Porto Alegre (Brazil) also
The ability to move large numbers of passengers has only one lane available in each direction
is a basic requirement for mass rapid transit but reaches capacities of over 20,000 pphpd
systems. This characteristic is particularly im- through the clever use of multiple stopping bays
portant in developing cities where mode shares and the platooning of vehicle movements. In
for public transit can exceed 80 per cent of all general, these results indicate that BRT can
trips. Passenger capacity is affected by several achieve slightly higher passenger capacities than
factors that can differ between types of transit light rail systems but somewhat less than el-
systems: evated rail and metro systems. Table 8 provides
Size of vehicle (passengers per vehicle); a comparative capacity analysis between differ-
Number of vehicles that can be grouped ent mass transit options.
together;
Headway between vehicles (amount of time Table 8: Actual peak capacity, selected mass transit systems
that elapses between vehicles in safe operation); Ridership (passengers /
Line Type
Boarding and alighting techniques. hour / direction)

In many developed cities, passenger capacity is Sao Paulo Line 1 Metro 60,000
a less vital issue as the lower density of the cities Mexico City Line B Metro 39,300
along with lower market shares for public transit Santiago La Moneda Metro 36,000
creates less peak demand. By contrast, develop- London Victoria Line Metro 25,000
ing cities often have both high population densi- Buenos Aires Line D Metro 20,000
ties and high market share for public transit. Bogotá TransMilenio BRT 36,500
Concerns are sometimes raised whether Sao Paulo 9 de julho BRT 34,911
bus-based options such as BRT can handle Porto Alegre Assis Brasil BRT 25,000
the passenger flows that are often required Belo Horizonte BRT 21,100
in denser, developing-nation cities. Both the
Curitiba Eixo Sul BRT 15,100
Bogotá (Colombia) and São Paulo (Brazil) BRT
Bangkok SkyTrain Elevated rail 22,000
systems handle over 30,000 passengers per hour
per direction (pphpd) using additional passing Tunis LRT 13,400

2. Chosing a Mass Transit System 21

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Table 9: Mode share comparison

Motor-
City Bus Metro Train Car Taxi Walk Bicycle Other
cycle
Bangkok1, 2003 31 3 0 30 32 4 - - -
Beijing , 2000
2
15 2 0 16 2 6 33 26 -
Buenos Aires , 1999 3
33 6 7 37 0 9 7 0 -
Caracas3, 1991 34 16 0 34 0 0 16 0 -
Mexico City , 20034
63 14 1 16 - 5 - - -
Rio de Janeiro , 1996 5
61 2.3 3.1 11.5 0.2 - 19.7 1.3 0.9
Santiago , 2001
6
28.4 4.5 - 23.5 - 1.3 36.5 1.9 4.0
Sao Paulo3, 1997 26 5 2 31 1 0 35 0 -
Shanghai , 2001
2
18 2 0 4 2 2 44 28 -
Sources: 1. OTP (2003)
2. Xu, K. (2004)
3. Vasconcellos, E. (2001)
4. SETRAVI (2003)
5. IplanRio (1996)
6. Ciudad Viva (2003)

As surface systems with no mobility beyond the We conclude that an LRT capacity of
rail corridor, LRT systems face some practical 10-12,000 pphpd at an operating speed
limitations in terms of passenger capacities. This of 20kph is likely to be the limit to what is
conclusion is supported by the findings from achievable.”
the research of Allport (2000, p. 38): LRT systems generally are not able to introduce
“Typical at-grade LRT throughputs were the same measures that allow BRT systems
about 4,000-6,000 passengers per hour to reach higher capacities. The application of
compared to busway average of 15,000 passing lanes at stations and express services for
at about the same commercial speed. LRT requires a degree of switching technology
There were no known LRT’s operating
that is quite complicated in urban settings,
at-grade which approach the passenger
carrying capacity of the existing Curitiba, particularly in developing cities. However, if an
Quito or Bogotá busways.” LRT system was grade separated from mixed
traffic (i.e., become a metro-like service), then
Allport then goes on to explain the reasons for
higher capacities would be possible. In general,
LRT’s capacity limitations:
though, capacity is not a major constraint since
“LRT achieves high speed by using a the principal application of LRT is in developed
signalling system to avoid bunching, and
nations of Europe and North America. Cities in
by obtaining priority at traffic signals
over other traffic; and it achieves high these nations rarely have public transit demand
capacity by having large vehicles which in excess of 10,000 pphpd.
take advantage of the signal cycles. In For passenger capacities in excess of 40,000
practice the distance between signals pphpd, grade separated rail is currently the
defines the maximum vehicle size, and
only option available. Passenger volumes of this
the need to provide for crossing traffic
limits the number of vehicles per hour. magnitude have been recorded in only a hand-
However, LRT systems are operationally ful of cities such as Hong Kong, New York, Sao
vulnerable to the everyday events that Paulo, and Tokyo.
happen in the centre of developing cities. Interestingly, in cities that have both a metro
Whether this is junctions being partly
system and a bus network, the metro generally
blocked, or road maintenance work, or
a breakdown, or an accident, while bus only carries a small portion of the cities public
systems are often able to get round the transport ridership. Table 9 compares mode
problem (they can overtake, leave the shares for several cities with both a metro and a
busways etc), LRT is not. bus network. This result is surprising since it is

22 2. Chosing a Mass Transit System

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

generally assumed that metros possess a greater Figure 21: Passenger capacity and capital
carrying capacity. While it is true that the peak cost for mass transit options
capacity of metros and elevated rail systems
���
surpass other modes, their ability to serve large
�����������
overall numbers of passengers is limited due �����

Capital cost (US$ million / km)

��
to cost reasons. Bus transit, as both a standard
service and an enhanced BRT service, continues
to serve as the principal transit backbone of most ��
��������
����
cities. Even cities with metros and elevated rail
systems, such as Mexico City and Bangkok, the
numbers served by the rail systems are typically ��
less than 15 per cent of the daily trips (Table 9).
Such systems typically can only be cost justified ���
in a few corridors, and thus actually serve fewer ��

overall numbers of passengers. Thus, while

metro systems often receive the largest share of ���
public transport investment as well as political
�
attention, the reality is that underfunded bus ������ ������ ������

systems still carry the vast share of customers. Passengers per hour per direction

Figure 21 compares the range of passenger

In London, the demand handled by the mass
capacity for each technology measured against
transit system does not exceed 30,000 pphpd.
the range of capital costs. The ranges presented
in Figure 21 are based on actual not theoretical This lower capacity occurs not because there is
data. From this data, BRT is positioned as the little demand, but rather because the relatively
lowest-cost option that provides a relatively large demand has been well-distributed around
wide range of capacity options. BRT can eco- an overall network.
nomically function in cities with low passenger However, in cities such as Hong Kong and São
demand to higher capacities of 40,000 pphpd. Paulo, where a limited network is provided,
The area of the rectangles in Figure 21 are also capacities can reach 60,000 pphpd and higher.
revealing with regard to the relative risk and un- In this sense, costly metros can become a
certainty involved in a transit technology choice. self-fulfilling prophecy with respect to capacity.
The range of the cost variable for LRT, elevated Since developing cities can only afford a few
rail, and metros indicates that local conditions metro lines, the passenger demand is drawn
can spiral costs several multiples from original from a much wider area and thus creates a
estimations. capacity requirement that only metros can fulfil.
In reality, the debate over capacity is a bit Hong Kong draws large numbers of passengers
misleading. The capacity required on a particu- from Kowloon and the New Territories into a
lar corridor is principally determined by the single metro line on Nathan Road. There are
population density along the corridor, the total disadvantages to this approach. By requiring
catchment area for passengers, and the origin passengers to travel farther to enter the system,
and destination profile of the residents. When
the system developers are making conditions
a system consists of a network that covers the
less convenient to the customer, which will
majority of central districts and main corridors,
this catchment area typically extends to an area ultimately result in captive users seeking al-
of one kilometre around stations as well as the ternatives such as private vehicles. Also, when
passenger traffic collected by feeder services. operating at a capacity of over 60,000 pphpd,
Thus, while the central areas of London and the system is far less robust with respect to
New York host dense populations, the extensive delays and technical problems. A two-minute
coverage of the system network distributes de- outage in such a system can create extremely
mand across many parallel and connecting lines. difficult conditions and backlogs.

2. Chosing a Mass Transit System 23

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 22
Phase I of TransMilenio
(left illustration)
consisted of 40
kilometres of exclusive
busways. By the year
2015, the total system
will consist of 388
kilometres of exclusive
busways
(right illustration).
Illustrations courtesy of TransMilenio SA

For most cities, even cities with high popula- rail-based systems often necessitate a larger
tion densities, a BRT system provides adequate network in order to operate effectively. The
capacity if the system is designed as an effective required economies-of-scale for metro construc-
network. The extreme densities claimed by rail tion implies that one would not construct many
advocates are often only possible by creating a small segments over different time periods. If
highly-limited corridor structure that satisfies one brings in the tunnelling equipment and
scale at the cost of customer service. Bogotá is construction teams, it would be extremely costly
a large, densely populated city with 7 million to just construct just a very short segment.
total inhabitants and approximately 240 persons BRT’s lower costs and greater flexibility permits
per hectare, and yet the city’s BRT system man- system developers to closely match current
ages these volumes. Few cities have a population needs with actual construction. Since construc-
density higher than that of Bogotá, and thus tion techniques for BRT are not so different
passenger capacity is rarely the over-riding fac- than normal roadway construction, the required
tor in choosing a rail-based system. However, if economies-of-scale are far less acute than
a city has one or more of the following charac- those for rail-based projects. BRT has been
teristics, then an underground Metro may be an developed in cities with populations of 200,000
appropriate option from a capacity standpoint: to megacities with over 10 million inhabitants.
Population densities in an area of trip origins Even relatively small system additions can be
or trips destinations above 270 persons per economically accommodated by BRT. Thus,
hectare in a megacity environment with de- BRT allows cities to have a transit system that
mand of over 40,000 passenger per hour per grows and evolves in close step with the de-
direction in key corridors; mographic and urban form changes that occur
Extremely tight structural densities that do naturally in a city. Figure 22 illustrates the
not permit use of the surface for dedicated planned system expansion taking place within
transit lanes (although some cities have the Bogotá TransMilenio system.
placed BRT corridors underground in the 2.2.2.4 System flexibility
densest sectors); Modern modelling and planning practices have
Geographical constraints (e.g., a narrow strip greatly aided the objective of matching public
of land bounded by water or a hillside) that transit design to customer needs. Unfortunately,
do not permit sufficient space to use surface even the best crafted plans cannot account for all
roadways for dedicated transit infrastructure. eventualities. Customer preferences can be dif-
2.2.2.3 Scalability ficult to know with absolute certainty. The nature
Scalability refers to the ability to match the size of a city’s urban form and demographics can
and scope of a system to the particular urban change as social and economic conditions change.
environment. Rail-based systems tend to re- Thus, it is always preferable to have a transit
quire a relatively large scale to operate economi- system that can grow and change with a city.
cally. The high costs of rail infrastructure and During the start-up phase of a new system,
operations mean that relatively high passenger customer reactions and preferences are some-
numbers are needed. For the same reasons, times different than the original predictions

24 2. Chosing a Mass Transit System

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

indicated from modelling exercises. Demand in been noted that there is no fixed agreement on
one area may exceed or fall short of expectations what even constitutes a BRT system. A highly
and require service adjustments. Alternatively, strict definition (closed system, fully segregated
customer demand for express or limited stop busways, fare-free transfers, and pre-board fare
services may be quite different from early collection) may produce only four true BRT
projections. Routes may require adjustments to systems in existence: Bogotá, Curitiba, Goiania,
account for future changes in urban form. and Quito. A more expansive definition (open
The relative flexibility of BRT means that such and closed systems, higher-capacity vehicles,
changes can often be accommodated at a mod- low emission standards, improved customer
est investment in terms of time and money. information) can imply a total of approximately
Changes to the Bogotá TransMilenio system 50 systems.
were handled smoothly within the first weeks BRT can fulfil a range of roles within an
of opening the system. By contrast, routing and integrated transit service. Some cities with
service changes to rail-based systems are far less existing rail-based systems are viewing BRT
adaptable. Once the expense and engineering as an economical means to extend or augment
effort of tunnelling and laying rail is made, the their systems. Medellín (Colombia) and Beijing
flexibility to make changes is rather limited. (China) are both developing BRT corridors that
Thus, rail-based systems require a good deal will act in concert with an existing rail-based
more certainty in terms of the required demand system. For Medellín, the high capital and
and service preferences. operating costs of the city’s existing elevated rail
The combination of lower capital costs and system meant that there was no possibility of
greater scalability of BRT means that the sys- using rail in other corridors. Sao Paulo (Brazil)
tem will preserve greater option value for future uses BRT as a means to extend the reach of the
political administrations and future generations. metro system to satellite cities. Table 10 outlines
Rather than committing a city to a prescribed the different types of roles that BRT can assume
path for the foreseeable future, BRT permits within a city’s public transport strategy.
changes in city form, demographics, and public Bogotá has demonstrated that a densely-popu-
priorities to allow different options to be viable lated megacity can in fact be quite well-serviced
at a later date. Once a city has committed to an by BRT alone. Nevertheless a range of cities
expensive rail option, both the psychological with existing rail systems may find BRT a
and the financial flexibility for making later compatible addition to an integrated system. As
changes becomes limited. noted above, employing multiple technologies
As has been noted, the state-of-the-art in BRT does bring with it added costs and managerial
continues to evolve in a dynamic environment complexity. However, for cities with existing rail
of experimentation and municipal creativity. infrastructure and few financial resources the
Each new project brings with it the potential to choice may be either BRT or waiting decades
alter what is considered best practice. It has also for further system expansion.

Table 10: Potential BRT roles within an integrated mass transit strategy
Service type Explanation
Principal mass transit BRT can serve as the principal mass transit technology for a city, covering all
service trunk-line corridors and providing feeder routes
BRT can provide an economical means to extend metro services to outer
Metro extension
areas
BRT can provide an economical means of adding mass transit lines within a
Mass transit in-fill
city that already has some rail-based corridors
Feeder service BRT can provide a feeder service connecting with existing metro corridors
BRT can serve as an economical entry into a mass transit system while also
Future conversion
allowing for the future conversion to rail

2. Chosing a Mass Transit System 25

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

BRT does not necessarily represent the endpoint level of affordability. Instead, lower-income
in terms of a city’s ultimate transit choice. The groups are bunched in an under-funded (or non-
relative flexibility of BRT means that other funded) paratransit or conventional bus system
options are not closed to a city at a later time. A that operates with little in terms of customer
city may elect to replace a BRT corridor with service amenities. Examples of such dramatic
a rail-based option. This change may be in intra-city inequities include the elevated rail
response to improved municipal financial condi- systems in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur as well
tions that allow a more capital intensive option as the costly metro system in Kolkata.
to be implemented. The reasons for such a The ultimate decision on a mass transit system
conversion may be related to an increase in mass should not be based on a particular type of
transit usage that results in corridor demand technology. Instead, the needs of the customer
over 40,000 passengers per hour per direction. should be paramount above all. Building a
Alternatively, a BRT to rail conversion may also single, limited corridor of rail does little to
be based upon a desire to upgrade towards a provide a meaningful network for those persons
system with a higher perceived visual image. who depend upon public transport for their
In either case, BRT provides the flexibility for
daily mobility needs. A city with few financial
such a conversion to take place. The segregated
resources may wish to consider developing a
busways and high-quality stations of BRT may
full mass transit network with BRT prior to a
be directly transferable to another technology.
limited rail-based corridor. In time, if the desire
Thus, the earlier BRT investment is largely not
to convert to rail is strong, then this possibility
lost in the conversion process.
is always there as a future conversion option.
Of course, once a BRT system has been put in However, BRT can give a city a complete net-
place a city may not consider a conversion to work over the medium term and thus do much
rail to necessarily be regarded as an upgrade. to relieve the pressures of congestion, contami-
It is unlikely that residents of cities with high- nation, and access that are evident in much of
quality BRT systems such as Bogotá, Curitiba, the developing world.
and Quito feel that they possess an inferior
service. In fact, there is no recorded example 2.2.2.5 Diversity versus homogeneity
of a city moving to rail once a BRT system has In the past, the conventional wisdom for mass
been put in place. transit services implied that a wide diversity
of transit types in a city could be useful. Thus,
The previous conventional wisdom within trans-
there are cities such as Buenos Aires (Argentina)
port planning was to employ rail-based systems
and Bucharest (Romania) that simultaneously
wherever it was financially feasible to do so.
possess virtually all types of transit technologies
This philosophy is tantamount to spending as
(metros, elevated rail, trams, trolleys, standard
much as possible on a given corridor, even if the
same service is achievable with a lower-cost solu- buses, mini-buses, etc.) (Figure 23). The idea
tion. This preference can result in rail systems behind this abundance of diversity is that each
“cherry-picking” the most lucrative corridors transit type can be matched with the corridor
with virtually no possibility of covering other characteristics that best match the technology’s
areas of the city. In turn, this result can imply optimum operating characteristics.
higher fares for low-income citizens, difficulties The reality, though, is often a plethora of serv-
in effective integration between modes, and a ices that are not integrated with each other and
long-term commitment to a single solution. not understood by the majority of the popula-
This preference for limited rail service can also tion. Instead of serving the public in the most
create a sort of transport apartheid within a efficient manner, the variety of transit types
city. Wealthier citizens are whisked about in an mostly just serve the interests of technology
expensive, high-technology system that absorbs vendors and public officials who are enamoured
the vast majority of the city’s transit resources. with the latest innovations.
However, for most of the population, the metro The justification for a diverse set of technologies
system or elevated rail system is beyond their has largely been based on the assumption that

26 2. Chosing a Mass Transit System

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 23
Bucharest (Romania)
has virtually every type
of public transport
system, but the end
result of too much
diversity can be
customer confusion and
poor integration.
Photos by Lloyd Wright

Van Conventional bus

Metro

Trolley-bus Tram

each mode (LRT, BRT, elevated rail, metro, needed for maintaining and operating each;
etc.) had a fairly narrow band of operational there are fewer opportunities for synergies that
viability. However, with BRT systems now reduce personnel costs. The various technologies
operating cost effectively at capacities ranging will each likely require their own costly set of
from 4,000 passengers per hour per direction spare parts. Economies of scale are typically lost
(pphpd) to 40,000 pphpd, there is less strength when purchasing multiple types of vehicles and
in this argument. components. Instead of one large order, smaller
Further, the high costs of multiple technologies orders of different technologies are needed. The
are now becoming increasingly evident. First, opportunity for reduced pricing through bulk
the difficulty in integrating each transit type procurement is limited.
has already been noted. Each technology has Third, the complexity of managing many
a different cost structure. Some systems oper- technology types often results in a different
ate without the need of public subsidy while public agencies being created for each service.
others require a continued stream of public An expanding bureaucracy can increase overall
funding. Coordinating fare structures and administrative costs, reduce coordination, and
distributing revenues in such an environment establish “turf” that is later politically difficult
can be quite complex and require a high level of to efficiently consolidate. This administrative
managerial and administrative skills. Physically complexity can also breed an environment where
integrating different technologies that involve corruption is more prevalent. As the number of
separate grade levels (underground, surface level, contracts for different technologies expands, so
elevated), boarding techniques, and customer does the opportunity for misappropriation.
flow levels can be a challenge as well. Perhaps the best example of how technological
Second, operating several technology types simplification can result in a multiple of benefits
implies higher maintenance costs than if a can be seen in today’s airline industry. The re-
single technology is utilised. Different technolo- cent success of so-called “low-cost” or “no-frills”
gies means different skills and personnel are airlines can in part be tied to a fairly simplified

2. Chosing a Mass Transit System 27

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

business model. These airlines typically only rial and administrative oversight is required.
maintain one type of aircraft, and thus have Allport (2000, p. S-19) points out that the level
greatly reduced maintenance costs and spare managerial experience to oversee such complex-
part costs. The simplified operating environment ity is sometimes difficult to find:
also permits faster turn-around time between “Without high standards of operations, mainte-
routes which leads to more revenues per passen- nance and administration [metros] will rapidly
ger-vehicle kilometres. As a result such airlines deteriorate…The culture, managerial standards
(Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, EasyJet, and Ryan and attitudes often found in bus companies and
Air) have become leaders in terms of profitability railway corporations of developing countries are
and market capitalisation (i.e., value). The busi- unsuitable for a Metro.”
Table 11: Characteristics of highly-profitable airlines In turn, the complexity of the operating envi-
ronment may require a greater number of public
Category Product and operating features agency staff to properly control and administer
Vehicle (aircraft) Single type the system.
Routes and airports Uncongested
2.2.3 Performance
Fares Low, simple, and unrestricted
A transit system’s performance characteristics
Distribution Ticketless
will play a large role in determining customer
Service Single-class, high-density
usage levels. It does little good to have an
Frequency High economical system if nobody is willing to use
Punctuality Very good it. The ability of a system to attract ridership is
Staff High productivity, high morale thus a prime decision-making determinant in
Customer service Friendly and responsive selecting a mass transit technology.
Source: Adapted from Doganis (2001)
2.2.3.1 Affordability
ness model for these companies may in fact offer As discussed earlier, the customer tariff is related
a host of lessons that may provide insights into to operational costs and the level of subsidies (if
how public transit can succeed: any). Given the lower labour costs in developing
While urban public transit is clearly quite differ- cities, BRT can typically deliver relatively low
ent from the airline industry, there a sufficient operating costs. Further, the realities of mu-
number of parallels to consider aspects of this nicipal revenues in developing cities also mean
model. Simplicity in conjunction with excel- that long-term subsidisation is not an attractive
lence in customer service can be a powerful or viable option. Thus, BRT is often capable of
combination. delivering non-subsidised services for fares of less
than US$ 0.50 per passenger. In the developing
In some extreme cases of population densities city context, rail-based systems have proven to
and topographical constraints, a city may indeed largely require subsidies and/or higher fare levels.
require multiple technologies to meet its transit
needs. However, these cases are relatively rare. If 2.2.3.2 Travel time / speed
a single transit technology can adequately serve a Travel time and operating speed are related but
city’s mobility needs, then the ensuing cost and distinct concepts. From the customer standpoint,
managerial savings can be significant. the actual door-to-door travel time is probably
the more important variable rather than top
2.2.2.6 Management and administration speeds. Thus, one must also consider the time
The degree of managerial and administrative travelling to and from stations, the time spent
oversight required by a transit system is related walking from transit entry points to the vehicle
to the relative complexity of the operations. As platforms, and the time spent waiting for a
noted earlier, the complexity of rail options has vehicle. For example, metros may deliver a rapid
tended to make projections of capital costs and on-vehicle service, but it can take greater time to
passenger numbers highly variable. This degree access a metro station as well as walk between
of complexity can also imply that more manage- the surface and the vehicle platform. Equation 1

28 2. Chosing a Mass Transit System

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

summarises each of the variables that contribute The provision of “limited stop” and “express”
to calculating total travel time. services in addition to “local” services can also
be a significant factor
Equation 1: Total travel time in reducing travel times.
Total travel time = Travel time from origin to transit station Limited stop services imply
that the transit vehicle
+ Travel time from entering station to vehicle platform
will skip several stations
+ Vehicle waiting time between more major travel
+ Vehicle boarding time nodes. Express services
+ Vehicle travel time imply that even more sta-
tions are skipped allowing
+ Vehicle alighting time
the service to go between
+ Travel time from vehicle platform to station exit major points of origins and
+ Travel time from station exit to final destination destinations. Local services
typically involve stopping
The “commercial speed” of the vehicle is often at each of the stations in a particular corridor.
more important than the “maximum speed”. The A few metro systems, such as the New York
commercial speed represents the average speed subway, do in fact have second sets of tracks to
including the dwell time at stations. Thus, a permit limited stop services. However, these
system with short distances between stations or services are relatively rare for metro and LRT
with long boarding and alighting times will be systems for reasons of both cost and technical
comparatively penalised in terms of average speed. complexity. The ability to safely control passing
As surface modes, BRT and LRT are advan- at stations is difficult with high-frequency rail
taged with relatively accessible entry and exit services. Further, the requirement of a switching
points. In contrast, metros and elevated systems device in the track means that passengers will
typically require more time to enter and leave be subjected to an additional jolt in their ride. Fig. 24
the stations. Further, the higher cost of metros The relative flexibility of BRT permits greater A survey comparing US
sometimes implies that there is less coverage of ease in developing passing lanes at stations. BRT systems with light
BRT systems in cities such as São Paulo and rail systems showed
the city’s total area since it is not typically fi- that the BRT systems
nancially feasible to construct metro lines in all Bogotá operate with either passing lanes and/or
actually delivered
corridors. Thus, distances to arrive at a metro second sets of exclusive busway lanes in order to higher average speeds.
station may also require additional time or even permit more direct services. Graph from US GAO (2001).

an additional transit trip on a feeder service.

The commercial speed of metros, though, is
quite often superior to that of either BRT or
LRT. Underground and elevated metro systems
may reach average speeds of 40 to 50 kilometres
per hour. Commercial speeds for BRT and LRT
systems can be in the range of 20 to 30 kilome-
tres per hour. These values will vary depending
upon the number of intersections to be crossed
and whether signal prioritisation technologies
are being utilised.
A comparison of light rail systems and BRT
systems in the United States revealed higher
average speeds for BRT in five of the six cities
investigated (Figure 24). The US study noted
the use of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes
and the ability to augment local services with
limited stop services as the reason for BRT’s
superior performance (US GAO, 2001).

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Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

The relative advantage of rail-based options and isfaction with the service. Long waits can imply
BRT with respect to travel time depends greatly greater risks in terms of exposure to theft and
upon local circumstances and system design. violent crime.
Metros may produce the highest maximum The proper sizing of BRT vehicles can help keep
velocities, but may entail longer access and service frequency in the range of two to five
departure times. BRT’s ability to provide lim- minutes throughout the day. The higher fre-
ited stop and express services is advantageous in quencies are particularly feasible in developing
terms of delivering reduced travel times. cities where customer flows are relatively large.
2.2.3.3 Service frequency 2.2.3.4 Reliability
Travel time is also greatly affected by the fre- Reliability is related to the level of confidence
quency of the provided transit service. Highly one has in the transit system’s ability to perform
frequent service will imply lower average wait as expected. The concept of reliability is related
times for customers. Service frequency also to the previous discussions of travel time and
affects the perception of the system’s reliability service frequency, but can also refer to other sys-
and car competitiveness. tem characteristics such as comfort and safety.
As noted earlier, metros and LRT systems are An unreliable service can create a high degree
often preferred in developed-nation cities due to of personal stress if a customer does not know
the reduced labour costs associated with a single when and/or if a vehicle is going to arrive at a
driver operating multiple vehicles. However, the station. Unreliable services ultimately lead to
other side of this equation is that larger capac- non-captive users seeking more robust travel
ity vehicles tend to result in lower frequency options, such as private vehicles.
of service, especially in North American cities Each type of transit system has different charac-
with relatively low passenger numbers. The teristics with regard to reliability. The frequency
lower frequency is due to the need to adequately of service breakdowns, the rate at which
fill transit vehicles in order to operate efficiently. disabled vehicles can be replaced, and the opera-
Table 12 gives peak and non-peak service tional responsiveness to changes in demand all
frequencies for some rail-based systems in the affect overall reliability. Metros, LRT, and BRT
United States. all have excellent records of reliability, par-
Table 12: Service frequency for rail-based ticularly when compared to more conventional
systems transit services. Segregated right-of-ways help to
Peak Non-peak better control service frequencies and headways
System frequency frequency between vehicles. Systems with complete grade
(minutes) (minutes) separation, such as underground metros, have a
Denver Light Rail 3-6 9 - 26 particular advantage in terms of avoiding un-
Miami MetroRail 6 10 - 60 foreseen incidents at mixed traffic intersections.
Portland MAX 5 - 13 13 - 33 The relative flexibility of BRT vehicles to
St. Louis MetroLink 10 10 - 30 operate inside and outside of the segregated
San Diego Trolley 9 - 15 15 - 30 infrastructure allows immediate adjustments to
breakdowns. Service can continue while repairs
While a frequency of five to ten minutes may or removal are taking place. The breakdown of
not seem long in relative terms, from the a metro or LRT vehicle is another matter. Until
perspective of the passenger, wait times can the disabled vehicle is cleared from the system,
have much longer perceived values. Customers there can be considerable disruption to service.
may perceive waiting time to actually be two Further, BRT vehicles can be removed utilising
to three times greater than the actual duration. standard tow vehicles. In the case of rail vehicles,
Thus, a wait of five to ten minutes may actu- more specialised removal equipment is required.
ally seem like as much as 30 minutes to the Another consideration is the impact of extreme
waiting passenger. Long waits can contribute weather considerations on the system. Systems
to increased passenger stress and overall dissat- that are completely underground are immune to

30 2. Chosing a Mass Transit System

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

such affects, although a weather-related failure ence and operation of segregated transit vehicles
of the electricity supply can obviously have an and may be unprepared for the implications.
impact. Ice on rails and busways can act to slow Fully grade separated systems do incur other
or even halt services. types of risks that may affect safety. The higher
2.2.3.5 Comfort maximum speeds reached on underground and
elevated systems implies that in the event of
The level of comfort within a system depends
a mishap, there is a greater chance for serious
upon many design characteristics that are some-
injury and fatalities. Further, underground and
what independent of mass transit type. Station
elevated systems have added difficulty in evacu-
seating and protection from the elements are
ating customers during a system emergency.
dependent on system design. Of course, under-
ground systems have the advantage of a better 2.2.3.7 Customer service
natural barrier from outside weather conditions. Customer service features are equally possible
The interior design of the vehicles is again de- for both BRT and rail-based systems. Intelligent
pendent upon design specifications, and can be Transport Systems (ITS) that inform passengers
of equal quality for either rail or BRT services. of expected arrival times, clear maps and pay-
However, some types of trams may have a more ment instructions, and friendly and helpful staff
narrow width which may limit design options are not dependent on the type of transit system.
and in some cases create a more squeezed envi-
However, the higher capital costs associated
ronment for the customer.
with rail-based solutions imply that financial
Ride comfort is one potential area of difference pressures can reduce the ability to implement
between BRT vehicles and rail vehicles. Rail is customer amenities. The lower costs associated
typically credited with a smoother ride perform- with BRT may allow transit developers more
ance both during starts and stops as well as dur- financial manoeuvrability to include service
ing full operation. A smoother ride performance amenities that can be quite influential in af-
better permits value-added activities, such as fecting customer satisfaction and ultimately in
reading, for the customer. Low-floor BRT vehi- attracting ridership.
cles can be susceptible to surface imperfections
on the busway that will result in a “bumpier” 2.2.3.8 Integration
ride. High-floor vehicles with ramped entry As noted earlier, bus services tend to be the
service can better mitigate this issue through backbone of most developing-city transit sys-
dampening and improved suspension. With tems, even when a rail-based system is operating
this type of BRT vehicle set-up in cities such as on major corridors. The ability to transfer
Bogotá, Curitiba, and Quito, on-board activi- comfortably and easily between neighbourhood
ties such as reading are quite feasible. However, feeder services and trunk-line services is a major
in general, the ride smoothness of rail vehicles is determinant in attractiveness of the overall
superior to that of BRT vehicles. system. Poorly executed transfer services often
share some of the following characteristics:
2.2.3.6 Safety
Long physical distances separate the two
Segregated lanes for rail and BRT vehicles help
services involved in a transfer; for example,
to reduce the potential for accidents, and thus
customers may have to cross a street to make
make such mass transit options relatively safer
the transfer;
over more standard services. Grade separated
services, such as underground metros, particu- Transfer is conducted in an area unprotected
larly benefit from avoiding such conflicts. Both from extreme weather conditions;
BRT and LRT systems face potential risks Transfers are poorly timed so that long wait-
when crossing intersections. The opening of the ing periods are required; and,
Houston (USA) LRT system has been met with Customers must effectively pay twice for
a higher than expected accident rate between transferring between lines.
private vehicles and LRT vehicles. Private vehi- Transfers with such characteristics do little to
cle owners are often unaccustomed to the pres- foster customer good will. Conversely, a fare-

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 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

free transfer conducted in a pleasant, safe, and Second, some BRT systems are able to cleverly
controlled environment with a brief wait will eliminate the distinction between feeder and
minimise the undesirability of transferring. trunk-line services. In cities such as Porto
While it is possible for either BRT or rail-based Alegre (Brazil), transit vehicles from multiple
transit to achieve effective transfers, the nature routes utilise the same trunk-line corridor, but
of BRT may make such transfers more feasible. these vehicles then leave the busway to directly
First, there is less economic discontinuity be- serve different feeder areas. In this arrangement,
tween feeder bus services and an exclusive bus- virtually all customers receive a direct trip into
way. Both systems are based on bus vehicles and the city centre.
operate within relatively similar cost structures.
Operating rail-based systems into lower-density
In developing cities, both feeder services and
neighbourhoods is not economically viable.
busway services typically operate without subsi-
Thus, it is typical for LRT and metro systems to
dies. Thus, finding a business model that allows
require integration with standard bus services
smooth integration and shared infrastructure
between feeder and trunk-line services is more in order to connect at the neighbourhood level.
easily facilitated. By contrast, LRT and metro Allport (2000, p. S-6) notes that:
systems operate with significantly different cost “Integration with the bus system is
structures. Since these rail-based systems typi- particularly necessary to metro viability,
cally require subsidised operation, developing an and often difficult to achieve.”
integrated business model is more complex. The integration difficulty arises from the differ-
ent cost structures, managerial and administra-
tive requirements, and physical discontinuities
between systems at different grades (surface and
underground). Few examples of seamless travel
between bus and rail systems are found, al-
though systems in Hong Kong, Miami, and Sao
Paulo have achieved some success in this area.
Accommodating other types of feeder services is
equally important. Arriving at the transit sta-
tion by taxi, by bicycle, or by walking, should
also be considered in the system’s design. De-
signing for these modes is relatively independent
of transit type. However, in some cases, under-
ground systems may be able to provide more
space for bicycle parking than median LRT and
BRT systems. Typically, in all cases, terminal
areas should provide sufficient space to include
bicycle facilities. Permitting bicycles on-board
the vehicle is a significant advantage for the cus-
tomer who can then use the bicycle to arrive at
Fig. 25 and 26 the final destination. In narrow transit vehicles,
Rail-based systems such as some tram systems, the ability to enter
do not always offer with a bicycle may not be physically feasible.
superior aesthetic
qualities. The systems 2.2.3.9 Image / status
in Cairo, Egypt (photo
above) and Bucharest, The perceived image and status of the transit
Romania (right photo) system is a major determinant in attracting
show problems of ridership, particularly from non-captive transit
neglect and vandalism. users who have other alternatives. The best
Photo above by Karl Fjellstrom
Right photo by Lloyd Wright designed transit system in the world becomes

32 2. Chosing a Mass Transit System

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

meaningless if customers do not find the system

sufficiently attractive to use.
Rail-based systems traditionally have main-
tained an edge with regard to creating a modern
and sophisticated image. Such an advantage
becomes particularly important when attempt-
ing to attract ridership from private vehicle
users. At the same time, the traditional image
of the bus is relatively poor. Attracting middle-
income and higher-income users to the bus can
thus be difficult. Image issues, though, are not
entirely restricted to bus technology. Older or
poorly maintained rail-based systems may evoke
images that are inferior to bus systems (Figures
25 and 26). late jobs, and encourage investment. A prized Fig. 27
The image problem is most closely associated objective with transit systems is to encourage Modern vehicles can
with bus technology. However, as has been noted, transit-oriented development (TOD), which give BRT systems a
highly professional
traditional bus services and BRT are two distinct refers to the densification of development along image. The vehicle in
types of service. BRT systems have done much to transit corridors. If a transit project is imple- this photo is a bus and
create a modern and unique identity (Figure 27). mented successfully, the creation of densified not a light rail vehicle.
The modern tubed boarding stations in Curitiba transit corridors can help to increase property Photo courtesy of US TCRP

helped to make a dramatic new impression for values as well as shop sales levels. However, the
the service. Modern vehicles that cover their research to date relating transit to property
wheels and emulate the rounded shape of LRT values and sales is still of a limited nature.
vehicles also help to create a new image. During a three-month period after the con-
To date, the success of BRT systems in cities struction of the Brisbane (Australia) busway,
such as Bogotá, Curitiba, and Quito has dis- land values along the corridor increased by 20
pelled much of the image concerns. It has been per cent (Hazel and Parry, 2003). Apartment
noted that users in Bogotá do not say that they rental values in Bogotá have shown to increase
are “going to use the bus” but rather that they by 6.8 per cent to 9.3 per cent for every five
are “going to use TransMilenio.” The marketing minutes closer the location is to a TransMilenio
of the system name and the quality of the service BRT station (Rodriquez and Targa, 2004).
has been effective in creating a metro-like image. Likewise, research from the San Francisco-Bay
Area metro system (BART) indicates a US$
Nevertheless, in developed cities of North
1,578 premium for every 0.03 km closer a home
America and Western Europe, the perception
is to a BART station. Similarly, results from
of BRT versus rail-based transit is still a major
the Washington Metro system show a 2.4% to
decision-making consideration.
2.6% premium in apartment rental prices for
2.2.4 Impacts every 0.16 km closer to a station. Evidence also
exists for the same effect with LRT systems. For
The characteristics of different transit technolo-
example, one study indicates a 2 to 6 per cent
gies can result in different impacts as measured
premium on home selling prices for properties
by urban, economic, environmental, and social
near the San Diego Trolley system.
indicators. Since public transport is often used
as a policy measure to achieve a variety of social It should be noted that there also exists studies
goals, an analysis of each system’s impact is a that do not show property value increases from
legitimate part of the technology evaluation. transit development. Thus, the quality and local
context of the development plays a key role in
2.2.4.1 Economic impacts determining the level of benefit. Some authors
Economic impacts can include the transit sys- have also asserted that the local development
tem’s ability to foment economic growth, stimu- benefit from BRT may be less than that from

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Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

rail options. This assertion is based upon the are supporting employment and technology
idea that BRT may be perceived as less perma- development in wealthier nations.
nent than rail infrastructure. The perception
2.2.4.2 Environmental impacts
of permanence is quite important to property
developers who would be at risk if a transit All transit options produce environmental
project was later removed. To date, there is no impacts when displacing journeys that would
actual data indicating that BRT is perceived as be otherwise taken by individual motorised
being less permanent. As noted above, the re- transport. Thus, the amount of expected rider-
sults from Brisbane and Bogotá indicate that like ship and the number of persons switching from
rail transit, BRT can produce development gains. private vehicles to public transit is a significant
determinant in calculating environmental
Employment generation is another economic benefits. The ability of mass transit systems
measure of a project’s impact. Transit projects to encourage private vehicle users to switch to
generate employment through the planning transit depends on many factors, most notably
and construction phase, equipment provision cost and service performance. The convenience
(e.g., vehicles), and operation. In developing of private vehicle use gives a difficult competi-
cities, employment creation tends to be a fairly tive environment for transit. However, research
important factor. Projects that ultimately reduce in Bogotá indicates that approximately 10 per
employment levels, in comparison to previous cent of former vehicle users have now switched
transport services, are more politically difficult to the TransMilenio BRT system (Steer Davies
to pursue. By contrast, in the developed city Gleave, 2003).
context, labour costs represent a much larger The type of fuel utilised with the transit vehicles
component of operating costs, and thus are typi- also contributes to the overall environmental
cally a target for reduction to the extent possible. impacts. LRT and metro vehicles almost always
BRT construction can provide a high level of electrified. Trolley buses, as utilised on the
employment per input of investment. Metro Quito BRT system, are also propelled by elec-
construction also provides employment but tric motors. Electricity produces no local emis-
much of the project expenditures go towards sions, but do contribute to regional and global
the expensive machinery required for the tun- emissions through the process of generation.
nelling activities. In Bogotá, the first phase Thus, electrified transit systems can be quite
of TransMilenio produced 4,000 direct jobs instrumental in improving ambient air quality
during construction. The operation of the first at the local level.
40 kilometres of the system also provides 2,000 The degree of environmental impact from
persons with long-term employment. electricity generation depends upon the fuel
BRT can also be instrumental in attracting source. Renewable sources such as biomass,
local investment from equipment providers hydro, solar, and wind are relatively clean, but
such as vehicle manufacturers. Unlike rail-car these sources typically only constitute a small
production, bus fabrication can be economically percentage of total electric generation. Natural
scaled at the local level. Major international gas is also a relatively clean energy source but
bus manufactures have established production the combustion process does produce emissions
facilities in BRT cities such as Curitiba, Sao such as nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide.
Paulo, Pereira (Colombia), and Bogotá. The Nuclear energy is not typically utilised in de-
economies of scale with rail vehicle production veloping nations, but in any case, carries with it
imply that it is difficult to transfer fabrication other types of serious waste issues. Finally, coal
from headquarter plants in countries such as remains a major energy source for electricity
Canada, France, and Japan. The importation of generation, particularly in developing nations
vehicles carries with it particular costs and risks, such as China, India, and Indonesia. Coal
such as import duties and long-term currency combustion produces significant quantities of
fluctuations. Additionally, the importation of nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxide, which are
rail vehicles tends to create an awkward situ- precursors to acid rain, as well as significant
ation where tax funds in low-income nations emissions of greenhouse gases. If coal is a major

34 2. Chosing a Mass Transit System

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constituent of the electricity supply, total emis- within a city. Thus, this factor is related to pre-
sions from electrified transit can easily exceed vious discussions on affordability and employ-
the emissions of vehicles powered by natural gas ment creation, as well as social changes due to
and clean diesel technology. the new urban environment. Social impacts can
As noted above, BRT vehicles can be propelled also refer to changes in the safety and sociability
by electricity, but more commonly utilise of the streets.
natural gas or clean diesel fuels. The amount of Public transit’s potential social impacts can thus
emissions from natural gas or clean diesel vehi- include:
cles depends upon many factors including local Affordability of fares, especially for low-in-
geographic and topological features, fuel quality, come groups;
and driving behaviour. BRT systems, even in Creation of a social environment encouraging
developing nations, require fairly stringent personal interactions;
emission levels, and typically are a dramatic Attractive to all income segments of society
improvement over the previous standard bus and thus offering a meeting point of all in-
services. For example, the Bogotá and Quito come groups;
systems require Euro II emissions compliance,
Reduction in crime and insecurity in both
and are mandating a schedule to eventually
the transit system and its surrounding envi-
move to Euro III levels. Nevertheless, natural
ronment.
gas vehicles and clean diesel vehicles do emit
nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, particulate The lower unsubsidised fare levels of BRT in de-
matter, and sulphur oxides at the local level. veloping cities can help make the transit system
Additionally, these vehicles also contribute to accessible to a wider social audience. Of course,
greenhouse gas emissions. with subsidisation, fares on LRT and metro
systems can likewise be made affordable to the
Mass transit vehicles of all types also reduce
majority of the population. The metro systems
emissions through smoother operations. With
in Mexico City and Delhi, for example, employ
fewer station stops and fewer conflicts with
significant fare subsidies in order to ensure
mixed traffic vehicles, mass transit in dedicated
accessibility. However, this subsidy implies that
corridors is less prone to operational inefficiencies.
public funds must be taken away from other
Besides air emissions, public transit is also a con- potential public services.
tributing factor to the overall level of ambient
Transit systems can also provide one of the
noise in a city. Since one transit vehicle is equal
few places in a city where all social groups are
to 100 or more individual vehicles, the reduction
able to meet and interact. An affordable and
in noise, like the reduction in air emissions, can
high-quality system can attract customers from
be considerable if ridership is increased. Thus,
low-income, middle-income, and high-income
public transit in general contributes to lower
sectors. This role as a common public good can
decibel levels in a city. Electrified systems, such
be quite healthy in creating understanding and
as LRT, metros, and electric trolleys, are particu-
easing tensions between social groups.
larly quiet while in operation. However, rail and
trolley systems can also produce excessive noise, The regeneration of an urban area due to public
especially during braking. The noise generated transit improvements can have multiple social
from braking can be particularly amplified benefits. As noted, the upliftment of an area
inside tunnels, such as with metro systems. creates employment and economic growth. Ad-
Noise from the BART metro system in the San ditionally, evidence suggests that public transit
Francisco Bay area regularly exceeds 100 deci- improvements can also reduce crime. There is
bels. The maximum standard for BRT systems no evidence to suggest that BRT or rail-based
such as Bogotá is 90 decibels. systems hold an advantage over one another
with regard to crime reduction. In general, the
2.2.4.3 Social impacts more professional the transit environment, the
Social impacts refer to the ability of a new less likelihood there is of crime. Further, higher
transit system to help create more social equity levels of surveillance also can act as a deterrent.

2. Chosing a Mass Transit System 35

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Security cameras and emergency all buttons are development linkage is so pronounced that
utilised in both BRT and rail-based systems. one can see exactly where the give busways are
However, the longer train sets used in rail-based located even when flying over the city in a jet
systems will tend to create greater separation airplane, due to the density of commercial and
between the driver and most passengers. Also, residential buildings. In turn, this density helps
the driver of a rail system is generally separated the municipality in several ways. First, more
from the passengers by an enclosed wall. By development near the BRT stations means that
contrast, the open nature of a bus allows greater more people will be to access and utilise the
awareness by the driver of any security problems system. Second, the higher urban density also
arising in the vehicle. implies that municipal costs associated with
electricity and water connections are reduced.
2.2.4.4 Urban impacts
Connecting municipal services to more subur-
Transit and transport systems have a major ban locations can be several times more costly.
impact on the shape and quality of urban life.
In comparison to individual motorised trans-
A new transit system will wield a considerable
port, public transit consumes far less of the
influence over the physical form of a city. This
public domain. Figures 28 and 29 illustrate the
impact occurs both directly through the transit
difference in space requirements between 60
infrastructure as well as indirectly through the
private vehicles and 60 public transit customers.
development that occurs around the transit
corridor as a result. In the long term the system As surface modes, BRT and LRT require use
will even influence where people decide to live. of public road space. With its fixed guideways
LRT typically requires less road width than
The Curitiba BRT system has helped to focus
BRT. This space savings is especially true of
considerable development along the busway
the smaller tram vehicles. Metros, of course,
corridors. A planning ordinance that restricted consume the least amount of surface space with
high-rises to the corridors also helped to achieve only the entrance and exit points protruding
the transit-based development. The transit-

Fig. 28 and 29
Photos compare the
amount of space
required to move the
same number of persons
by private vehicles and
by public transport.
Photos courtesy of the City of
Muenster Planning Office.

36 2. Chosing a Mass Transit System

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

into the public space. Elevated systems still view suggests that private vehicles can also gain
consume space due to the need for support col- from the loss of a lane. In many developing
umns. Typically, systems such as the Bangkok cities, public transit and mixed traffic share the
SkyTrain require one lane of surface space to same road space. Conflicts arise because public
provide this infrastructure. Additionally, side- transit and private vehicles have very different
walk space is typically also taken near stations mobility patterns. Transit vehicles, especially
in order to provide stairways and other access informal mini-bus operations, will stop on a
means to reach the elevated platforms. fairly random basis. Private vehicles, though,
The conversion of traffic lanes to public transit tend to travel directly between destinations.
lanes can become highly politicised with argu- Thus, the random nature of the transit vehicles
ments both in favour and against the exclusive will negatively impact the free flow preferences
lanes. Given the higher number of passenger- of the private vehicles. The separation of public
trips served in a more space efficient manner, it transit from private vehicles can thus lead to
can be argued that public transit deserves a pri- greater order and flow rates for all vehicles.
oritisation. Nevertheless, automobile users will The use of exclusive lanes by BRT and LRT also
likely complain that the exclusive transit lanes may result in an overall reduction in private
will create congestion. However, an alternative vehicle use. The concept of “induced traffic” has
Table 13: The myths of BRT

Myth Reality
BRT cannot compete with the Bogotá’s TransMilenio system moves 36,000 passengers
capacity of rail systems per hour per direction while BRT corridors in Sao Paulo can
also provide capacities over 30,000 passengers per hour per
direction. Such capacity numbers are in fact larger than many
rail-based systems including all LRT systems and many metro
systems, such as systems in cities like London, Santiago, and
Bangkok.
BRT is only appropriate for small Bogotá is a megacity of 7 million inhabitants with a population
cities with low population densities. density of 230 inhabitants per hectare. In comparison, the
population densities of selected Asian cities with rail-based
systems are: Manila, 198 inhabitants per hectare; Bangkok,
149 inhabitants per hectare; Kuala Lumpur, 58.7 inhabitants per
hectare (Newman and Kenworthy, 1999).
BRT requires a great deal of road Design solutions exist for virtually every road space
space and cannot be built in narrow circumstance. Quito runs a BRT system through three metre
roadways wide streets in its historical centre. It should not be forgotten
that even rail takes space; the support pillars for the Bangkok
SkyTrain in fact takes away a lane of traffic.
BRT cannot compete with rail options A US GAO study found that a comparison of BRT and LRT
in terms of speed and travel time systems actually showed that BRT systems produced faster
average speeds (US GAO, 2001).
BRT uses vehicles with rubber tyres It is doubtful that anyone in Bogotá, Curitiba, or Quito feels
which is an inferior technology; that they have an “inferior technology”. The appearance of BRT
customers will never accept BRT stations, terminals and vehicles can all be made to appear as
sophisticated and inviting as any rail option.
BRT cannot deliver the transit- One only needs to see the rows and rows of high-rise
oriented development and land use development that has occurred along Curitiba’s BRT corridors
advantages of rail to realise that BRT can lead to as much or more urban
regeneration as rail.
BRT is fine as a feeder service, but it Yes, BRT can work economically as a feeder service or system
cannot serve main corridors extension service, and it can do so without requiring subsidies
or prohibitively expensive fares. But the Latin American BRT
systems have also proven that it functions perfectly well in high-
density mainline corridors.

2. Chosing a Mass Transit System 37

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

been used to explain how roadway expansions

seem to attract new traffic and ultimately do
relatively to deter congestion. Evidence from
bridge and street closings in Great Britain and
the United States indicates that a reduction in
road capacity actually reduces overall traffic
levels, even accounting for potential traffic
transfers to other areas (Goodwin et al., 1998).
Thus, the empirical evidence suggests that
giving exclusive road space to LRT and BRT
will lead to reduced private vehicle use and little
to no overall change in congestion levels. The
fact that underground metro systems do not
consume road space may thus result in a re-
duced incentive for motorists to switch to public
transit. Since the existing road will continue to
be available, any motorists switching will create
more space, which can in turn encourage more
private vehicle use.

2.3 The myths of BRT

A new mass transit system represents many
opportunities and risks for governmental entities,
private firms, civic groups, and the general popu-
lation. With so much at stake, it is not surprising
that the decision on the type of system can be
fiercely competitive. This competition, though,
can be quite healthy as cities can use the process
to identify the most appropriate technology.
As noted earlier, BRT can be a highly effective
option for cities seeking a high-quality mass
transit option at a reduced cost. However, in
the competitive environment of mass transit
systems, BRT has also been subjected to vari-
ous negative claims and myths. While BRT is
certainly not the answer to every mass transit
situation, Table 13 compares the myths of BRT
to the reality experienced in actual projects.
BRT is not always the best solution for a given
city, as much depends on local conditions and
local preferences. However, recent experiences
indicate that BRT is apt at delivering effective
mass transit for developing cities at economical
price. The successful realities of Bogotá, Curitiba,
and Quito demonstrate that the myths on BRT
are really just myths.

38 2. Chosing a Mass Transit System

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3. Planning for BRT circumstances. Thus, actual BRT plans in a

particular developing city may necessitate other
This BRT Planning Guide seeks to help build elements which are beyond the scope of this
the institutional and technical capacity of de- BRT Planning Guide.
veloping city municipalities that are interested The sharing of BRT planning documents from
in achieving improved transit services. This other cities, though, does present an opportu-
module provides an overview of the structure nity to greatly reduce planning costs. It is also
and contents of a BRT plan. While these plan- hoped that a planning template will help reduce
ning elements have been extracted from some the amount of time required to move from the
existing BRT plans, it must be recognised that conceptual phase through to implementation. A
planning practices vary greatly by location and focused BRT planning process can be reason-

Figure 30: Overview of the BRT planning process

I. Project preparation
Stage I: Preparation Stage II: Analysis Stage III: Communications
• Political vision • Background analysis • Public participation
• Legal basis • Stakeholder analysis • Existing operators
• Project team / structure • Data collection • Marketing plan
• Work plan and timeline • Modeling • Public education plan
• Planning budget

II. Design
Stage IV: Operations Stage V: Business structure Stage VI: Infrastructure
• Corridor identification • Business structure • Conceptual study vs.
• Feeder services • Institutional structure detailed study
• Service options • Incentives for competition • Busways, stations,
• Passenger capacity • Operational cost analysis terminals, depots, control
• Contingency planning • Tariff options centre, integration
• Customer service plan • Utilities, landscaping

Stage VII: Technology Stage VIII: Modal integration

• Vehicles • Pedestrians, bicycles, other
• Fare collection systems transit systems, taxis
• Intelligent transport systems • Auto restriction measures
• Technology procurement • Land use planning

III. Impacts
Stage IX: Impact analyses
• Traffic impacts
• Economic impacts
• Environmental impacts
• Social impacts
• Impacts on urban form

IV. Implementation plan

Stage X: Implementation plan
• Timeline and work plan
• Financing plan
• Staffing plan
• Contracting plan
• Construction plan
• Maintenance plan
• Evaluation plan

3. Planning for BRT 39

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

ably completed in a period of 12 to 18 months. system size, costs, business structure, and fea-
An overview of the entire BRT planning process tures. Some of the initial estimates that may be
is provided in Figure 30. determined within the overview study are:
Figure 30 identifies four major activities in the Estimated length of project’s first phase
realisation of a BRT plan: (trunk and feeder services);
1. Project preparation; Potential business and administrative struc-
2. Design; ture for system;
3. Impact analysis; and, Estimates of expected capital costs;
4. Implementation plan. Estimates of expected operating costs;
This guidebook will detail the content of each of Estimates of expected fare levels;
these planning activities. Understanding of potential financing sources;
The planning stages outlined in this guide are Level of cooperation expected from private
presented in roughly chronological order. How- sector operators;
ever, it should be noted that there is significant Listing of all major stakeholder groups, or-
interaction between the different stages, and that ganisations, and individuals;
many activities are actually undertaken simulta- Initial marketing concepts (system name,
neously. For instance, cost data from technology logo, etc.);
decisions will impact financial analyses and Design characteristics (potential fare collec-
routing decisions will impact busway design tion systems, security systems, station and
options. Additionally, it may be useful for a city terminal concepts, vehicle specifications, etc.).
to initially address each of the planning elements The issues raised in the overview study should
at a general level before proceeding with a more be seen as initial concepts and not immovable
detailed analysis. Further, many of the steps decisions that all must accept. Explaining
are inter-dependent with data from one area the preliminary nature of the findings can
(e.g., engineering design) affecting decisions in help dispel fears that all major decisions have
another areas (e.g., business structure). been finalised. These initial findings can actu-
Additionally, the project team may wish to con- ally help the participatory process by giving
duct an overview study of each planning stage stakeholder groups a tangible example to build
prior to engaging in detailed analyses. Thus, the upon. It is sometimes difficult to offer practi-
project team may elect to cover all the planning cal suggestions and comments without some
stages process over the course of a few months. initial focus to the project, especially with a
This analysis will not be in the detail ultimately topic as relatively new as BRT.
required, but it will provide an important broad
perspective on the final project.
The general idea of the overview study is to
develop a sufficient outline of the project to give
political officials, planning staff, and the public
a perspective on the project’s direction. An over-
view study will then allow the planning team
to move forward without having to wait for the
long amount of time to complete detailed engi-
neering drawings of road works. If the planning
team was to only proceed sequentially, then it is
possible a great deal of detailed work may have
to later be re-done when it is determined the
situation dictates a different approach.
An overview study can provide sufficient detail
to allow political and technical decision-makers
the ability to make big picture decisions on

40 3. Planning for BRT

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.1 Planning Stage I: of dynamic mayors who entered office with a

Project Preparation new vision was the determining factor. In such
The first stage of the process involves galvanising instances, the progression towards system plan-
the political and institutional support for the ning happens almost immediately.
project. Additionally, this stage is also a time to In other instances, a long period of persuasion
organise and plan the entire BRT development and information gathering will precede the com-
process. Work plans, timelines, budgets, and mitment. Site visits to cities with high-quality
the formation of a planning team are essential systems can help officials and the press visualise
pre-requisites before proceeding further. In- the possibilities. The development of videos and
vestments made early in properly structuring graphics illustrating how the system would look
and organising the planning process can pay within a particular city can also help the visuali-
significant dividends later in terms of both the sation process. Testimonials from one political
efficiency and effectiveness of the overall effort. official to another may sometimes be appropriate.
The topics to be presented in Planning Stage I, Showing how mayors and governors that deliver
“Project Preparation”, are: high-quality systems tend to win elections can
also be helpful. The techniques to achieving
project commitment are varied, and can depend
3.1.1 Project creation and commitment greatly upon the local context, but the principal
3.1.2 Legal basis aim is to stimulate a demand for dramatically
raising a city’s transit quality.
3.1.3 Project team and management
structure In recent years, visits to the systems in cities like
Bogotá, Curitiba, and Quito have persuaded
3.1.4 Project scope and timing officials to other cities to proceed with projects
3.1.5 Planning budget and financing of their own. By speaking with technical staff
and political officials in cities with existing
systems, perspective system developers can Fig. 31
3.1.1 Project creation and commitment
understand the possibilities in their own cities International visitors
(Figure 31). Experiencing a high-quality system gain many insights
"Never doubt that a small group of in a relatively low-income city such as Quito
by speaking with
TransMilenio technical
thoughtful, committed citizens can also shows city officials that a system is possible staff in Bogotá.
change the world. Indeed it is the only regardless of local economic conditions. In Photo by Lloyd Wright

thing that ever has."

- Margaret Mead (1901-1978)

3.1.1.1 Political commitment

Before a smart card is used, or before a clean
vehicle is purchased, or before a busway is built,
a person or a group of persons must decide that
action is required to improve a city’s transit
system. The inspiration may come from a
civic group, a bus operator, a civil servant, or a
political official. Nevertheless, without someone
acting as a catalyst, good ideas will unlikely
become reality.
The creation of an environment suitable to in-
troducing a new mass transit system can depend
upon many factors. There is no set amount of
time required or set series of events. In the case
of cities such as Bogotá and Curitiba, the election

3.1 Planning Stage I: Project Preparation 41

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

many instances, the process to develop a BRT less than 30 minutes with no delays from
system can seem quite overwhelming at the congestion.”
outset. Seeing systems in practice and walking The announcement should be placed within an
through the development process can do much overall press and media strategy for the project.
to dispel uncertainties and fears. The press and media organisations should be
3.1.1.2 Statement of vision thoroughly briefed about the vision being put
forward. These organisations should also be given
Political leadership is probably the single most
a basic overview of BRT and its potential for
important factor in realising a successful BRT
the city. In some cases, press visits to cities with
project. Without such leadership, the project
existing BRT systems can help reinforce the posi-
will not likely have sufficient momentum to sur- tive attributes of the project. Graphical and even
vive the inevitable challenges from opposition video depictions of what the system will look like
groups and special interests. Further, without in the major corridors of the city can also help
leadership, it is significantly more difficult to the media and the public visualise the potential.
galvanise public opinion towards supporting a Section 3.3.2 provides more information on
new outlook on public transit. public outreach strategies and techniques.
An initial vision statement from the political
3.1.1.3 Relationship to master transport
leadership marks an important first step in mak- plan
ing the case for improved transit to the public.
The vision for the new transit system should also
This political announcement provides a broad-
be consistent with the vision and objectives set
based perspective on the general goals of the pro-
forth in any previous master transport plans.
posed system. This statement gives a direction
While BRT itself may not be explicitly noted
and mandate for the planning teams and will
in an existing master plan, stated objectives to
also be used to stimulate interest and acceptance improve public transport are most likely present.
of the concept with the general public. Drawing a connection between the new vision
The vision statement should not be overly de- and the master plan is worthwhile to ensure
tailed but rather describe the form, ambitions and overall integration of the new system with the
quality of the intended project. Thus, the state- existing direction of the city’s transport plan.
ment will set the agenda for the ensuing planning If improved public transport is not a stated
activity. Examples of the type of phrases that can objective within the master plan or if BRT will
form part of the vision statement include: somehow contradict existing objectives, then a
“Provide a high-quality, cost-effective public review of the master plan may be in order.
transit system that will ease congestion, re-
3.1.2 Legal basis
duce contamination, and ensure public confi-
In most cases, a statutory or legal mandate
dence in the city’s transit service;”
needs to be created prior to the project being
“Establish a fast, comfortable, economic, and officially recognised. This process then allows
car-competitive mass transit system that will public funds to be disbursed towards the
serve the mobility needs of all segments of planning process as well as permits planning
the city’s population, even current owners of staff to be employed on the project. The actual
private vehicles;” authorisation process will vary depending upon
“By developing a modern transit system for local, provincial, and national laws and regula-
the twenty-first century, the city will become tions. In some cases, city councils or provincial
increasing competitive, attract more invest- parliaments will need to give formal approvals
ment and tourism, and ultimately stimulate before project expenditures can be realised. In
the economy and job creation;” other cases, the mayor or governor may have
“Place over 80 per cent of the city’s population greater legal authority to approve project activi-
within 500 metres of a mass transit corridor;” ties independently.
“Provide a one-ticket service that will allow Of greatest importance is to maintain an
a person to travel to any point of the city in open and transparent process throughout. If

42 3.1 Planning Stage I: Project Preparation

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

the project is not implemented in an entirely Finance specialist / economist

legitimate and pluralistic manner, long-term Transport engineer
public and political support can be undermined. Transport modeller
If the proper authorisation mechanisms are not
Design specialist
followed, opposition groups may later use such
improprieties as a means to stop the project. In some cases, it may be possible to outsource
The proper legal mandate will also establish the some of these activities to consultancies. How-
BRT project as a city-wide priority. ever, it is important to retain a certain degree
of in-house technical competence in order to
3.1.3 Development team maintain a perspective that will allow for in-
A new mass transit system for a city is not a formed decision-making.
small undertaking. It is unlikely to be achieved The composition of the team may include both
without staff dedicated full-time to the effort. existing municipal employees as well as new
Attempting to plan a BRT system while simul- staff with specialised skills. Since BRT is a rela-
taneously juggling other planning duties will tively new concept, it is sometimes difficult to
most likely not produce a high-quality or timely find staff with extensive implementation experi-
result. Thus, the organisation and selection of a ence. For this reason, some training and even
dedicated BRT planning team is a fundamental study tours may be appropriate mechanisms to
step towards planning the system. develop local technical capacity (Figure 32).
3.1.3.1 Planning staff
3.1.3.2 Consultants
Depending on the intended timeline for plan- Utilising consultants within a BRT project can
ning and implementing the system, the initial be a cost-effective means to gain individuals
number of full-time team members will likely
with key specialties and direct BRT experi-
vary from three to ten. As the project progresses,
ence. The use of consultants allows skills to be
the size and specialties of the team will likely
brought on board without the cost and over-
grow. Some of the initial posts to be filled may
head of a full-time hire. Further, in many in-
include:
stances the particular skills may be only needed
Project coordinator for one component of the project, and thus do
Administrative support not justify a full-time position.
Project accountant Perhaps, more importantly, consultants help
Public education and outreach avoid the situation where cities are needlessly
Negotiator for discussions with existing op- reinventing lessons already learned elsewhere.
erators International consultants with significant BRT
Liaison officer for international organisations experience can help smooth the path from

Fig. 32
Study tours to cities
like Bogotá, Curitiba,
and Quito can greatly
help build the technical
capacity of staff from
other cities.
Photo by Lloyd Wright

3.1 Planning Stage I: Project Preparation 43

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

planning through to implementation. In all ensure the necessary buy-in to make the project
likelihood, such consultants have experienced a reality. Giving a voice and ownership role to
many of the problems that will be faced by these groups will ideally create a spirit of shared
the local team and thus can propose effective commitment that will drive the project towards
solutions. A local team working in conjunction implementation.
with experienced international professionals can
ideally result in a combination of world best 3.1.4 Project scope and timing
practice and local context. 3.1.4.1 Work plan and timeline
Of course, a city should not become over-de- Once a vision is set for the BRT system and an
pendent upon consultants. The local context is initial team is formed, a detailed work plan and
still best realised by local staff. The key deci- timeline on how to achieve the vision will be
sion-making points ultimately must be made necessary. By walking through each step of the
by local officials. Consultants are one of several process, municipal officials and the public will
resources that lead to knowledge sharing. Sec- have a better idea of the scope of the project and
tion 4 of this guidebook lists many of the texts the necessary activities to make it happen.
and web sites with information on BRT topics.
Invariably, cities underestimate the amount of
3.1.3.3 Project management structure time needed to complete a full BRT plan. A
Initially, the team will be involved in basic fact- BRT plan can be reasonably completed in 12 to
finding and analysis work, such as estimating 18 months, but can take longer in cases of very
both existing and projected transport demand. large and complicated cities. The actual dura-
However, as the project begins to coalesce tion of the planning process will depend greatly

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then a specific organisational structure may be other local conditions.
appropriate. Figure 33 gives an example of an
Completing the work plan and timeline will
organisational structure for a BRT development
help ensure that important elements such as
project. In this case, the mayor (or other lead-
public communication and education are not in-
ing political official) serves as the chairperson
advertently left out. Sharing the work plan and
overseeing the project. This type of direct
leadership involvement helps ensure that the timeline with politicians, press and the public
project remains a top priority throughout the will also help ensure that all parties have realis-
development process. tic expectations of progress with the project.
The organisational structure in Figure 33 also No matter how well one plans, though, unex-
shows a steering committee consisting of key pected events will also act to necessitate modi-
outside stakeholders such as non-governmental fications. Thus, the work plan and timeline
organisations, other government agencies, and should be revisited and revised from time to
private sector associations. Formal inclusion time during the planning process. Figure 34
of all key stakeholders in the process can help provides an example of a basic BRT timeline.

44 3.1 Planning Stage I: Project Preparation

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Figure 34: BRT Planning Process: Workplan and Timeline (1)

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3.1 Planning Stage I: Project Preparation 45

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Figure 34: BRT Planning Process: Workplan and Timeline (2)

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3.1.4.2 Project phases New property developments that significantly

a. Benefits of project phasing alter travel frequency around major origins
A BRT can be phased-in over several distinct and destinations;
periods or built in a massive single effort. Typi- Cost factors for both infrastructure and op-
cally, cities choose to construct a system over a erations.
series of phases. The phased approach is neces- Additionally, the lessons learned during the first
sitated for several reasons: phases of the system will undoubtedly affect
Financing for the entire system may not be future designs. The BRT development process
immediately available; should be one of constant improvement in order
Results from the initial phase can help im- to best serve customer needs.
prove the design in subsequent phases;
b. A whole-system vision
The limited number of local construction
firms may not be sufficient to construct a sys- However, even if a system is to be built over
tem across the entire city; a series of phases, it is still worthwhile to put
forward a vision for the entire system. Such a
Phased construction reduces the disruption
that the construction process brings to city vision may consist simply of a route map show-
traffic flows. ing where all planned corridors are intended to
be placed. Thus, even residents and stakeholders
The initial vision of the overall system will likely
who will not immediately benefit from the
evolve as circumstances change. However, the
evolving nature of the urban landscape means initial phases of the system will see the long-
that corridors and concepts may be altered, but term value for themselves.
in general, the overall concept will still be valid. Further, the establishment of an overall vision
The types of factors that may change over the for a network will be seen as a legacy from
development horizon of the project include: the existing political administration to future
Demographic changes in population and administrations. If the concept of an entire
population density; network is firmly set, then there is less likeli-

46 3.1 Planning Stage I: Project Preparation

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

hood that future administrations will forgo tionary approach implies that the city commits
implementation of the full system. The loss to a bold plan for an entirely new city-wide
of political will is always a risk when moving transport system. An evolutionary approach
from one political administration to the next. implies that the city begins developing its new
In many instances, the political instincts of the system slowly, by implementing relatively small
incoming administration are to jettison every- projects one by one. The revolutionary approach
thing proposed by the previous administration. depends upon a highly motivated and charis-
A phased approach also should not be an excuse matic political leader who can push through a
for an overly timid first phase. An extremely wider vision. The evolutionary approach is more
limited initial phase may not produce the neces- characteristic of municipal leaders with only a
sary results to justify further phases. BRT along moderate amount of political interest towards
just a single corridor may not attract sufficient public transport.
passenger numbers to become financially sus- Bogotá and Curitiba were successful with highly
tainable. If the financial model fails in the first charismatic leaders who developed a revolution-
phase, there may never be a second phase. A ary vision. The initial corridors of these systems
single corridor strategy depends on people work-
ing, shopping, and living on the same corridor. Figure 35: The impact of adding more corridors
This highly limited set of circumstances typically
means that a single corridor simply cannot
achieve sufficient customer flows. The limited
usefulness of a one-corridor system will also
dampen public support for the future system.
A second corridor in the initial plan does not
simply translate into a doubling of the possible
destinations. Rather the math of public transport
corridors tends to behave in an exponential man-
ner. The math of transport corridors means that
one plus one does not equal two but is instead
equal to four. This result is due to the added
a. Single trunk corridor b. Single trunk corridor
permutations of trips possible with each leg of without feeder services with feeder services
the corridor. Figure 35 illustrates the progression
of increasingly greater destination possibilities
that are achieved by adding each new corridor.
Clearly, scenarios (a) and (b) in Figure 35 pro-
vide the customer with relatively few destination
options. In these instances, many customers
will continue to use their existing transport
options, even if they spend some of their travel
time on the new transit system’s single corridor.
However, scenarios (c) and (d) begin to provide
a service that will compete quite well with other
modal options. In these scenarios, many cus-
tomers will be able to fulfil all their travel needs c. Two trunk corridors d. Three trunk corridors
within the new BRT system. If only scenarios with feeder services with feeder services
(a) or (b) are followed in the project’s first phase,
then there will be a high degree of risk regard-
ing the system’s future. Trunk corridor
Feeder line
c. Evolution versus revolution
Terminal
The issue here is whether to approach BRT by a
strategy of “revolution” or “evolution”. A revolu-

3.1 Planning Stage I: Project Preparation 47

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

were built in just a few years, and these cor- salary increases or inflationary trends should
ridors were of sufficient size to achieve financial also be considered.
sustainability even at the outset. Both Bogotá Budgets should be made as realistic as possible.
and Curitiba have continued with an evolution- Overly-optimistic projections will ultimately be
ary expansion of additional corridors. Thus, compared unfavourably to actual results, which
even within a relatively revolutionary approach,
will be used by project opponents to undermine
there will likely be a continued evolutionary
the project’s image. Unfortunately, projecting
expansion of the system. The key to the success
budgets is never an exact science. Unexpected
of Bogotá and Curitiba, though, was the expan-
and unforeseen events will undoubtedly arise
sive vision and commitment put forward by its
which will create the need for budgetary ad-
political leaders.
justments. Thus, it is always wise to include a
By contrast, Jakarta (Indonesia) initiated its contingency amount that will help cover such
BRT project with a limited single corridor of unexpected costs. The contingency is often
just 12.9 kilometres. The limited nature of the represented as a percentage of the projected
Jakarta system was further exacerbated by the total (e.g., 10% of the projected budget).
lack of integrated feeder services. Unsurpris-
ingly, ridership on the initial corridor has been BRT planning costs have historically varied
under expectations. While expansion is still considerably, depending upon the scope and
expected to occur with a second route, the city complexity of the project, as well as the degree
is also moving ahead with a monorail project in to which in-house expertise is utilised in com-
other corridors. The limited success of the initial parison to consultants. To plan the extensive
BRT corridor has perhaps lessened the future TransMilenio system of Bogotá, a total of nearly
viability of BRT as a city-wide transit solution. US$ 3 million was spent in the planning proc-
Thus, a relatively weak initial vision coupled ess. By comparison, using principally in-house
with weak political will becomes a self-fulfilling professionals, the municipality of Quito spent
prophesy in which self-imposed limitations cre- only approximately US$ 500,000 to plan its
ate a ceiling as to the ultimate size and quality smaller system. In general, though, planning
of the system. costs will likely range from US$ 400,000 to
Based on the observed examples of BRT to date, US$ 5 million. It is hoped that this BRT Plan-
the scope and force of the initial vision will ning Guide will help cities plan a BRT system at
likely set the tone for the ultimate quality of the a lower cost and within a shorter time frame.
product. 3.1.5.2 Local funding sources

3.1.5 Planning budget and financing In comparison to other transport projects, such
as road networks and rail systems, the planning
3.1.5.1 Budgeting fundamentals
costs of BRT are typically much less. For this
The realistic scope and depth of the BRT plan- reason, the costs are often financed within
ning process is largely determined by the avail-
existing municipal or provincial revenues with-
able funding. However, the first step should be
out the need for alternative financing sources
to determine the required amount based upon
such as loans or bonds. This situation can even
the projected activities. An estimated budget
be true of low-income, developing cities. Local,
for the plan can be developed from the activi-
provincial, and national resources should all
ties outlined in the work plan. The budget will
be quite sufficient to readily complete the BRT
include staff salaries, consultant fees, travel and
planning process.
study tours, resource materials, telecommunica-
tions, and administrative support. Some of In some cases, the local private sector may
these costs may be covered by existing budgets actually take the lead in financing and conduct-
and overheads while other line items will need ing the BRT planning process. Private sector
newly dedicated funding. Since the planning bus associations sometimes find it in their own
horizon is likely to encompass 12 to 24 months interest to help encourage BRT development.
of time, any cost escalations such as projected Private sector interests have help to lead BRT ef-

48 3.1 Planning Stage I: Project Preparation

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

forts in such cities as San Salvador (El Salvador) Programme (UNEP), and regional development
and Dhaka (Bangladesh). banks (e.g., African Development Bank, Asian
Development Bank, Inter-American Develop-
3.1.5.3 International funding sources
ment Bank). To date the GEF, with World
However, at the same time, several international Bank support, has approved three projects that
sources stand ready to assist cities interested include BRT related elements. These project
in BRT. The international resources often also sites are Santiago, Chile; Lima, Peru; and
bring the additional advantage of allowing Mexico City, Mexico.
greater access to consultants with international
The size of a GEF grant depends on the type of
BRT experience. The disadvantage of many
application and the nature of the project. GEF
international funding sources is the amount of
funding mechanisms include:
effort required in the application process and
the sometimes lengthy delay in receiving project 1. Small Grants Programme (funds of less than
acceptance. US$ 50,000);
2. Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Pro-
a. Multi-lateral organisations
gramme;
Multi-lateral organisations such as the World
3. Project Preparation and Development Facility
Bank, regional development banks, and agen-
(PDF);
cies of the United Nations may be able to pro-
• PDF Block A (up to US$ 25,000 for
vide grants to support planning activities and
project preparation);
initial demonstrations. Unlike loans, grant-type
• PDF Block B (up to US$ 350,000 for
funding mechanisms do not require repayment.
project preparation);
One such grant mechanism is the Global Envi-
• PDF Block C (up to US$ 1 million for
ronment Facility (GEF). The GEF was created
project preparation);
in 1991 to assist governments and international
4. Medium-Sized Projects (up to US$ 1 million
organisations in their goals of overcoming glo-
for project);
bal environmental threats. Thus, GEF funds are
utilised to address such issues as the degradation 5. Full-Sized Projects (large grants of sometimes
of international waters, biodiversity, global over US$ 10 million).
climate change, ozone depletion, and persistent The GEF transport projects in Chile, Peru and
organic pollutants (POPS). Through the global Mexico are full-sized projects. GEF resources
climate change programme and the GEF’s are unlikely to directly finance infrastructure,
Operational Programme number 11, transport but are useful in assisting with the planning
is an eligible sector for funding. BRT projects process. Additionally, GEF funding can also
qualify under article 11.10(a) of Operational be an effective means to attract complementary
Programme 11: “Modal shifts to more efficient financing from other sources.
and less polluting forms of public and freight Other international organisations may also
transport through measures such as traffic support BRT planning activities. For example,
management and avoidance and increased use the United Nations Development Programme
of cleaner fuels.” (UNDP) has played a role in developing BRT
To qualify for a GEF project, a municipality projects in Pereira (Colombia) and Cartagena
will need the support of its national GEF focal (Colombia) through technical assistance activities.
point, which is typically housed at either a b. Bi-lateral agencies
national ministry of the environment or a na- Additionally, bi-lateral agencies such the Ger-
tional ministry of foreign relations. Additionally, man Overseas Technical Cooperation Agency
the project will need one of the GEF’s imple- (GTZ), the Swedish International Development
menting agencies to champion and support the Agency (Sida), and the United States Agency for
project through the application process. Eligible International Development (USAID) may be
implementing agencies include the World Bank, approached to assist on the provision of support
the United Nations Development Programme and technical resources. GTZ has played a role
(UNDP), the United Nations Environment supporting BRT development in such cities

3.1 Planning Stage I: Project Preparation 49

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

as Bangkok (Thailand), Buenos Aires (Argen-

tina), Cartagena (Colombia), and Surabaya
(Indonesia). Sida has assisted BRT awareness
in Bangalore (India) and Dhaka (Bangladesh).
USAID has been active with BRT support
in Accra (Ghana), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania),
Dakar (Senegal), Cape Town (South Africa),
Delhi (India), Hyderabad (India), and Jakarta
(Indonesia).
c. Private foundations
Private foundations such as the Hewlett Foun-
dation, the Shell Foundation and the former W.
Alton Jones Foundation have also been support-
ers of BRT activities. The Hewlett Foundation
is supporting BRT support activities in Beijing
(China), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), São Paulo
(Brazil), and Mexico City (Mexico). The Shell
Foundation, through the World Resources Insti-
tute, is assisting BRT development in Mexico
City and Shanghai (China).

50 3.1 Planning Stage I: Project Preparation

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.2 Planning Stage II: Analysis inhabitants will later assist in developing a
The demand for transit services will be one of realistic tariff schedule. Demographic figures
the principal determining factors in designing on population, population densities, and future
the system. Virtually all major decisions such as population projections will be key inputs into
the choosing the busway corridors, the size of the transportation modelling process. Trends in
the vehicles, the size of stations and terminals, environmental conditions will help determine
and the type of fare collection systems will the sorts of air quality and noise objectives that
emanate from the likely passenger demand. the BRT system can help to achieve. Quantify-
Transport modelling tools can be useful in ing the social equity levels throughout the
projecting future system demand, and thus help city may assist in recognising the districts that
in determining the system’s capacity needs over will most benefit from improved public transit
a longer time horizon. services. Finally, mapping out the various politi-
cal actors and the dates of upcoming elections
A starting point for this type of analysis is to
can help establish realistic project timeframes.
fully understand the current matrix of journeys
It is often difficult to gain political support for
taken in the city as well as the current supply of
BRT initiatives if elections are relatively soon.
transport services. This section outlines both a
However, if a political administration feels that
traditional transport modelling approach as well
there is sufficient time to demonstrate a tangible
as noting the minimum analytical requirements
for determining the projected demand. outcome, then the prospects for political com-
mitment tend to be greater.
The topics to be presented in Planning Stage II,
“Analysis”, are: The type of background information to be
collected can thus include:
3.2.1 Background and situational Population, population density
description Overall economic activity (Gross Regional
Product)
3.2.2 Stakeholder analysis
Economic activity by social groupings
3.2.3 Transport data collection Employment levels (unemployment and
3.2.4 Transportation demand modelling underemployment)
Environmental conditions
3.2.1 Background and situational Social equity levels
description Schedule of local, regional, and national
A city’s public transit system is intimately wo- elections.
ven into the existing demographic, economic,
3.2.2 Stakeholder analysis
environmental, social, and political conditions.
Understanding these conditions enables the The pre-planning period is also the time to
BRT planner to better align the prospective begin identifying key groups and organisations
public transit system with the local realities. that should be included in the planning and
Some of these data items will later be inputted development of improved transit services. Spe-
into transportation models to project future cific agencies, departments and political officials
needs. Other portions of this background infor- will all have varying opinions and interests with
mation will help the planner view the proposed regard to developing a new transit system. Non-
public transit system in its wider socio-eco- governmental and community-based organiza-
nomic context. tions will be important resources to draw upon
during later public participation processes. The
For instance, by understanding the major
employment areas of the city, one can better types of organisations to be sought during the
project the location and times of the day when stakeholder identification process include:
transit will be required. Further, the relative Existing transport operators, and operators’
economic purchasing power of the city’s and drivers’ associations (formal and
informal);

3.2 Planning Stage II: Analysis 51

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Customers (including current transit users, The accuracy and precision of the data collected
car owners, non-motorised transport users, depends in part on the funding that is available
student travel, low-income communities, for the analysis. Traffic counts and surveys en-
physically disabled, elderly); compassing large sample sizes will help provide
Municipal transit departments; an accurate basis but may prove to be too costly
Municipal environmental departments; for many developing cities. Fortunately, in many
Municipal urban development departments; cases, mode share and travel data have already
been collected to a certain degree. For example,
Traffic and transit police;
the Japanese International Co-operation Agency
Relevant national agencies; (JICA) has assisted many cities in defining
Non-governmental organisations; baseline travel demand information. In some
Community-based organisations. cases, this existing data can be updated to reflect
Agencies or civil society groups that are current conditions at a lower cost than starting a
excluded from the planning and develop- data collection process from its very beginning.
ment process may react in ways that will be This section discusses the following data collec-
detrimental to eventual implementation. Some tion topics:
groups may interpret their exclusion as evidence Minimum data collection requirements;
that the new transit project is counter to their
Current transport demand (traffic counts and
interests. Excluded agencies may also feel threat- surveys);
ened that their domain of responsibility and
Current transport supply;
influence is being eroded. In such instances, the
excluded organisations may oppose and even Survey of attitudes and elasticity of demand
obstruct the project development process. Land-use data.
The inclusion and active participation of all 3.2.3.1 Minimum data collection
interested parties is a simple way of avoiding requirements
much of the potential opposition to project Not all developing cities will be able to afford a
development. However, such participation full data collection process that results in iden-
should not be conducted in a token manner. If tifying origin-destination pairings to any degree
agencies or groups feel that their inputs are not of great detail. However, these cities will still
being considered seriously, then again the same need to quantify existing passenger volumes on
counter-productive reactions may occur. More major corridors. Thus, as a minimum, cities will
importantly, stakeholder groups can signifi- wish to conduct basic traffic counts on principal
cantly help to improve the quality of the project. transit corridors. The most important focus
Each stakeholder has a unique view on public of the traffic count will be the existing public
transit issues and holds the potential to contrib- transport passenger numbers. However, since
ute to an improved final product. This pre-plan- a percentage of passengers from other modal
ning activity is aimed at initially just identifying options (e.g., private autos, motorcycles, etc.)
all the relevant stakeholders. Section 3.3.1 of will likely switch to the new BRT system, basic
this guidebook includes suggestions on how to counts of these vehicles and passengers should
conduct an effective participatory process. also be undertaken.
3.2.3 Transportation data collection The number of persons boarding and alight-
A solid understanding of existing transport ing at major points along the corridors should
choices will help serve to define the present also be documented. The numbers will help in
and future requirements of a BRT system. The determining the size of stations and the result-
data collected on current transport supply and ing dwell times for transit vehicles at stations.
demand will serve as a major input into deter- This basic data collection process should also
mining the design characteristics of the system. include an inventory of all existing public trans-
This data may also be used within a transport port vehicles (e.g., standard buses, mini-buses,
software model to project various different vans, etc.). This inventory of transit supply can
scenarios. then be correlated with the corridor passenger

52 3.2 Planning Stage II: Analysis

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

counts. If cooperation with existing transit a. Survey techniques

operators is possible, then interviews to record The origin-destination (O-D) survey can be
current routings, travel times, and passenger built upon several different survey techniques.
numbers of each operator will be quite useful. These techniques include:
3.2.3.2 Detailed data collection on current Household and work place surveys;
transport demand
Intercept surveys (external cordon);
Establishing the nature of existing travel
Intercept surveys (internal cordons and screen
patterns is fundamental to projecting the
lines);
requirements for a proposed mass transit
system. However, demand studies can be the Traffic and person counts.
most costly component of the data collection Surveying all members of a household regarding
process. Finding the right balance between the individual travel practices (destinations, mode
need for accuracy and the level of costs is a key choice, reasons for mode choice, travel expen-
consideration. Funds expended on demand ditures, etc.) provides a very complete picture
studies translate directly into fewer funds for of trip generation. Likewise, work place surveys
other aspects of the planning process. Common can also be an effective mechanism. Unfortu-
elements of a demand analysis include an origin- nately, household and work place surveys are
destination survey (O-D survey), behavioural probably the most costly of the O-D techniques.
determinants for travel, and activity data (e.g., The other techniques, such as intercept surveys
opening times of shops). The most crucial ele-
and traffic counts, are typically done in con-
ment from the perspective of developing a mass
junction with the household and work place
transit system is the O-D survey. Thus, the fol-
surveys in order to confirm results.
lowing description focuses upon techniques for
delivering an effective O-D survey. Figure 36 The type of data collected in household and
provides a graphical representation of the data work place surveys generally falls into two
collected through an O-D analysis. categories (Ortúzar and Willumsen, 2002):

Fig. 36
Plotting the trip origins
and trip destinations
is a basic step in
determining the best
BRT corridors, the
passenger capacity
requirements, and
the other operational
aspects of the proposed
systems.
Illustration courtesy of TransMilenio SA

3.2 Planning Stage II: Analysis 53

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Figure 37: Representation of study area for analysis bicycle trips and walking trips) and all house-
����������������������
hold members (even children) in the survey.
�����������������������
����������
A more detailed type of household survey is
known as a travel diary. In this type of survey,
sampled subjects carry a diary with them for a
������������������
set period of time (e.g., one week) and record all
����������������� trips. The travel diary provides a level of detail
��������������������� that can be missed in a simple one-off interview
�������������������� session. However, since a travel diary survey
�������������
requires at least two visits to the household
(before and after), it will be more costly than
�������� simple interview sessions.
�������������
��������������� b. Study area
������������������������������������������������ Intercept surveys and traffic counts are physi-
cal counts conducted on selected points in the
Personal and household characteristics and
transport network. As noted earlier, these
identification (number of household mem- physical counts can be integrated with the
bers, sex, age, number of motorised vehicles, survey data in order to provide a greater degree
number of persons holding a driving license, certainty in the overall results. The scope of the
educational levels, and occupations); intercepts and traffic counts depend upon the
Trip data (origin and destination of each trip, design of the study area. Figure 37 is a standard
multi-stage trips, purpose of trip, mode uti- graphical representation of a study area. As
lised, time of travel including start and end noted in the figure, screen lines and cordon
times, and amount spent on travel). points typically capture four types of trips:
The format and design of the survey can Trips with origins and destinations outside
affect the ultimate accuracy of the data col- the study area;
lected. Whether the survey is performed as Non-residents moving in, out and around the
self-completion or as an interview (or mixed) study area;
can determine the reliability of the information. Residents moving within the study area;
Misinterpretation of questions can be a signifi- Residents moving in and out of the study
cant source of error. For this reason, the ques- area.
tions should be simple and direct. The number c. Zoning systems
of open questions should be kept to a minimum.
The data collected is typically assigned a par-
It is also vital to include all modes (including
ticular location or “zone” within the city. The
Table 14: Typical zone numbers for studies development of zones allows the aggregation of
Number data from households with similar travel and
Location Population Comments
of zones socio-economic characteristics. This aggregation
London (1972) 7.2 million 2,252 Fine level subzones becomes important in making the data useable
~1,000 Normal zones at GLTS within standard transportation models.
~230 GLTS districts
52 Traffic boroughs
The size of the zones and the number of zones
is again a trade-off between accuracy and cost.
Montreal Island (1980) 2.0 million 1,260 Fine zones
Further, the size and number of zones depends
Ottawa (1978) 0.5 million ~120 Normal zones
in part on how the data is to be utilised. For
Santiago (1986) 4.5 million ~260 Zones, strategic study large-scale strategic studies, fewer zones are
Washington (1973) 2.5 million 1,075 Normal zones required. For detailed traffic management stud-
134 District level ies, though, a finer definition of the zones will
Bogotá (2000) 6.1 million 637 Normal zones likely be necessary. Table 14 lists the number of
Marseille (2001) 1.5 million 562 Normal zones zones that have been developed for various cities.
Source: Ortúzar and Willumsen, 2002 Note that cities such as London have multiple

54 3.2 Planning Stage II: Analysis

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

levels of zones that permit both coarse- and Figure 38: Variation of demand during week
fine-level analyses.
It is recommended that zone boundaries are
consistent with census and other administra-
tive zones that already exist in the city. This
compatibility will facilitate the overlaying of
different data types. Once the data is entered
into a model, the zone is actually represented by
a “zone centroid”, which is a singular point that
is used to signify the average characteristics of
the particular zone.
d. Study period
The travel surveys should be conducted over the
widest possible time period in order to fully cap-
ture daily, weekly, and even seasonal variations.
The difference in travel demands during the
peak and non-peak periods will be important
in terms of determining the optimum number
vehicles required for the mass transit system as Source: TransMilenio SA; Bogotá, Colombia
well as the sizing of stations. Again, the desire
to capture a full set of data points must be offset This type of demand data will later serve as the
by the cost of the study. basis for determining the operational charac-
teristics of transit service along each corridor.
Typically, demand profiles during weekdays are
Section 3.4 (Operations) of this document
quite different than during weekends. Further, relates the modelling results to the operational
even days during the work week can vary. For design of the system.
example, schools may release students at differ-
e. Types of errors
ent times during the week. Likewise, employers
may permit flexibility on departure times for Due to the nature of the data collection and
employees during a particular day such as modelling process, errors will always be present
Fridays. These sorts of nuances in demand flows to a certain degree. The very fact that it is a
are highly dependent on local customs and Figure 39: Hourly demand profile
circumstances. Figure 38 gives a day-by-day
demand profile from Bogotá.
One of the most significant factors in designing
a transit service is the relative demand profiles
for peak and non-peak hours. Peak travel times
typically occur during 1 to 2 hour periods in
the morning and late afternoon when people
are commuting between their homes and their
employment. Accommodating peak capacities
while simultaneously maintaining cost-effec-
tive operations during non-peak times can be
a planning challenge. The system will need
to be sufficiently sized in terms of vehicle and
lane capacities to handle the peak periods but
sufficiently nimble to still operate within cost
restraints during non-peak periods. Figure 39
gives an hourly demand profile from Bogotá. Source: TransMilenio SA; Bogotá, Colombia

3.2 Planning Stage II: Analysis 55

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

sample being analysed rather than an entire be that represented in Table 15 (Bruton, 1985),
population means that the data is not 100 per the reality of what is possible is often quite differ-
cent representative. However, a well-designed ent. The number of trips undertaken in each zone
data collection process can help minimise the is also a determinant that can dictate sample sizes.
errors involved. Further, awareness of the differ- However, quite often a realistic compromise can
ent types of errors can help project designers to be found in which the goals of the study are
maintain a healthy perspective on the process. achieved at reasonable sampling levels.
There are at least two types of errors that are
g. Survey correction and validation
commonly experienced during data collection:
As data is collected and compiled, in some
1. Measurement errors
circumstances, it may be necessary to undertake
These errors arise from misunderstandings
corrective actions. These corrections become
and misperceptions between the questions
necessary if key sub-groupings, such as by house-
asked and the responses of the sampled
hold size or socio-economic, are not represented
subjects. Misinterpretation by the inter-
in the appropriate proportion. Corrections may
viewer can result in the incorrect listing
also become necessary if certain questions have a
of a response. Further, there will also be a
high percentage of non-responses. In such cases,
degree of bias in which respondents answer
questions in a manner that represents a de- an expansion of the original sample size can help
sired state rather than reality. to correct the deficiencies in the collected data.

2. Sampling errors A validation process is typically undertaken at

Sampling errors occur due to the cost and the conclusion of the data collection process
feasibility of surveying very large sample in order to provide a degree of quality control.
sizes. Sampling errors are approximately Validation will often include checks on the com-
inversely proportional to the square root of pleteness and internal consistency of the data.
the number of observations (i.e. to halve These checks can be accomplished electronically
them it is necessary to quadruple the sam- by coding and digitising the data. Validation
ple size) (Ortúzar and Willumsen, 2002). may also imply quality control checks with a
To offset these errors, project designers must sample of interviewed households. These checks
balance the cost of the activity against the are principally to confirm that the interview did
desired accuracy and precision. However, by indeed take place and that all questions were
understanding the potential errors and the presented.
ultimate objectives of the survey work, a cost-ef- 3.2.3.3 Current transport supply
fective data collection regime can be developed. The demand for transport services is only part
f. Sample size of a city’s transit equation. An inventory of the
As noted previously, the number of observations existing supply of services is also an essential
is constrained by financial and human resources. part of characterising the current situation. The
While the statistically desirable sample size may data collected on the supply side include:
Table 15: Sample sizes recommended in traditional surveys
Sample size (dwelling units)
Population of area Recommended Minimum
Under 50,000 1 in 5 1 in 10
50,000 – 150,000 1 in 8 1 in 20
150,000 – 300,000 1 in 10 1 in 35
300,000 – 500,000 1 in 15 1 in 50
500,000 – 1,000,000 1 in 20 1 in 70
Over 1,000,000 1 in 25 1 in 100
Source: Bruton (1985) in Ortúzar and Willumsen (2002)

56 3.2 Planning Stage II: Analysis

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Size and capacity of road network; designs necessarily leads to an optimal result in
Inventory of parking facilities; terms of customer service or economic efficiency.
Identification of public transport networks; The number and average age of the public
Quality and coverage of pedestrian infra- transit vehicles also provides vital information
structure; that will have ramifications on the economic
Quality and length of bicycle infrastructure; and environmental impacts of a transformation
in services. The existing fleets in many develop-
Number of public transport companies
ing cities have average ages over 15 years. Any
(including private operators);
modernisation programme must consider how
Number and age of public transport vehicles such vehicles are to be retired.
by type;
Finally, basic information on transit tariffs and
Costs of travel (both individual and mass the costs of other modal options (private auto-
transit modes); mobiles, motorcycles, taxis, etc.), service fre-
Schedules and frequency of public transport quency, and average velocities all help determine
services. the underlying competitive nature of existing
Typically, the road network will ultimately be travel options.
represented by a series of “links” and “nodes”
3.2.3.4 Historical trends
within the transportation model. The links are
Basic historical data on such information as
homogenous stretches of road between junc-
mode shares, travel times, and travel costs pro-
tions while the nodes represent the junctions.
vide key perspectives on trends that will affect
All roads do not need to be represented in the
the degree of difficulty in implementing a mass
analysis. Major arterials and key connector
transit solution. As noted previously in Table
roads may be sufficient for purposes of a mass
3, public transit ridership is falling relatively
transit study. The road network will become
rapidly in most parts of the world. At the same
important when evaluating the impact of the
time, private vehicle ownership is experiencing
new mass transit system upon private vehicle unprecedented increases in much of the devel-
traffic. However, some authors suggest that the oping world. In such a scenario of falling public
network should also include one additional level transit ridership and rapidly increasing private
of road hierarchy (e.g., secondary roads as well) vehicle ownership, the challenge of successfully
in order to account for aggregate errors. reversing the trend cannot be underestimated.
The current public transport network likewise Further, once the levels of private vehicle owner-
consists of links, representing corridors of serv- ship exceed a certain point, the political will to
ice, as well as nodes, representing stops where address public transit can be lost.
passengers can enter the system. One would The historical trends will also be fundamental
also denote nodes where connections are pos- to establishing a baseline by which the ef-
sible between corridor services. Data on any ad- fectiveness of the mass transit system can later
ditional fare costs associated with such transfers be measured against. The trends will help
would also be noted. Additionally, a distinction determine the impacts of the system in terms of
would be made between different public transit economic, environmental, and social indicators.
services (e.g. between rail and bus services). For instance, if public transit ridership is falling
Recording the number of companies with at a known rate prior to the implementation of
collective transit operations, including both the new system, a reversal of this trend can be a
privately- and publicly-owned entities, will strong endorsement of the project’s success.
provide insight into the viability of achiev- Unfortunately, time series data is often not
ing competitive balances within the industry. available, as historical records may simply not
Typically, public transit in developing cities has exist. However, for major indicators such as
gravitated towards one of two structural ex- mode share and/or vehicle ownership, some
tremes: 1.) A single, state-owned monopoly; or data points are likely to be evident. Alternatively,
2.) Hundreds (or more) of individually owned historical trends can also be gained from inter-
vehicles. Neither of these two predominate views that probe for past practices.

3.2 Planning Stage II: Analysis 57

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3.2.3.5 Surveys of attitudes and elasticity 3.2.3.6 Land-use data

of demand Compiling an inventory of land-use informa-
Information on the existing travel practices of tion will be helpful as input data to trip genera-
citizens can largely be gained through the physi- tion models. The land-use data will include
cal counts and the surveys noted previously. noting major areas of residential, commercial,
Questionnaires and surveys that ask persons and industrial activities. The land-use inventory
about their actual travel patterns are generally will denote if certain areas have designated uses
known as “revealed preference” surveys. How- due to mandatory zoning laws. Land-use data
ever, there may be data information that seeks may also include locations of parking provision
to ask persons questions about hypothetical (e.g., areas of on-street parking, car parks, etc.).
situations. For instance, one may wish to know
if a person would switch to public transit if the 3.2.4 Transportation demand modelling
cost, quality, and frequency of service reached Modelling is a simplified representation of real
a certain point. Such hypothetical surveys are world systems that allows projections of future
known as “stated preference” surveys. conditions. Transportation modelling is quite
Of course, posing hypothetical possibilities to commonly utilised to determine expected
interviewed parties can present several methodo- demand and supply conditions that will help
logical challenges. As noted previously, there are shape decisions on future infrastructure needs
errors associated with just asking about actual and supporting policy measures. Modelling
practices. Persons can misinterpret questions or helps project future transport growth as well as
may provide answers that do not match actual allows planners to run projections across many
practices. Such errors can quickly multiply when different scenarios.
presenting scenarios that do not represent reality. However, it should be noted that transportation
Nevertheless, understanding how commuters models do not solve transport problems. Rather,
value certain qualities such as cost, comfort, the models are tools that provide decision-mak-
convenience, and security is quite useful for de- ers with information to better gage the impacts
signing a new public transit service. The elastic- of different future scenarios. The type of
ity of demand for a transport mode as measured scenarios considered and the type of city condi-
by its perceived and real costs is a vital point in tions desired are still very much the domain of
determining the viability of a proposed mass public policy decision-making.
transit option. Further, the elasticity of demand While complex mathematical relationships
will ultimately help in determining the most underpin transportation models, the basic
effective tariff levels for the service. premise behind the modelling analysis can be
The list of hypothetical scenarios presented will presented in an understandable form to a wide
often include an existing option in order to audience. Figure 40 outlines the classic four-
provide a comparative base. Responses to the stage transport model. This model still serves as
hypothetical scenarios can involve ranking dif- the basis for the various software products that
ferent options or grading the options. In order today enable effective transport modelling.
to avoid the various pitfalls inherent to stated
In some circumstances, full formal modelling
preference surveys, some best practice standards
may not be required at all. Instead, simplified
are recommended for consideration:
scenario building utilising spreadsheet analysis
Provide respondents with a realistic set of spe- can provide the basic information required to
cific and tangible options; proceed with the BRT planning process. Of
Limit the number of different variables to course, a full modelling process will provide a
no more than three or four (cost, service higher degree of certainty for decision-makers
frequency, walking time, number vehicle and planners. The decision on the degree of
changes, etc.) in order to avoid confusion; modelling undertaken is in part a question of
Permit the person to reply “none of the above” the resources available (financial and temporal)
in case none of the presented options meet a and in part a question of the complexity of the
minimum level of quality for the respondent. city’s transport sector. A highly fragmented and

58 3.2 Planning Stage II: Analysis

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Figure 40: Representation of standard relatively achievable at a low cost. Even if full
transport model household surveys are not feasible, basic traf-
������
fic counts and transit operator interviews can
��������� ��������� provide a solid base of information. Plotting
��������
�������� ����
���� approximations of transit demand along the ma-
jor corridors and determining the major points
�������� of trip origins and destinations is likewise an
��������� ������
activity that can be estimated to some degree of
certainty.
��������������� To project future transport trends, assumptions
relating transport to expected economic growth
can provide basic expectations of the percentage
������������
of annual growth. The other significant set of
assumptions will relate to the amount of mode
����������� shifting to take place. If current informal opera-
tors are allowed to continue in conjunction with
the BRT system, what percentage of the rider-
���������� ship will remain with the existing operators?
If the new BRT system implies an increase in
fare levels, what percentage of public transport
���������� users will switch to lower-cost options such as
Source: Ortúzar and Willumsen, 2002 walking or cycling? What percentage of private
vehicle users (two-wheel and four-wheel private
complex urban landscape may require more vehicles) will switch to the BRT system? How
analytic effort than a city with relatively clear will each of the shifts change over the course of
and consistent transport patterns. the life of the BRT project?
This section will discuss the following topics In Bogotá, an estimated 10 percent of private
related to BRT modelling: vehicle users switched to the BRT system dur-
Minimum requirements for BRT modelling; ing the first phase of the project (Steer Davies
Inputting of existing transportation data and Gleave, 2003). Most public transport users
future projections; moved to BRT since many directly competing
Scenario building (trip generation, trip distri- routes by existing operators were eliminated.
bution, mode share, assignment); However, the slightly lower price of existing
Modelling software. operators has meant that a number of custom-
ers have continued using these services in cases
3.2.4.1 Minimum requirements of where they still operate. Further, the simulta-
transportation modelling neous development of high-quality cycle ways
The modelling process outlined in this section in Bogotá has meant that cycling’s mode share
may prove to be unrealistically lengthy and has increased from 0.4 percent of all trips to
costly for some developing cities. However, over 4 percent.
even cities with limited resources can gather This minimal type of analysis can be achieved
basic informational inputs and conduct a use- within a reasonable timeframe with modest
ful analysis. The modelling activity is the basis resources. While such analysis does not provide
for much of the subsequent design decisions in the same degree of certainty as a full modelling
the BRT system. Thus, an investment in time process, it does provide a minimum degree of
and financial resources, even at relatively low informed decision making. Thus, it is quite
levels, can markedly improve the quality of the worthwhile to make this effort. Proceeding
BRT project. directly to system design without a solid basis
As noted above, collecting basic data on the of transit demand will be far more costly in the
current public transport demand and supply is long term.

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3.2.4.2 Detailed modelling for BRT distribution occurs in the form of a matrix
a. Trip generation formed by rows of origins and columns of
The data collected in the previous section will destinations (Table 16). The values in each of
serve as the key inputs into the modelling cells of Table 16 represent the number of person-
process. The first stage of the process consists of trips undertaken between the particular origin-
utilising demand models to define trip genera- destination pair.
tion characteristics. Specifically, the model Since models are used to project the impacts of
attempts to match the total number of origins future scenarios, one also must consider how
for a given area to specific destinations. Quite to represent expected changes in the number
often trips are categorised by classifications such of trips. For example, models can account for
as trip purpose, time of day, and person type. growth in trips by relating the number of trips
Trip purpose may include the following: to expected changes in such factors as popula-
Work tion, income, and accessibility. Many different
Education types of trip distribution modelling techniques
exist. One of the most common forms of trip
Shopping
distribution modelling is known as the “gravity
Social and recreational model”. The right modelling approach depends
Personal business on many factors, including desired level of
Accompanying others complexity and the cost of the analysis.
Other Ultimately, the trip distribution model will
Classification by time of day may differentiate need to be calibrated and validated for accuracy.
between morning peak, evening peak, and off- For example, the model will need to be able to
peak periods. Classification by person type typi- reasonably replicate the base year distributions
cally focuses upon personal characteristics such in order to show that it is relevant to the area
as income level, car ownership levels, household being studied.
size, and household structure. These personal c. Modal split
characteristics along with other factors such as
Perhaps the most important stage in the trans-
residential density play a role in determining the
port modelling process is the selection of mode
number of trips produced per household. The
choice for the different trips. Determining the
selected transport model will utilise these fac-
number of trips to be made by public transport,
tors to calculate an estimated number of trips.
non-motorised options, and private motorised
b. Trip distribution options will have a profound impact on future
The next stage of the modelling process municipal investments. The factors that affect
involves distributing the generated trips mode choice can be summarised into three
amongst different destinations. Typically, this groupings (Ortúzar and Willumsen, 2002):

Table 16: A general form for a two-dimensional trip matrix

Destinations
Origins 1 2 3 …j …z ∑j Tij
1 T11 T12 T13 …T1j …T1z O1
2 T21 T22 T23 T2j T2z O2
3 Tij Tij Tij Tij Tij O3

I Ti1 Ti2 Ti3 Tij Tiz Oi

Z Tz1 Tz2 Tz3 Tzj Tzz Oz

∑i Tij D1 D2 D3 …Dj …Dz ∑ij Tij = T
Source: Ortúzar and Willumsen, 2002

60 3.2 Planning Stage II: Analysis

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

1. Characteristics of the trip maker In evaluating the model, several iterations are
• Car availability and car ownership run in order to determine if the model results
• Possession of driving license converge to an equilibrium point. If several
• Household structure (young couple, couple iterations produce such a convergence, then the
with children, retired, singles, etc.) proposed solution is considered to be sufficiently
• Income robust. The lack of a convergence implies that
• Residential density changes in the model structure may be neces-
2. Characteristics of the journey sary before proceeding.
• Trip purpose (work, school, shopping, etc.) 3.2.4.3 Modelling software
• Time of day when the journey is taken
The development of transportation modelling
3. Characteristics of the transport facility software has greatly aided the process of trans-
Quantitative: port supply and demand projections. Software
• Relative travel time (in-vehicle, waiting and models today can greatly ease the modelling
walking times by each mode) process and increase accuracy and precision.
• Relative monetary costs (fares, fuel and di- However, with an array of software products on
rect costs) the market, the transport planner can be left
• Availability and cost of parking with an overwhelming set of options. Of course,
Qualitative: there is no one software solution that is inher-
• Comfort and convenience ently correct. A range of variables will guide
• Reliability and regularity the software selection process. These variables
• Protection, security include cost, familiarity of municipal staff and
The modal split model will typically include local consultants with a particular product,
these factors in assigning levels of usage be- degree of user friendliness sought, degree of
tween different modes. precision sought, and the overall objectives of
d. Assignment the modelling task. Table 17 lists a few of the
commonly used software packages that are on
The previous stages in the modelling process
the market today.
focussed primarily on the demand side of transit
services. The “assignment” stage is where the Table 17: Modelling software packages
supply of transit services are matched with these Software name Vendor
demand conditions. Within a BRT system, the EMME / 2 INRO Consultants Inc.
assignment stage also helps to identify usage
CUBE Citilabs
levels amongst different routing and service
QRS II AJH Associates
options. For instance, it is quite useful in plan-
ning terms to know the number of passengers TMODEL TModel Corporation
who will be utilising express routes versus local TransCAD Caliper Corporation
routes. Equilibrium conditions within assign- VISUM ITC
ment are achieved when each passenger has SATURN Atkins-ITS
been assigned the most efficient routing based TRIPS Citilabs
upon inputs factors such as monetary costs and
time of travel.
e. Evaluation
The previous modelling stages have combined
supply and demand factors to develop an overall
simulation of a city’s transit services. The final
stage of the process is to evaluate the robustness
of the particular solution being proposed by
the model. Hopefully, the model will produce
equilibrium conditions that lead to a single
identifiable solution for the given input factors.

3.2 Planning Stage II: Analysis 61

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62
 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.3 Planning Stage III: fessional planners and engineers obviously do

Communications play a key role in system design, but often such
Effective transport planning is not conducted in “professionals” do not frequently use public
isolation. In many instances, insights from the transport systems, and thus do not possess some
public, civic organisations, existing operators, of the design insights of the general public.
private sector firms, and other governmental Some cities are now requiring public officials to
entities are more relevant than merely relying use public transport each day so as to retain a
upon planning staff and consultants. Systems better understanding of the daily realities.
should be designed around the needs and wants Managing and fostering wide public involve-
of the customer. All subsequent details with ment can be a challenge to agencies and
regard to technology and structure can follow departments unaccustomed to public processes.
from this simple focus upon the customer. As Non-governmental organisations sometimes
noted previously, bus systems today are often are better equipped to manage such processes.
losing mode share because customer concerns Alternatively, consultants are also a possibility.
about convenience, safety, and comfort are not Third party management of the public participa-
being addressed. In developing cities, existing tion process can also be an effective mechanism
transport operators represent another key group to achieve an independent and objective
that can provide insights into the design proc- viewpoint on design issues. In some cases, com-
ess, especially with regard to costs and the final munity members may be more comfortable
business structure of the system. expressing opinions to local organisations rather
This planning stage discusses methods for engag- than exclusively to public officials.
ing these key stakeholders in the design process
3.3.2 Communications with existing
as well as the key attributes in providing a cus-
transport operators
tomer-friendly service. The topics to be presented
in Planning Stage III, “Communications”, are:
"And it should be realised that taking
3.3.1 Public participation processes
the initiative in introducing a new
form...is very difficult and dangerous,
3.3.2 Communications with existing
transit operators and unlikely to succeed. The reason is
3.3.3 Marketing plan that all those who profit from the old
3.3.4 Public education plan order will be opposed to the innovator,
whereas all those who might benefit
3.3.1 Public participation processes from the new order are, at best, tepid
Typically, a significant barrier to the actual supporters of him."
implementation of a BRT system is neither - Niccolo Machiavelli
technical nor financial in nature. More often,
it is a lack of political will and a lack of com- As Machiavelli noted in the 16th Century,
munication and participation from key actors change is never easy and likely will be resisted
that ultimately undermines a project’s progress. regardless of the benefits of the intended
Communications are not only important in change. BRT can improve profits and working
terms of obtaining public approval of the conditions for existing operators and drivers.
project but also provide the design insights of However, in many countries, the sector is
the people who will be using the system. Public unaccustomed to any official involvement and
inputs on likely corridors and feeder services oversight, and operators often carry a distinct
can be invaluable. Incorporating public views distrust of public agencies. In cities such as
on design and customer service features will Belo Horizonte (Brazil) and Quito (Ecuador)
also help ensure that the system will be more proposed formalisation of the transport sector
fully accepted and utilised by the public. Pro- has sparked violence and civil unrest.

3.3 Planning Stage III: Communications 63

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Ideally, the existing operators can come to view

BRT as a positive business opportunity and not
as a threat to their future. How this key sector
comes to view the concept, though, largely
depends on the circumstances and manner in
which BRT is introduced to them. The munici-
pality will wish to carefully plan an outreach
strategy that will build a relationship of open-
ness and trust with the existing operators. At
least one planning staff member should be
dedicated permanently to liaison activities with
the existing operators. In some instances, this
position may best be filled by a former transit
Fig. 42
operator or another person who holds personal
The TransMilenio name holds so much value
credibility with the operators. that it is expropriated for other uses, such as
Visits to cities with existing BRT systems can TransMiperro (“Transport My Dog”) which is a
be quite appropriate for private transit operators. company that provides exercise for domestic pets.
Photo courtesy of Activity Dog - TransMiperro.
Many of the fears that the operators may hold
about BRT can be successfully dispelled with
a first-hand view of a system. Further, private
operators are probably most convinced by
speaking directly with operators in other cities
which have already experienced a conversion
from conventional services to BRT. Discussions
between different private operators are thus a
very effective mechanism to create an atmos- Fig. 43
phere of support and trust. The copying of TransMilenio for a variety
of uses such as games for children and even
3.3.3 Marketing plan discotheques says much about the marketing
Bus Rapid Transit is not just another bus service. power of the brand.
However, communicating this effectively to the of existing bus systems is a formidable barrier to
public is not an easy task. The negative stigma overcome in selling the BRT concept. In most
parts of the world, the words “public transport”
have the same connotation as some other public
goods such as “public restrooms”. Thus, public
transport is something that is not clean and not
particularly nice, and should only be endured
when truly necessary.
The right marketing campaign can help put
BRT in a new light for the customer. The civic
Fig. 41 pride exuded from the TransMilenio system in
A BRT system seems like Bogotá has manifested itself through several
an unlikely place for a unusual outcomes. Some couples have decided
wedding, but Bogotá’s to hold their weddings in the system (Figure
TransMilenio system is
held in such high esteem 41). Additionally, some unrelated establishments
by the citizenry that have decided to co-opt the TransMilenio name
it is the focus of such into their own business (Figures 42 and 43). In
events. general, the borrowing of the system’s name
Photo by Jorge Ladino, from
TransMilenio photo contest organised and image should be avoided since their unau-
by the District Institute for Culture and
Tourism thorised use can ultimately damage the system’s

64 3.3 Planning Stage III: Communications

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

public esteem. Further, intellectual property service in the market. Since the word “bus” can
rights should be closely guarded. However, the sometimes have a negative connotation, the use
borrowing of the TransMilenio image by others of other terms such as “metro” or “rapid transit”
is in many respects a compliment to the system’s will instil the preferred sort of image with the
high quality. The image would not be expropri- customer. For example, the developers of the
ated in this manner if it was not highly valued proposed BRT system in Barranquilla (Colom- Fig. 45
by the public. bia) have chosen the name “TransMetro”, which The word “Metro” is
being increasingly
An effective marketing plan begins with the helps to invoke an image of modernity, quality, incorporated into BRT
identification and segmentation of potential and sophistication (Figure 45). Likewise, the system names.
user groups. The use of focal groups is a stand- new system in Guayaquil (Ecuador) is known as Image courtesy of the Municipality of
Barranquilla (Colombia)
ard market research technique to gain insights “Metrovía”.
into customer impressions. By understanding The colours utilised within the logo and the
the needs and constraints of each market seg- physical system should also be carefully con-
ment, tailored marketing strategies can then be sidered. Colours can both influence public
designed and employed. receptiveness to the system as well as reinforce
3.3.3.1 System logo the system’s meaning to the city. For example,
Bogotá chose red as the colour for both the
The name and logo of the system is another key
starting point to impart the sense of a new type buses and the logo. The idea was to equate the
of transit service. Creating the right marketing TransMilenio system to the life-blood of the
identity helps create the right image in the city with the BRT corridors representing the
customer’s mind. Cities that have successfully life-giving arteries. Other cities select colours
implemented BRT have developed marketing that relate to a local flag or other identifiable
identities that set their product apart and excite attribute of the local environment.
the public’s imagination (Figure 44). In many Creating a public recognition of the system can
instances, avoiding the term “bus” can be part also be bolstered by a slogan or tag line that
of a strategic plan to re-position the new transit accompanies the name and logo. The message

Figure 44: Examples of mass transit logos

3.3 Planning Stage III: Communications 65

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 46 sion can be most effective in reaching a large

A tag line, such as audience, it is by far the most costly option.
Ottawa’s “Wherever However, in many cases, media organisations
Life Takes You!”, can
be effective in appealing may donate the cost of the advertising as a
to a wide range of public service announcement.
customers. Integrating celebrities into the marketing
Photo by Lloyd Wright
campaign can be quite beneficial. Entertain-
ers, political officials, and other well-known
persons can help draw attention to the system.
Convincing leading political officials to utilise
the system for their daily travel is of particular
value. If a Mayor, Governor, or other official
makes regular use of the system, this practice
sends an important message that the system is
of high quality and that all members of society
from such a slogan may highlight an aspect can be proud to use it.
of the system that is of particular value to the
3.3.4 Public education plan
targeted audience (Figure 46). For example, the
message may stress the time saving aspects, the BRT will hopefully introduce a range of cus-
level of convenience and comfort, or the moder- tomer service innovations that will provide a
nity of the system. dramatically improved transit experience for
the public. To prepare the public for BRT, an
The logo should also be integrated into the educational campaign will be necessary. This
system’s infrastructure. A recognisable motif plan is in part designed to secure support and
adorning stations and buses will help gain approval for BRT but also to better prepare the
customer familiarity with the system. Further, public on how the system will be used. Thus,
archways or poles with system signage at sta- a public education campaign is similar to the
tions will help alert potential customers that overall marketing effort, but the focus is less
Fig. 47 and 48 there is a station in this location.
Information kiosks and on selling the system and more on providing a
desks in cities such as 3.3.3.2 Marketing campaign strategy baseline of information to the public.
Brisbane (left photo) Transit agencies should consider the use of a The public education process starts well before
and Ottawa (right
photo) act as both range of outreach media for their message. The the system goes into operation. Information ki-
promotional centres promotional campaign can be communicated osks such as those shown in Figures 47 and 48
for the system as well in billboards, print ads, radio, television, and are effective means of reaching out to potential
as response centres for special events. The choice of communication customers. Ottawa’s TransitWay system main-
customer inquiries. medium depends upon the cost and expected tains a permanent information outreach office
Photo on left by Karl Fjellstrom
Photo on right by Lloyd Wright number of persons to be reached. While televi- located at a highly-accessible shopping mall in

66 3.3 Planning Stage III: Communications

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

the city centre. Public outreach workers such as future uncertainty that can act as a barrier to Fig. 49 and 50
those utilised in Honolulu and Bogotá (Figures ridership. Further, the demonstration also is A public education
49 and 50) are a very personal and thus effective one of the best means for achieving public campaign is often best
conducted directly in
means of reaching consumers. In each case, the excitement over the possibilities of a new system. the neighbourhoods
system developers do not merely assume that “if Citizens can actually see and feel how the new near the new BRT
one builds it, the customers will come.” system will change their city and their lives. corridors. Direct
outreach workers
Generating excitement over the look and utility are a cost-effective
of the new public transit system can help to mechanism for
ensure that the project is fully implemented. A informing the public.
high level of public support will make it more Photo on left courtesy of the Honolulu
Department of Transportation
difficult for small groups of special interests to Photo on right courtesy of the Human
City Foundation
undermine the project. Further, the degree of
public support can also bolster political officials Fig. 51 and 52
who may otherwise be swayed by detractors. Lima (Perú) held a
system demonstration
Public education campaigns can also prepare in a central park.
citizens for how the new system will function. The demonstration
Public transit users may be unaccustomed to featured both a station
the proposed siting of routes, the functioning of and a transit vehicle,
feeder services, and the operation of fare collec- which helped citizens
understand the system
tion systems. Communicating how the system prior to its construction.
will function can be accomplished using similar Photos courtesy of the Human City
Foundation.
techniques as developed for the overall market-
ing campaign. Outreach programmes through
direct community discussions with residents as
well as information kiosks can be effective.
An actual small-scale demonstration of the
system may in fact be one of the most effective
types of public education mechanisms. Cities
such as Lima (Peru) have introduced the BRT
concept to residents through such a demonstra-
tion (Figures 51 and 52). In the case of Lima, a
demonstration station and vehicle was placed
in a central park of the city. While this demon-
stration did not actually provide any transport
services, it did give residents a tangible example
of the proposed system. Allowing residents to
practice using the fare collection system reduces

3.3 Planning Stage III: Communications 67

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68
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3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations ment provides the basis for determining likely
With the identification of travel demand char- corridors.
acteristics (Planning Stage II) and inputs from Thus, the areas serving the highest customer
interested groups and individuals (Planning demand may be selected as the initial system
Stage III), it is now possible to prepare a con- corridors. However, in some instances, lower
ceptual framework for the operational aspects demand corridors may be selected if the degree
of the new transit system. By knowing where of complexity in the high-demand corridors
key origins and destinations are located, the creates implementation difficulties. System
planning team can identify the most appropri- developers may first choose to address a less
ate initial corridors. Further, the team can also complex corridor in order to first gain experi-
consider the various type of routing and service ence. If a lower demand corridor is selected,
options that are possible, such as feeder, express, though, it must still possess a sufficient quantity
and local services. Decisions are also possible on of useful origins and destinations so that the
the level of customer service quality that will be initial system will be financially viable.
provided within the system. Attributes such as Access for special groups, particularly disadvan-
service frequency, hours of operation, comfort taged communities, may also be a determining
levels, cleanliness, security, and safety will all factor. Some systems prefer to develop initial
eventually affect overall ridership levels. lines around low-income areas so as to dem-
The topics discussed in Planning Stage IV, Op- onstrate that BRT has strong developmental
erations, are: linkages. Bogotá, for instance, focused its initial
corridor in the lower-income south of the city.
3.4.1 Corridor identification The initial corridors, though, will typically
include key employment destinations such as
3.4.2 Feeder services
central business districts. While road space in
3.4.3 Service options such areas may be more limited, the concentra-
tion of employment and services in central areas
3.4.4 Passenger capacity
makes it imperative to provide direct access.
3.4.5 System management and control A system will only be financially viable if the
destinations served meet the public’s principal
3.4.6 Customer service plan
mobility requirements.
3.4.1 Corridor identification 3.4.1.2 Roadway options
3.4.1.1 Basis for corridor selection Trunk corridors are typically selected to operate
The choice of corridor location will not only upon major arterial roads. These roads often
impact the usability of the BRT system for large offer several advantages:
segments of the population but will also have Population densities are often higher near
profound impacts on the future development major arterials;
of the city. The starting point for corridor deci- Wider road space to accommodate both dedi-
sions is the demand profiles generated during cated busways and mixed traffic lanes;
the modelling process, which will help identify Clear and logical connections with other
the daily commuting patterns in both spatial major arterials in order to form an integrated
and temporal terms. Clearly a key consideration network; and,
is to minimise travel distances and travel times A concentration of major destinations such as
for the largest segment of the population. This businesses and shopping areas.
objective will typically result in corridor siting The wider space available on such roadways per-
near major destinations such as work places, mit lower construction costs, as less re-engineer-
universities and schools, and shopping areas. ing of the road structure is typically necessary.
The demand profiles generated in Planning The choice of arterial roads may also provoke
Stage II (“Section 3.2 Analysis”) of this docu- less concern about noise and traffic impacts

3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations 69

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

since these roadways already have a significant with smaller vehicles. However, at the same time,
presence of motorised vehicles. customers generally prefer not to transfer be-
However, major arterials are not the only op- tween vehicles when given the choice. The ques-
tion to consider as trunk corridors. In some tion for BRT system planners is how to balance
instances, another viable alternative is the these varying needs and preferences. Smaller
selection of secondary streets that are parallel residential areas do not have to be sacrificed
to and near a major arterial. The necessity of from the system. A well-designed system can
using a secondary road may occur for several accommodate a range of population densities in
reasons. First, existing traffic levels on major order to achieve a true “city-wide” service.
arterials may be such that political officials are In general, there are two service options for ad-
uncomfortable with expropriating space from dressing the presence of both high-density and
private vehicles. Second, major arterials may lower-density areas within a city. These options
not provide easy or safe access for pedestrians to are:
reach the BRT stations. 1. Trunk-feeder services; and,
Secondary roads often hold the advantage that 2. Direct services.
they are more “traffic calmed” for effective Trunk-feeder services utilise smaller vehicles in
busway conversion. In some cases, a secondary lower-density areas and then necessitate pas-
road may be entirely converted to BRT use, and sengers to transfer to higher-capacity vehicles at
thus prohibit access to private vehicles. The terminals. A trunk-feeder service thus operates
feasibility of such an approach depends upon relatively efficiently by closely matching vehicle
existing use patterns in the area. If the area is operating characteristics to the actual demand.
largely commercial, then the busway may co-ex- However, such services do imply that some
ist quite well, especially since it will provide a passengers will need to transfer vehicles in order
concentration of customers for the businesses. to reach their destination. The process of trans-
However, if the area is largely residential, then ferring can be seen as an undesirable burden for
there may be conflicts with individuals seeking some passengers.
private vehicle access to their properties. Such Direct services avoid the need for customers
conflicts can sometimes be resolved with the to transfer since the same vehicle serves both
establishment of access hours during non-peak the feeder area and the trunk-line corridor.
periods, but this approach is not always possible. However, direct services incur a substantial cost
A remaining solution is to legally expropriate penalty for operating vehicles that do not closely
such properties for public purchase, but such match the actual demand. Thus, direct services
purchases can be quite costly as well as some- may imply that a large vehicle must enter into
times politically disruptive. lower-density areas where relatively few pas-
In general, though, secondary roads are con- sengers will be in the bus. Alternatively, direct
sidered more commonly as feeder routes. Since services may imply that small vehicles operate
extensive residential sites are located along sec- efficiently in feeder areas but are undersized for
ondary roads, providing services to these areas the economics of trunk corridors. Direct serv-
becomes essential to operating a viable system. ices may still necessitate a transfer if the pas-
senger’s destination is a different corridor than
3.4.2 Feeder services the closest trunk corridor. Figure 53 provides a
3.4.2.1 Trunk-feeder services versus direct graphical comparison of trunk-feeder services
services and direct services.
Providing a transit service to all major residential In general, the most successful BRT systems
and commercial sectors of a city can be chal- (e.g., Bogotá, Curitiba, and Quito) operate with
lenging from a standpoint of system efficiency trunk-feeder services. However, there are also
and cost effectiveness. The densest portions examples of systems, such as Porto Alegre (Bra-
of the city necessitate high-volume vehicles to zil) and Kunming (China), which operate with
achieve the required capacity while lower-density direct services. The decision to choose a trunk-
residential areas may be most effectively served feeder service or a direct service can depend

70 3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

on many factors, including the structure of the Figure 53: Illustrative comparison between
city, the variation of population densities and trunk-feeder services and direct
services
service demand across different sectors of the
city, distances to be travelled, and the business
structure of the system. Table 18 lists the factors
affecting the decision on the type of service.
There is no right or wrong answer with regard Feeder-trunk services
to routing options since so much depends on
local circumstances such as population density
changes within a city. A trunk-feeder service
might be more appropriate in the following
conditions:
Population densities vary significantly be-
tween main-line corridors and residential
areas; Direct services
High-capacity corridors (greater than 8,000
passengers per hour per direction);
Closed systems with concessioned operators;
Buses over 12 metres in length;
Median busway and median stations;
Corridors over 10 kilometres in length.

Table 18: Comparison of trunk-feeder services and direct services

Factor Trunk-feeder service Direct service

Population densities Trunk-feeder services are most Direct services can be the most
efficient when their exists efficient when there is little difference
significant differences in population in population density across the entire
density between major corridors route
and residential areas
Business structure Permits a “closed” type system in Favours an “open” type system in
which only concessioned operators which all public transport vehicles are
are allowed into the system permitted into the system
Busway configuration Permits median busways, which Typically limits the design to side-aligned
have the advantage of avoiding busways since the doorways must
turning conflicts with other vehicles accommodate boarding along smaller
and permitting transfers between roadways; this makes transferring to
corridors other corridors more difficult
Vehicle types Trunk line routes can typically Difficult to permit articulated or bi-
accommodate articulated or bi- articulated vehicles since the turning
articulated vehicles; feeder routes radius of these vehicles is too large for
would typically employ standard smaller roadways
sized buses or smaller
Travel time Time penalty incurred for requiring Time saved in avoiding transfers, but
transfer, but speed along the main “bunching” of vehicles along busway can
busways is maximised frequently reduce speeds and increase
travel time
Capacity High passenger flow rates can be The bunching of vehicles along with
handled efficiently with trunk-feeder busway can inhibit the passenger flows
services handled by direct services
Distance travelled Impact of a transfer is less if the Avoiding transfers can be particularly
overall travel distance is relatively desirable across short travel distances
long (10 km or more)

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 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

By contrast, a direct service might be more Jakarta (Indonesia) inaugurated its TransJakarta
appropriate in the following circumstances: BRT system in January 2004 with an initial
Urban areas with highly uniform population Phase I corridor of 12.9 kilometres. The system
densities; in this corridor consists of a single-lane median
busway (Figure 54). The corridor is largely
Lower-capacity corridors (less than 8,000
composed of business and shopping oriented
passengers per hour per direction);
destinations with few residential origins. The
Open systems permitting unrestricted use of
municipality elected not to provide any feeder
busway by all transit companies; services during the opening phase. The city also
Smaller vehicles such as medium-sized buses elected to allow the existing bus operators to
and mini-buses; continue operating in the mixed traffic lanes.
Staggered stations (separate stations for each Unsurprisingly, the results have not been favour-
direction); able either to the BRT system or the general
Short corridors lengths. traffic. The limited BRT system has carried just
60,000 passengers per day and 6,000 passengers
3.4.2.2 Lack of feeder services
per hour per direction at peak times. The con-
Can a BRT system operate only on major cor- tinued operation of the existing operators in the
ridors without any supporting feeder services? reduced confines of the mixed traffic lanes has
Some cities have attempted to implement a also exacerbated overall traffic congestion levels.
busway system without providing either feeder Retroactively Jakarta is attempting to arrange
services or direct services into residential areas.feeder services with existing operators but the
Typically, this arrangement occurs when a city arrangements have failed to work properly.
wishes to implement a limited experiment on a
Jakarta’s experience with the first phase of the
major corridor during a BRT project’s first phase.
TransJakarta system provides several lessons
Fig. 54 By doing so, the municipality can avoid ad-
The lack of integrated regarding the importance of feeder services and
dressing many of the complicated issues related
feeder services during coordination with existing services. The lack
to existing informal operators who service
the first phase of the of feeder services has created three troubling
Jakarta BRT project has residential areas. The municipality can also avoid
outcomes in Jakarta:
greatly undermined the the complications related to the integration of
usability of the system. services. However, the results to date on such an Negative first impression of BRT;
Photo courtesy of the Institute for
Transportation & Development Policy approach have not been entirely positive. Insufficient demand for a financially-viable
BRT system;
Increase in overall congestion levels.
A combination of negative articles in the press
and consternation from private vehicles users
has given the BRT system a difficult start from
a public relations standpoint. In turn, this
negative first impression will make it politically
difficult to implement additional corridors.
Already, the city is turning to a costly monorail
option for other corridors in the city. The fact
that the existing buses remain in operation (but
with one less lane of mixed traffic) has increased
congestion levels, which was one of the areas
supposedly to be targeted by the new BRT
system. Thus, in conclusion, the lack of feeder
services or direct services into residential areas
creates extremely difficult operating conditions
for a new BRT system.

72 3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.4.3 Service options can differ by the stations served as well as by the
3.4.3.1 Local services and station spacing number of stations skipped by the service. Some
The most basic type of transit service along a routes may skip 3 or 4 stations while other
corridor is typically known as “local service”. routes may skip double that number.
This term refers to stops being made at each of Well-designed stations can permit customers to
the major origins and destinations along a route. transfer from local services to the limited-stop
However, in comparison to conventional bus service. Thus, even if a customer does not reside
services, the distance between stops on BRT near a limited-stop station, he or she can transfer
corridors is greater. A typical range of distances to a more rapid service after just a few stops in a
is between 300 metres and 700 metres. local-service vehicle. In some instances, custom-
By avoiding short stopping distances, the overall ers may find it advantageous to go beyond their
travel time is reduced due to higher average desired stop in a limited-stop vehicle and then
vehicle velocities. “Hail and ride” services pro- return a few stations by way of a local service.
vided by private bus operators in many develop- The principal idea is to give the maximum
ing cities implies that the bus will stop whenever flexibility to the customer in order to reach the
a customer indicates that he or she wishes to destination in the most convenient manner.
board or alight. While this practice will reduce While limited-stop services do provide much
subsequent walking distances to destinations, amenity value to customers, these services do
the net effect of all passengers controlling stop- introduce greater complexity to the manage-
ping location greatly increases overall travel ment of the system. The coordination of
time for everyone. vehicles on the same corridor with different
The location of BRT stations will again follow travel characteristics can be a challenge. Lim-
from the origin and destination modelling con- ited-stop services are thus best implemented in
ducted earlier. Major destinations such as com- conjunction with vehicle tracking technology
mercial centres, educational institutions, and that permits a central control team to oversee
large employers will all influence the location. and direct vehicle movements. The provision
Additionally, an array of other factors, such as of limited-stop services also implies particular
road configuration, will also play a determinant infrastructure requirements. In order to skip
role in choosing a cost-effective location that stops, the limited-stop vehicles must be able to
best serves the customer. pass intermediate stations. Thus, sufficient road
space must be available for either a second set
3.4.3.2 Limited-stop services
of exclusive busway lanes or the provision of a
Typically, a few major stations will predominate passing lane at by-passed stations (Figures 55
as the intended destination of customers. For and 56). These requirements mean that cities
many passengers, stopping at each intermediate employing limited-stop services will incur
station adds significantly to the overall travel greater system complexity and higher infra-
time with relatively little commercial benefit structure costs.
to the system operators. Thus, both passengers
and operators can benefit from the provision of 3.4.3.3 Express services
services that skip intermediate stops. Another type of limited-stop service is known
BRT’s relative flexibility means that “limited- as an “express service”. Express services skip all
stop services” or “skipped-stop services” can be stations between a peripheral area and a central
accommodated. The number of station stops core area. Thus, express services are an extreme
to be skipped depends on the demand profile. form of limited-stop service.
Major station areas with the largest customer Express services function quite well when a large
flows may be the most logical stops retained in residential area is a considerable distance from
a limited-stop service. However, the system can the city centre. If population densities are such
employ multiple limited-stop routes in order to that vehicles reach capacity at peripheral areas,
ensure travel times are minimised for the largest then it can be efficient to transport these pas-
number of customers. Thus, limited-stop routes sengers directly to central locations. The reduced

3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations 73

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 55 and 56
The provision of passing
lanes at stations in
Bogotá (left photo) and
São Paulo (right photo)
greatly increases system
capacity by allowing for
express and limited-stop
services.
Photo on left courtesy of TransMilenio
SA
Photo on right courtesy of US Federal
Transit Administration

travel time of express services can be a major bus services are offered to persons who are will-
enticement to curb the growth of private mo- ing to pay more. In the Kolkata metro, women
torised vehicles in the city’s periphery. In many are afforded the option of entering carriages
developing cities, low-income communities are that are women only. In Buenos Aires, Rio de
often located at such peripheral locations, and Janeiro, and Sao Paulo, executive mini-buses
thus, the provision of express services can be way provide express services from the city centres to
of achieving greater equity within a system. affluent communities. These executive vehicles
However, express services can also induce also tend to offer air conditioning, increased leg
sprawl if not planned in a coordinated fashion. space, and more comfortable seating.
If the provision of an express service leads to The opportunity also exists for BRT systems to
additional development of greenfield sites at offer various types of services to cater to par-
the city’s periphery, then the long-term impacts ticular groups. The advantage of such segmenta-
may actually be to increase motorised travel. tion is that it is possible to target groups who
Such sprawl type development can also increase may not otherwise travel by public transporta-
municipal costs in providing basic services such tion. However, there are also disadvantages.
as electricity, water, and sanitation. Thus, the Each layer of segmentation increases system
identification of express service corridors needs management complexity. Ensuring the correct
to be carefully considered against the city’s spacing of vehicles becomes all the more dif-
overall land-use plan. ficult when one is not only managing different
3.4.3.4 Segmentation of services routes but also routes plus special features, such
No two customers are exactly alike. Each per- as air conditioning. Further, purchasing vehicles
son has their own transportation patterns and with different characteristics can increase over-
habits as well personal preferences for comfort, all costs due to the loss of bulk purchasing pos-
convenience, and affordability. In some cities of sibilities. Each permutation of different features
the world, services are segmented to offer differ- (air-conditioning, seat types, interior spacing,
ent transit characteristics to more closely match vehicle size, etc.) reduces standardisation.
specific customer preferences. Thus, in Hong Perhaps more importantly, though, specialised
Kong and Bangkok, premium air conditioned services perpetuate some of the very social

74 3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

divisions that well-designed transit systems try periods. In this scenario, high-capacity vehicles
to overcome. As Enrique Peñalosa, the former are operated only during crush peak periods
Mayor of Bogotá, has noted, “the TransMilenio while lower-capacity vehicles are utilised at
system is one of the few places in Bogotá where other times. While this use of different vehicle
the wealthy and poor meet on an equal basis.” types can help better match demand and supply,
This sort of social familiarity helps achieve an the additional costs and complexity of operat-
important goal of community cohesion and ing multiple vehicle types usually exceeds the
unity in a city. Public transport is a place where benefits. These additional costs include:
all the citizenry (the young, the elderly, and
Higher vehicle costs due to loss of economies
the physically disabled) can experience the
of scale in purchasing a single vehicle type;
city’s complete diversity. Instead of providing a
high-quality service to the wealthy and a dif- Difficulty in providing station entry bays for
ferent type of service to the poor, systems like different doorway configurations;
TransMilenio have proven that it is possible to Greater complexity and managerial require-
provide affordable excellence in public transport ments for dispatching multiple vehicle types.
for everyone. A typical system will already have at least two
vehicle types in operation (i.e., larger vehicles
3.4.4 Passenger capacity for trunk services and smaller vehicles for feeder
Once the initial BRT corridors are selected, the services). Adding another layer of complexity
demand forecasts for these corridors can be used in terms of vehicle types is usually not recom-
to determine optimum values for factors such mended. However, in cases of extreme demand
as vehicle capacity, vehicle load factors, service variances between peak and non-peak periods,
frequency, and dwell times. These attributes multiple vehicle types may be an option to
in conjunction with the desired preferences for consider.
service types (trunk-feeder, direct, local, limited-
stop, etc.) and the configuration of stopping 3.4.4.2 Load factors
bays will allow system developers to model The vehicle load factor refers actual capacity
different options for meeting the expected pas- usage as a percentage of the maximum passenger
senger capacities. capacity. For example, if a vehicle has a maxi-
3.4.4.1 Vehicle capacity mum capacity of 160 passengers and an average
capacity of 128 passengers, then the load factor
Vehicle passenger capacity, load factors, and
is 80 percent (128 divided by 160). Generally, it
required service frequency are all mutually
is not advisable to plan to operate at a load factor
dependent. The maximum passenger capac-
ity for a given vehicle is in part dependent on of 100 percent. At a 100 percent load factor
assumptions about culturally acceptable levels there is no room for system delays or small inef-
of customer comfort at peak times. A trade-off ficiencies, both of which are likely outcomes of
exists between the number of seats provided over-crowded conditions. The desired load factor
versus the amount of standing space provided. may vary between peak and non-peak periods.
In some cases, a seated passenger consumes as In the Bogotá TransMilenio system, typical load
much as twice the space as that required by a factors are 80 percent for peak periods and 70
standing passenger. However, for long journey percent for non-peak periods.
times passengers may have a strong preference It is also worth noting that it is possible to oper-
for seating. The amount of personal space each ate at a load factor exceeding 100 percent. Such
passenger requires can vary between different a level implies that passengers are more closely
cultures. Knowledge of local preferences in packed than the maximum recommended levels.
conjunction with stated preference surveys can While such extreme capacities can be expected
help evaluate the best spatial arrangement. in some unusual circumstances (e.g, immedi-
Some cities with extreme differences in peak ately after special events such as sporting events
and non-peak demand have considered the ap- or concerts), it is not desirable to regularly
plication of different sized vehicles for the two overcrowd vehicles.

3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations 75

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.4.4.3 Service frequency 3.4.4.4 Dwell time

The service frequency refers to the wait time Another factor impacting feasible operating
between arriving vehicles. The wait time is conditions is the vehicle “dwell time”. The dwell
also known as the “headway” between vehicles. time is the amount of time vehicles are stopped
In general, it is desirable to provide frequent at a station to allow passenger boarding and
services in order to reduce customer wait times. alighting. The amount of time required depends
Customers often perceive waiting times to be upon many variables including:
much longer than the actual duration. Thus, to Passenger flow volumes;
provide a car-competitive public transit service,
minimising customer waiting is fundamental. Number of vehicle doorways;
The targeted wait times are closely related to the Width of vehicle doorways;
expected load factors. Longer wait periods will Entry characteristics (stepped or at-level entry);
tend to increase the load factor as more passen- Open space near doorways (on both vehicle
gers will arrive at the station. and station sides).
Service frequency varies between different cities BRT systems operate with dwell times as low
with BRT, but in general, peak frequencies of as 20 seconds. Conventional bus services can
one minute to three minutes are quite common. require over 60 seconds for boarding and alight-
Non-peak frequencies are likely to be longer but ing. In general, dwell times may be somewhat
usually in a range of four minutes to eight min- higher during peak periods than non-peak
utes. Service during weekends may also tend to periods. The increase during peak periods is
follow non-peak frequencies. However, weekend due to the additional time needed to board and
services may also require peak and non-peak alight the higher customer volumes.
schedules, depending upon local circumstances.
In addition to dwell time, another key perform-
For example, weekend markets and sporting
ance measure is the “saturation level” at a given
events may necessitate higher frequency services.
stop. The saturation level measures the relative
If the wait is too long, a passenger backlog can congestion of vehicles at a stop. The parameter
occur in which insufficient space is available in is calculated as follows:
the arriving vehicle.
As load factors ap- Equation 2
proach 100 percent,
Saturation level at a stop = Dwell time (minutes) x Frequency (buses per hr)
significant customer
dissatisfaction can
be expected. Passengers will be quite frustrated For example, if the dwell time is 20 seconds and
if they are not able to board the vehicle. Such there are 60 buses per hour, then the saturation
backlogs may imply that passengers will have level will be:
to wait for many vehicles to pass before there Saturation level at a stop = (20 seconds / bus) x
is sufficient boarding space. Some passengers (60 buses / hour) / (3600 seconds / hour) = 0.33
may force their way into the vehicle by pushing
As the saturation level increases towards a value
against the passengers standing near the door-
of 1.0, then the likelihood of bus queuing
way. This occurrence leads to both discomfort
increases.
and the flaring of tempers. Further, the amount
of time the vehicle sits at the station will likely 3.4.4.5 Stopping bay configurations
increase in this scenario. The confusion at the Passenger capacities along a corridor can be
door-to-station interface will likely prevent the increased by providing multiple stopping bays
closing of the doors in a timely manner. The at station. A stopping bay is the designated
catching of bags and even limbs within the clos- area where a vehicle will stop and align to the
ing door will not only slow the overall service platform. In cities such as Curitiba, Kunming,
but again will lead to significant customer and Taipei, only one stopping bay is provided
dissatisfaction. per station. However, in other systems, allowing
multiple vehicles to stop at the same time has
proven to dramatically increase system capac-

76 3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

ity. Cities such as Bogotá and Porto Alegre

employ multiple stopping bays within their BRT
systems. Each stopping bay represents a differ-
ent set of services or routes (e.g., local services
versus limited-stop services or routes with a
different final destination). In Bogotá, there
are as many as five different stopping bays at an
individual station (Figure 57).
In order for multiple stopping bays to function
properly, the appropriate vehicle must have
unencumbered access to its designated stopping
bay. In Bogotá, the vehicles have this type of
flexibility due to the provision of passing lanes
at stations. The second set of busway lanes
allows vehicles to pass others in accessing the
correct bay.
In some instances, such as in Porto Alegre,
roadway space may not permit a passing lane.
vehicles may needlessly wait behind others Fig. 57
However, Porto Alegre still manages to provide
while a longer boarding takes place. Thus, in a This photo shows five
multiple stopping bays by ensuring the correct stopping bays for
convoy system the slowest vehicle will likely set
order of buses along the busway. This technique transit vehicles in each
the speed for the entire fleet. For these reasons, direction. The multiple
in which the order of vehicles is controlled
multiple stopping bays are probably best imple- stopping bays help
is known as the “convoy” technique or the
mented through the provision of passing lanes Bogotá’s TransMilenio
“platooning” of vehicles. In this scenario, two to serve over 36,000
at stations.
or more buses may run along the busway in a passengers per hour per
closely bunched pack. The order of the buses is 3.4.4.6 Vehicle velocity direction.
set so that the first bus stops at the first stopping System capacity is actually not strictly depend- Photo courtesy of Akiris.

bay and the next bus stops at the subsequent ent upon vehicle velocity. A system can move
stopping bay. Each stopping bay represents a 20,000 passengers per hour at 20 kilometres per
different service or a different route. Unfortu- hour as well as at 10 kilometres per hour. Prior
nately, the convoying or platooning of vehicles to the development of the Bogotá TransMilenio
is quite difficult to manage and control. The system, the city possessed a median busway that
buses must enter the busway in the appropriate catered to all private bus operators. The uncon-
order or there will be considerable delays and trolled system meant that there was considerable
backing up of vehicles (Figure 58). Further, congestion on the corridor. The congestion was
since passenger boardings will vary for different due to buses stopping at random locations as
vehicles, the dwell times will also vary. Some well as the over-supply of less efficient smaller
vehicles. Nevertheless, the
previous system moved approxi-
mately 30,000 passengers per
hour per direction, but it did so
at an average speed of less than
10 kilometres per hour. The
TransMilenio system moves a

Fig. 58
The convoying of buses in
Porto Alegre often results in
congestion along the busway
and at stations.
Photo by Lloyd Wright

3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations 77

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 59 and 60 similar number of passengers but at an average Vehicle acceleration and deceleration
Prior to the commercial speed of approximately 27 kilome- characteristics;
TransMilenio system, tres per hour. Figures 59 and 60 provide a visual
Bogotá operated a Number of controlled intersections.
median busway that comparison of Bogotá with the previous uncon-
As the number of vehicles on the corridor
all transit companies trolled busway and with the TransMilenio BRT
increases, the level complexity and opportunity
could use (photo on left). system along the same corridor.
for conflicts also increases. In turn, these con-
The result was heavy Clearly, from the perspective of minimising
congestion. Today, the flicts between vehicles lead to reduced velocities
TransMilenio system travel time and fulfilling customer preferences, and increased travel times. Figure 61 shows the
(photo on right) moves a rapid service is more desirable. While velocity relationship between the frequency of vehicles
more passengers at a and capacity may not be directly dependent, and the average velocity on the Avenue Caracas
considerably higher many factors that affect passenger capacity also Corridor in Bogotá.
average speed. affect average velocity. The factors that affect
Photo on left courtesy of Steer Davies Thus, to maintain a system that both achieves
Gleave average velocity (i.e., “commercial” velocity) are:
Photo on right by Lloyd Wright high passenger capacities and high average
Number of busway lanes; velocities, the BRT system will necessitate the
Dwell times; inclusion of design principles that promote
Headways; unencumbered operation.

Figure 61: Relationship between average velocity and frequency of vehicles in Bogotá

Source: Steer Davies Gleave

78 3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.4.4.7 Capacity calculations This section has provided sample values for a
The passenger capacity of a given corridor is variety of factors affecting BRT passenger ca-
calculated based upon the discussed factors of pacity. Table 20 summarises these values.
vehicle capacity, load factors, service frequency, The sample values represent the findings from
dwell times, and stopping bay configurations. a survey of existing BRT systems. However,
Quite often a software model will assist in they are presented for purely demonstrational
calculating the expected capacity and flow purposes. The actual figures for a given set or
rates based on these factors. In general, though, circumstances are highly dependent upon local
the overall corridor capacity can be calculated factors. Thus, care must be taken in attempting
from the following equation: to utilise sample values in an urban environment
that has its own unique set of characteristics.
Equation 3

Passenger capacity = Vehicle capacity x Load factor x Service frequency x Number of stopping bays

Table 19: BRT passenger capacity scenarios

Headways Capacity flow
Vehicle capacity1 Number of
Load factor (vehicle frequency (passengers per
(passengers) stopping bays
in seconds) hour per direction)
70 0.85 60 1 3,570
160 0.85 60 1 8,160
270 0.85 60 1 13,770
70 0.85 60 2 7,140
160 0.85 60 2 16,320
270 0.85 60 2 27,540
70 0.85 60 4 28,560
160 0.85 60 4 32,640
270 0.85 60 4 55,080
160 0.85 60 5 40,800
270 0.85 60 5 68,850
1
Standard-sized bus (12 metres): 70 maximum passengers.
Articulated bus (18 metres): 160 maximum passengers.
Bi-articulated bus (24 metres): 270 maximum passengers.

Table 19 provides a sample of BRT capacity

figures for several different combinations of the Table 20: Sample values from existing BRT systems
factors from the above equation. The values in
Factor Typical range
this table are merely examples; the actual poten-
tial capacities for a given city will vary depend- Vehicle capacity, standard-sized bus 60 - 75 passengers
ing on a variety of local circumstances. Vehicle capacity, articulated bus 140 - 170 passengers
The values presented in Table 19 assume that Vehicle capacity, bi-articulated bus 250 - 280 passengers
the vehicles operate on a segregated, median- Load factor, peak period 0.80 – 0.90
aligned busway with at-level boarding. Values Load factor, non-peak period 0.65 – 0.80
will be lower for side-aligned busways where Headways, peak period 1 – 3 minutes
there are significantly more turning conflicts
Headways, non-peak period 4 – 8 minutes
with other vehicles. Further, if the vehicles have
Dwell time, peak period 20 – 40 seconds
stepped passenger entry instead of at-level entry,
longer headways will be necessary to handle the Dwell time, non-peak period 17 – 30 seconds
additional dwell times. Number of stopping bays 1 – 5 stopping bays

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3.4.5 System management and control odometer readings, and thus can play a role in
3.4.5.1 Benefits of centralised control the distribution of revenues based on kilometres
travelled. The control system can also contribute
Centralised control of the overall transit system
to monitoring driver performance and identify-
affords many benefits for optimising efficiencies
ing infractions, which again may be related to
and minimising costs. Most conventional bus
the amount of revenues given to operators.
services lack a centralised control and manage-
ment system; many do not even possess a basic A discussion on the technology options for
radio dispatch system. The lack of such controls efficiently managing and controlling the BRT
means that each vehicle operates individually system is found in section 3.6.7.
without the advantage of reacting collectively to 3.4.5.2 Operational control and
service changes. contingency planning
For example, a sudden change in demand, such In a high-volume public transit system, there
as crowds leaving a sporting event, can be more is very little margin for problems or errors. A
readily addressed if additional transit supply vehicle breakdown, even for just a few minutes,
is quickly dispatched from a central control can create havoc on the entire system. Likewise,
facility to the site. A simple mechanical failure a breakdown of a fare verification turnstile or
of one vehicle can stifle an entire system if a non-functioning station door will create similar
repair team or a tow truck is not immediately types of problems. Thus, preparing for any and
sent. Additionally, if a security problem arises, all eventualities is a fundamental part of the
a control centre could provide an appropriate operational plan. The development of backup
response, such as sending a security team to and contingency plan will ensure that the
a station or bus. Without centralised control, system can continue to function even in dif-
these types of incidents will likely only be dealt ficult circumstances.
with locally, which limits the effectiveness of In some cases, driver repair training and/or
any solution. instructions from a control centre can address
Further, when transporting large volumes of very simple vehicle faults within a few minutes.
passengers through a corridor (over 10,000 pas- However, when a breakdown occurs due to
sengers per hour per direction), a central control more serious problems, then contingency ac-
system becomes all the more indispensable to tions will be required. The first priority is to
maintaining smooth operations. The “bunching” prevent a single breakdown from paralysing the
of vehicles within the system can easily occur entire system. Another high priority is to make
without centralised monitoring and corrective a rapid disposition of the situation so that the
actions. Further, if the bunching together of affected passengers can be accommodated as
buses occurs, this situation also likely implies quickly as possible.
that there will be other points in the system While a second passing lane will alleviate some
where buses are too widely separated. Passengers of the pressures from a vehicle failure, the ad-
are familiar with the situation in which two ditional lane is not an option for all systems.
or three buses of the same route will arrive The immediate dispatch of a tow vehicle is likely
simultaneously, and then there will be no other to be the best course of action to avoid serious
buses for another 30 minutes. Ultimately, the delays on the system. Tow vehicles should be
price paid for failing to respond to these types on-call at all operational times. The strategic
of incidents will be customer dissatisfaction and placing of tow vehicles throughout the system
lost ridership. can help ensure a prompt response. Thus, tow
A centralised control centre can also serve as vehicles should not only be based at terminal
part of an evaluation tool to monitor and certify sites but also at intermediate points along the
performance. In some instances, the control corridors.
system can be linked with evaluating compli- For the passengers stuck in a non-functional
ance with contractual terms. The control centre vehicle, immediate solutions are also impera-
can monitor vehicle movements and verify tive. The perceived amount of time spent in a

80 3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations

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broken vehicle will likely be quite long from the spiral, in which poor services push more com-
customer’s perspective. Passengers stuck waiting muters toward two- and four-wheeled motorised
for ten minutes may perceive waiting time to alternatives. In turn, the reduced ridership
be 30 minutes or higher, especially if persons curtails public transport revenues and further
are in a hurry to be at a particular destination. diminishes quality of services, which again
Thus, speed of response in moving passengers to leads to a further erosion of the passenger base.
another vehicle is quite important. If a vehicle The impacts of poor customer service may not
failure occurs at a station, then passengers may be immediately evident when the majority of
simply be moved off the vehicle into the station the users are “captive” riders who have few other
area. If the failure occurs along the busway, transport options. However, in the medium
then moving the passengers to a specially and long term these captive riders will become
dispatched vehicle may be an option. Clearly, discretionary riders. The discretionary riders
though, any movement of passengers on the will then likely switch to individual motorised
busway will require special safety procedures. transport the moment it becomes financially
Since low-flow exits are likely to be on the street- feasible to do so.
side of the busway, exiting passengers will be Customer service is fundamental at each level
exposed to traffic. A sufficient number of system of operation. Are drivers courteous, professional
staff and/or police must be on hand to make and well presented? Are the stations and the
this transfer as safe as possible. buses clean, safe and secure? Is the morning
Failed station equipment, such as failed fare commute a pleasant and relaxing experience or
card readers or automatic doorways, also re- is it a hazardous and unfortunate trauma that
quires prompt action. In most cases, other fare must be endured? Individually, factors such
card readers or doorways will be available to as driver behaviour, signage, and seat comfort
keep the system operating. However, the fail- may appear to be insignificant measures, but
ures will lead to queuing and longer dwell times, their combined effect can be a significant de-
which in turn will affect customer throughputs. terminant in the long-term viability of a transit
service.
Trained repair staff should thus be on-call
during all operating hours. If the device cannot While these design and service features have
be immediately repaired, then a backup device helped to make dramatic improvements in
should be installed. Thus, spare equipment for system effectiveness and customer satisfaction,
all major BRT systems should be kept on hand each is relatively low-cost to implement and
at all times. relatively low-tech in nature. Thus, another
lesson from BRT is that simple, ingenious, low-
3.4.6 Customer service plan technology solutions are often of much greater
Unlike many existing bus services in develop- value than more complex and costly alternatives.
ing-nation cities, BRT places the needs of the Customers probably do not care about the type
customer at the centre of the system’s design of engine propulsion technology, but they do
criteria. The quality of customer service is care greatly about the simple customer service
directly related to customer satisfaction, which features that directly affect their journey com-
ultimately determines customer usage and long- fort, convenience and safety. Despite this rather
term financial sustainability. obvious observation, too many public transport
developers devote complete attention to vehicle
Unfortunately, unclear maps and schedules,
and engineering aspects of system design and
unclean buses, and uncomfortable rides have
forget about the customer service aspects.
been all too frequently the obligatory price to be
paid for utilising public transport. Public transit 3.4.6.1 Hours of operation
and paratransit operators sometimes give scant The opening and closing time of the system
attention to customer service, assuming instead affects both customer utility and cost effective-
that their market is predominated by captive ness. Ridership levels during early morning
customers who have few other options. Such a and late evening operations may be somewhat
predilection, though, can lead to a downward limited. However, the lack of service during

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 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

non-peak hours undercuts the system’s overall of non-peak service. For example, the frequency
usability which will negatively affect ridership of non-peak services in the early evening (e.g.,
during other times. This need for comprehen- 19:00 to 21:00) may be greater than the fre-
sive utility does not imply systems must operate quency of non-peak services at later times (e.g.;
24 hours. In fact, many transit systems with 24 21:00 to 24:00). The frequency of service may
service experience significant security problems also briefly increase during late periods, such as
(e.g., robberies, assaults, graffiti, etc.) during late the period immediately following the closing
night and early morning hours. of restaurants and bars. The principal aim is to
The appropriate hours of operation will likely maximise customer utility while simultaneously
be based on the schedules of the major employ- ensuring the cost-effectiveness of the system.
ment, educational, and leisure activities of the 3.4.6.2 System maps
local citizenry. Thus, the hours will depend on
Historically, the ad hoc and paratransit sys-
key local indicators, including:
tems in much of the developing world have
Working hours of major employers; followed informal and uncontrolled routings
Start and closing hours of educational institu- that required a seasoned system insider to fully
tions (including night classes); understand and utilise. Many such systems are
Closing times for restaurants, bars, cinemas, relatively incomprehensible and have formed a
and theatres. formidable barrier to potential new users, such
The appropriate operating hours will depend as those with occasional transport needs and
upon local cultural and social practices. In temporary visitors to the city. The TransMilenio
Bogotá, the TransMilenio system operates from BRT system in Bogotá emulates the better
05:00 until 23:00, reflecting the relatively early underground systems of the world by providing
start to the work day that is practiced there. clear and colourful system maps (Figure 62).
The hours may also be determined by labour A good test of a system’s user-friendliness is to
laws and likely contractual arrangements with determine whether a person who does not speak
transit staff. If local labour laws allow flexibility the local language can understand the system
with part-time employment, then the transit within two minutes of looking at a map and
operators may have greater flexibility in match- information display. It is possible to achieve
ing the demand and supply of services. this level of simplicity in conveying the system’s
The scheduling of late evening and early morn- operation, but, unfortunately, most bus systems
ing services may also necessitate different levels today do not even make the attempt.

Fig. 62
The TransMilenio route
map provides customers
with a very clear
overview of the entire
system.

82 3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Unlike the well-designed and colour-coded or worded destinations. However, in reality, Fig. 63 and 64
maps accompanying rail-based systems, maps route numbers, colour-coding, and destina- The image on the
for conventional bus systems are often quite tion labels can actually be used together to left is a route map
of the bus system in
confusing. While metros tend to use colour- maximise customer recognition. Of course, care central London. This
ful “spider” maps to designate routes, most must be taken in not creating too much visual conventional map
conventional bus systems use a complex web complexity. The best design is one that clearly is too detailed to be
of mono-coloured lines and numbers (Figures communicates routes and destinations without readily understood by
63). However, higher-quality bus systems are undue complexity. customers. By contrast,
the map on the right
increasingly making use of spider maps to better The completeness of a particular map can af- is for the system in
convey information to customers (Figure 64). fect system usability. In some systems, such Bradford (UK). This
The idea behind a spider map is to give each as Curitiba, only the map for one particular “spider” map is much
route its own colour-coded identity. The entire easier to understand.
corridor is displayed at stations and within the
route is evident along with all major stations.
vehicles. This limitation implies that persons
The spider map from Bradford (UK) is part
only have a good working knowledge of their
of a marketing strategy to re-brand the bus
most frequently utilised corridors. Therefore,
network as an “Overground” system. The word
persons may not be able to use the system
“Overground” is borrowed from the name of the
as adeptly for occasional trips. Further, the
London metro system which is known as the
lack of an overall map means that customers
“Underground”. Thus, the spider map in Brad-
cannot easily plot the most efficient routing
ford helps impart the idea that the bus network
is a mass transit system. for linked journeys with multiple destinations
(e.g., work to shopping to school to doctor, etc.).
The differentiation of routes can be com- The absence of a complete system map is also
municated through a variety of mechanisms quite a disadvantage to visitors and occasional
including colours, numbers, and destination transit users. Thus, it is recommended that a
names. Colour-coding schemes are effective complete system map be present at stations and
in allowing customers to readily differentiate
inside vehicles. Of course, there are cost issues
between multiple routes. The colour-coding can
associated with providing quality maps, but in
be reflected both in the system route maps and
comparison to other aspects of system develop-
on the vehicle itself. For instance, a coloured
ment (vehicles, busways, stations, etc.) the cost
sign-board on the front of the vehicle can desig-
is relatively trivial.
nate the routing direction. The sign-board can
be easily removable in order to allow maximum The effective placement of maps in vehicles
flexibility in using the same vehicle on multiple and stations is also a determining factor in the
corridors, depending on changes in customer system’s user-friendliness. In Bogotá, maps are
demand. In general, customers can discern only available inside the station and within ve-
colours faster they can identify route numbers hicles. However, some customers would like to

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Fig. 65 and 66 visualise the system and route before paying and users and captive users will make efforts to
Signage in stations in entering the system. Thus, it would be best to understand pricing and purchase options, other
Quito (photo above) also have a system map outside the station entry customer groups can view the fare system as
and Ottawa (left photo)
provide clear guidance point. The idea is to make the system as simple another complication inhibiting usage. Clear
to customers. and as inviting as possible to the customer. A and simple instructions are essential. Ideally,
Photos by Lloyd Wright major deterrent to public transport usage is the the design should be clear enough that a person
fact that many potential customers simply do who does not speak the local language can
not understand how the system works. readily understand the amount of the fare and
how it is to be paid.
3.4.6.3 Signage
In addition to system maps, the various signage Transfer points and bus stopping locations are
in and around stations as well as within the potentially quite confusing to the customer.
vehicles are key to customers readily under- This confusion can be particularly acute during
standing the system. Examples of the types of peak periods when crowds, noise, and distrac-
signage likely to be needed include: tions are at an extreme level. Such signage
should be sufficiently sized and eye-catching
Instructions for using fare collection ma-
to readily lead customers to the right location.
chines or vending booths;
System designers will wish to walk through the
Identification of station entry and exit points likely steps of a prospective customer in order
(Figure 65); to place the signage at the correct point. For
Standing location within the station for par- example, signage directing customers to transfer
ticular routes (if multiple stopping bays); points may be best placed directly across from
Directions for making transfers at terminals the exit points of alighting customers.
and intermediate transfer stations; Certain areas of vehicles are typically designated
Actions required in the event of emergencies for customers with special needs, such as those
(instructions for call boxes, fire suppressing with physical disabilities, the elderly, and
equipment, etc.) (Figure 66); women with young children. These areas can
Identification of locations within the vehicle be readily identified by the use of appropriate
for persons with special needs (physically dis- signage as well as colour-coding. The colour-
abled, elderly, parents with child, passengers coding may entail using different coloured
with bicycles, etc.); seating in such areas.
Directions to amenity facilities (e.g., bicycle The variety of signage requirements within
parking facilities, restrooms, etc.). a BRT system should not imply that an over-
The fare collection process is another area of abundance of visual cues is always desirable. If
potential customer confusion that may inhibit too much signage is present, a point of dimin-
the usability of the system. While regular ishing returns can occur. Too much signage can

84 3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations

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be visually distracting and prevent customers the customer to know the local environment can
from absorbing vital information. “Visual clut- add stress to the journey, especially for visitors
ter” is particularly problematic when systems and occasional transit users.
utilise extensive advertisements. While adver- Voice messages can be done by way of the vehi-
tisements can be an effective revenue source cle driver or by way of a recorded voice. Typi-
when used discretely, essential system signage cally, it is recommended to use a recorded voice
can get lost if the commercial messages are too for reasons of clarity and consistency. Recorded
obtrusive. messages also permit the use of digital technol-
3.4.6.4 Visual and voice information ogy rather than analogue technology. Digital
systems voice messages are clearer and more readily
Traditional signage is just one means to convey understood than local analogue messages. Fur-
information to customers. Visual displays with ther, each driver will have his or her own accent
real-time information are increasingly being that may not be understood by all. The use of a
used to relay a variety of message types. Such pre-recorded digital message that automatically
devices can display the following types of infor- activates itself at certain points in the journey
mation: will create a uniform and reliable information
Next station stop (display inside bus); source. Additionally, the digital message will
allow the driver to concentrate more on safety
Estimated arrival time of next vehicle (display
and other aspects of customer service. In some
on station platform);
circumstances, it may be practical to deliver
Special advisories such as delays, construction
brief destination messages in more than one
work, new corridors, etc.;
language.
Customer service announcements such as in-
formation on fare discounts. 3.4.6.5 Transit staff
Real-time information displays that inform In public transport as in life, sometimes a
passengers when the next bus is due can be simple smile or kind word can make all the
particularly effective at reducing “waiting anxi- difference. The role of transit staff in making
ety”, which often affects passengers who are not customers feel respected and welcome is one of
sure when or if a bus is coming (Figures 67 and the most powerful promotional tools that exist
68). This feature allows customers to undertake
other value adding activities to make best use
of the time, rather than nervously waiting and
standing at close attention to the horizon. Such
displays can substantially reduce the customer’s
perceived waiting time.
Voice communications can also be a useful
mechanism to convey essential information. The
voice announcement of the next station permits
the customer to focus on other activities (such as
reading, talking with friends, etc.). Otherwise, Fig. 67 and 68
customers will tend to look up frequently either Placing real-time
at a display or at the name of the station. Forcing information displays at
station entrances allows
customers to make key
decisions about their
journey. Additionally,
the public placement
of the displays helps
to market the system
to everyone, including
private vehicle users.
Photo by Lloyd Wright

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 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

of the concessioned firm. The profit motive of

the private firms can be a strong incentive to
encourage a positive customer environment and
a growing customer base.
Key customer interactions may occur at several
points in the transit experience:
Fare collection and fare verification process;
Customer information;
Interactions with on-board staff;
Security personnel.
Fare collection is typically the point of the
person’s first interaction with staff. A combina-
tion of professionalism and friendliness can
bolster the person’s first impression of the sys-
tem. A welcoming “hello” and a smile can be an
Fig. 69 (Figure 69). While staff behaviour is probably effective personal touch that does little to slow
Bogotá staff applauding one of the most economical means to creating
visitors. Training staff the overall process. Responses to basic customer
good customer service, it is also sometimes one needs such as fare options, questions on routing,
to be friendly and
courteous to customers of the most ignored. and the availability of change should be well
can pay big dividends The training of transit staff in social interaction prepared and rehearsed. Fare collection services
in terms of customer skills should be undertaken on a regular basis. should be well staffed to avoid long queues
satisfaction.
Photo by Lloyd Wright
Establishing a positive environment between which may actually discourage persons from
staff and customers is not only healthy for approaching a station.
attracting ridership but it can also improve
The availability of staff dedicated only to
employee morale. For fare collection agents,
customer information is a worthwhile invest-
conductors, and drivers who handle thousands
of passengers a day, each customer may just be ment. The presence of such staff in and around
another face in the crowd. However, for each the station can be a significant public relations
customer, the brief interaction with staff can boost for a system. Such staff can approach
significantly affect the individual’s opinion of customers who look confused or appear unsure
the service. Thus, it is important that transit of the system. In Bogotá, the “Mission Bogotá”
staff view each interaction with care. A cus- programme is an example of a customer assist-
tomer service training programme should em- ance programme that also doubles as a highly
phasise these points. Additionally, performance successful social upliftment initiative. Many of
evaluations of transit staff should reflect the the participants in Mission Bogotá are individu-
importance of excellence in customer interac- als who were previously disenfranchised from
tions. Transit staff who excel in customer rela- society. Those who were formerly homeless,
tions can be rewarded through salary incentives. suffering from substance abuse, or workers in
In many instances, transit staff will not be the sex industry are given an opportunity to
public employees. The growing trend towards contribute to society through social service.
the use of private sector concessions means that Through training and confidence building, the
these employees will be responding to the de- participants are dispatched to the streets with
mands of their private employers. However, this their blue and orange uniforms responding
situation does not imply that the public agency to public needs with a smile and professional
cannot influence positive interactions between manner (Figure 70). The programme provides
transit staff and customers. Financial incentives the participants with a salary and many new
in concession contracts can encourage ap- skills. As part of their duties, the Mission
propriate behaviour. Staff training on customer Bogotá team provides customer service duties at
interactions can be a mandatory requirement TransMilenio stations.

86 3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Security personnel also have a public relations Fig. 70

function to fulfil in addition to the keeping of Customer service staff
public order. However, in some instances, transit inside stations can help
to handle customer
security staff report to the local police depart- inquiries as well as
ment or other entity. Thus, it is imperative that create a safer and
the transit organisation work with these other friendlier environment.
departments to ensure that transit security staff Photo by Lloyd Wright

is appropriately trained. This training should

include knowledge on the functioning of the
system and inter-personal skills for interacting
with the public. A customer is not likely to make
a distinction between transit staff and security
staff and thus will form an opinion on the system
based on their interactions with all personnel.
Smartly-styled uniforms for all personnel also
help to raise the public's perception of system
quality and professionalism. Uniforms that are
both comfortable to the user as well as project a
stylish image can help change how the custom-
ers view public transport.
repaired, then further incidences are greatly
3.4.6.6 Cleanliness and system aesthetics reduced. The idea is that small-scale problems
The cleanliness of the system is another seem- can grow into large-scale lawlessness when the
ingly trivial issue that has a major impact on problems are left to fester. Litter left untouched
customer perception and satisfaction. A transit sends a psychological message to customers that
system cluttered with litter and covered with it is acceptable to leave rubbish about.
graffiti tells the customer that this service is of Strict cleaning schedules are a low-cost way of
poor quality. Such a scene reinforces the idea maintaining a positive transit environment and
that public transport customers are somehow customer confidence in the system. In Quito,
inferior to private vehicle owners. By contrast, buses are cleaned after every pass along the
an attractive and clean environment sends the
message that the system is of the highest quality.
Such a level of aesthetic quality can help con-
vince all income groups that the transit system
is an acceptable means of travel. Ideally, the
transit system will come to be viewed as an oasis
of calm and tranquillity in an otherwise chaotic
world. To reach this state of aesthetic quality, it
merely takes good planning and design.
An effective strategy against litter and graffiti is
a combination of vigilance and maintenance. A
strict policy with financial penalties for disobedi-
ence should be prominently employed. Addition-
ally, any incidence of litter or graffiti should be
cleaned up at the instance of identification. This
sort of immediate response helps to overcome
the so-called “broken window” theory of polic-
Fig. 71
ing. The broken window theory says that if one
BRT vehicles in Quito
window in a building is broken and goes un- are cleaned after each
fixed, then in a short time all the windows will pass along the corridor.
be broken. However, if the window is promptly Photo by Lloyd Wright

3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations 87

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

corridor. Once a vehicle reaches the final termi- with large numbers of persons. Alternatively,
nal, a cleaning team goes through the vehicle the provision of trash bins just outside of the
leaving it spotless in about four minutes (Figure stations is generally a safe and viable option.
71). This practice reduces the time night-time If the bins are placed in a consistent and well-
cleaning teams need to spend on the vehicles. demarcated space outside of the station, then
Maintaining spotless operations also sends a customers will be able to have an option for
message to everyone that littering is not to be disposing of trash. Public transport facilities
done and thus tends to reduce the generation of also offer the opportunity to effectively market
trash. Likewise, a systematic cleaning schedule and implement a broader recycling programme.
for stations and terminals can also keep a Since the public transport system is likely to be
system in near pristine form. While one option one of the most frequented places in the city,
is to clean only after system closing times, in the synergies with other public campaigns, such
highly frequented systems, cleaning is likely as recycling, are a natural fit. The provision of
to be needed during the day. Thus, scheduling multiple bins permitting the separate disposal
cleaning activities in stations just after peak of glass, paper, metals, plastics, organic materi-
periods can be an option to address the accu- als, and other items is readily accomplished
mulation of litter without interfering in the free in conjunction with the transit system. For
flow of customers. example, Singapore’s metro system maintains
Policies regarding the consumption of food and this sort of recycling programme near entrances
drink in the system are also another effective to the system (Figure 72).
strategy. On the one hand, permitting food and Beyond policies and cleaning practices, the
drink may seem like a nice service feature that overall aesthetic design of the system infra-
allows the customer to undertake another value- structure is a major factor in creating a positive
added activity while using the system. However, environment for the customer. Design factors
the price for permitting food and drink is an such as the use of light, materials, art, and
invariable deterioration in system cleanliness interior design all contribute to an ambiance
Fig. 72 and in the long-term quality of the infrastruc- of calm, clarity, and comfort. Design issues are
Public transport ture. Typically, a policy against food and drink presented in more detail in the “Infrastructure”
systems offer a great is necessary to maintain system quality.
opportunity to section of this guidebook (Section 3.6).
coordinate with other The provision of trash receptacles is an option to
3.4.6.7 Comfort and convenience
public programmes such help combat litter, but in some instances secu-
as recycling initiatives. rity concerns limit their availability. As public The issues of comfort and convenience can
Photo shows recycling greatly affect ridership levels, especially amongst
bins outside a Singapore transport has unfortunately become a target of
acts of terrorism, hidden compartments, such discretionary riders. Comfort is affected by
transit station.
Photo by Lloyd Wright as trash bins, are often too dangerous in places the quality of the waiting space at stations, the
interior of the transit vehicles, and the overall
environment of the system. Convenience refers
to the proximity of the station to useful destina-
tions as well as the ease in reaching the station
from points of origin. Convenience is closely
related to the transport concept of “accessibility”.
Comfort in the general transit environment
can depend upon the amount of the customer’s
personal space. If peak hour services result in
closely packed stations and vehicles, then the
customer is subjected to discomfort and reduced
security. Thus, the appropriate sizing of stations
and vehicles and the provision of sufficiently
frequent services are part of achieving a com-
fortable system.

88 3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations

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Inside the vehicle, the amount of seating avail- can make a significant difference for travel in
able and the type of seating plays a role in tropical conditions. Likewise, heating can be
comfort. The trade-off between seated space important for colder climates. In order to com-
and standing space depends upon system capac- pete for discretionary commuters who may have
ity requirements. However, even if standing climate control devices in their private vehicles,
space is predominant due to capacity demands, such devices in the public transit system can
the quality of the standing space can also be be quite influential. However, there are both
enhanced. Adequate holding straps and suffi- capital and operational cost considerations. For
ciently wide corridors in the vehicle interior can instance, air conditioning adds marginally to
improve standing conditions. Padded seating station and vehicle construction costs and can
materials, such as cloth, can add cost to vehicle reduce fuel efficiency by 15 to 25 per cent in
purchases, but should at least be considered, operation. Further, adapting stations to climate
especially if travel distances are relatively long. control devices implies design restrictions. The
The provision of station seating depends in part stations must be closed and relatively sealed,
on the nature of the service. In high capacity, and thus likely requiring a sliding door interface
high frequency services, seating is unlikely to at the bus boarding zones. Again, this addition
be required at stations and terminals since wait creates additional costs as well as additional
maintenance and complexity issues within
times are relatively short. The developers of the
the system. There are also less costly climate
Bogotá system elected to forgo station seating in
interventions, such as passive solar design, that
order to encourage passenger turnover. Seating
can be helpful. Section 3.6 (“Infrastructure”)
can also consume valuable space in stations. In
provides more discussion of such design options.
some instances the presence of seating can block
boarding and alighting movements, and thus 3.4.6.8 Security
reduce throughputs in the stations. However, Like any public place with large quantities of
in instances when wait times are relatively persons, buses can attract the wrong elements.
long, some form of seating or support device The close confines of crowded conditions pro-
can be warranted to avoid “standing fatigue”. vide the perfect environment for pick-pocketing
One space saving solution is a leaning bar that and other assaults on person and property. Fear
permits waiting passengers to partially sit while of crime and assault is a highly motivating
leaning against a slanted bar. The bar can be factor in the movement towards more private
padded to increase comfort. While a leaning modes of transport, especially for women, the
bar is not as comfortable as a formal seat, it can elderly and other vulnerable groups.
be an effective alternative. The leaning bars can
However, crime and insecurity can be overcome
also avoid problems with individuals who elect with the strategic use of policing and informa-
to sleep on rows of seats. tion technology. The presence of uniformed
Waiting time can also be a factor in designing security personnel at stations and on buses can
fare collection and fare verification areas. The dramatically limit criminal activity and instil
best solution is to provide adequate capacity customer confidence. Further, security cameras
in the fare collection system in order to avoid and emergency call boxes (Figure 73) both
significant queuing. However, in some instances, permit more rapid response to potential threats
such as fans departing a sporting event, entry as well as deter crimes from happening in the
queues are unavoidable. Queue guideways may first place.
be a useful mechanism to ensure orderliness, Even more worryingly is the rise of large-scale
fairness, and clarity for waiting passengers. attacks on buses, such as the hijacking and
Video displays showing information or enter- murder that took place in front of television Fig. 73
tainment can be another option to reduce wait- cameras in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2000. This The emergency call
ing stress for queuing passengers. event has been made into a film called Bus boxes in Ottawa BRT
stations help to reassure
In many developing cities, the local climatic 174. Crime and terrorism in cities such as Rio passengers about
conditions can warrant climate control devices de Janeiro and Tel Aviv has had a chilling ef- security arrangements.
in the stations and vehicles. Air conditioning fect on ridership. Israel has lost approximately Photo by Lloyd Wright

3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations 89

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 74 and 75 one-third of its public transport ridership in

The presence of just a two-year period (Garb, 2003). While 3.4.6.10 Amenity features
security staff in cities not every act of violence can be easily deterred,
such as Bogotá (right Transport is not just about transport. The time
photo) and Quito there are design features that can assist. Further, available during travel can be used effectively
(photo above) send an the highly visible presence of security staff and by the customer. A major advantage of public
important message to the watchfulness of passengers can reduce the transport over private vehicles is that the time in
customers about the possibilities of attacks (Figures 74 and 75).
security of the transit transit can be used for other value-added activi-
environment. 3.4.6.9 Safety ties such as reading, talking with friends, and
Photos by Lloyd Wright
Of the 1.2 million annual deaths from vehicle relaxing. Amenity features can help to make the
accidents in the world, the vast majority involve most efficient use of this value-added time.
privately owned vehicles. Nevertheless, a single It has been noted that entertainment systems
accident involving a public transit vehicle will such as video can be effective in stemming
make considerable news in comparison to the passenger impatience and anxiety during wait-
daily occurrence of car-related accidents. An ac- ing periods. Video presentations at station areas
cident involving public transit evokes emotions may include news, weather, music videos, and
about governmental responsibility and public customer information announcements. Audio
safety. The negative stigma from an accident systems are also an option. Music can be played
can greatly diminish the public’s trust and per- within stations and buses.
ception of the transit system. Thus, maintaining While some customers will find video and audio
a high safety standard is fundamental. entertaining and useful, this reaction is not
Regular vehicle inspections, strict maintenance always shared by all. For some these visual and
procedures, and required driver training are aural displays contribute to an increased level
basic elements of a safety programme. Driver of distraction and chaos in the public transit
behaviour can also be positively reinforced experience. One person’s symphony is another’s
through financial incentives and fines relating needless noise. In Quito, music on BRT vehicles
to speeding and other driving violations. The was suspended after students complained that it
presence of clear evacuation instructions and was difficult to study with the noise. Customer
fire protection equipment send a visible re- groups in Hong Kong formed in protest to the
minder to customers of safety preparedness and playing of music in vehicles (Figure 76). Thus,
professionalism. care must be taken in using certain entertain-

90 3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

ment features such as video and audio. The deci- friends while using public transport. In some
sion can be quite dependent on local customs circumstances, system developers may wish
and preferences. Further, like all such devices, to provide special receivers to allow mobile
video and audio systems involve a cost both in connections in otherwise blocked areas such
terms of the initial investment as well as in the as tunnels. However, mobile technology may
long-term maintenance. also create the same concerns over quiet that
video and audio systems raise. The ringing of
The advent of communications technolo-
telephones and the loud ensuing conversations
gies such as the internet, email, and mobile
can be a serious distraction to those wishing to
telephones have revolutionised how people do
study, work, or simply relax. Thus, some discre-
business and how people interact with others at tion over the use of mobile technology may be
a distance. Public transport can offer services advised. Again, any sort of restrictions would
that take advantage of these communication be highly dependent on local preferences and
technologies. Some transit systems are already
beginning to offer free wireless internet services
to their customers. The wireless feature can be
supplied into vehicles and stations
via transmitter technologies.
While internet and email
access may seem a need-
less extravagance in a
developing-city public
transport system, cities
wishing to attract cur- customs.
rent private vehicle users This section has discussed many activities
may find the technology of great value. Further, that a transit system may wish to prohibit
as information technologies continue to fall in such as eating, drinking, making a mobile
cost, the concept is not entirely out-of-reach for telephone call, etc. Clearly, there may be good
developing cities. reasons to impose such restrictions. However,
system developers must walk a balance between
The use of mobile telephones within the transit
preserving the quality of the system and giving
system can also be of great utility to customers.
maximum freedom to the customer. If the staff-
Mobile technol- ogy is another easy means to
customer interface is principally a list of things
stay in touch with
the office or not to be done, then the system may appear in
with somewhat heavy-handed terms to the public.
Thus, it is quite important to focus on the most
important restrictions (such as eating and
drinking) and to do so in a clear and
friendly manner.
Further, many of the amenity applica-
tions being discussed in this section,
such as the enhancement of reading,
studying, working, relaxing, and using
information technologies, depend
upon a smooth and level ride. Thus,
vehicle and road quality will de-
termine, to an extent, the viability of these
Fig. 76 activities. Smooth ride conditions are quite
Campaign material from the “Hush the Bus” feasible with well-suspended high-floor vehicles
programme in Hong Kong. Ensuring a quiet and level roadways. However, ride comfort is
environment inside the bus helps customers who definitely an area in which rail systems can have
want a pleasant transit experience.
Image courtesy of Hush the Bus programme, Hong Kong. an edge over BRT.

3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations 91

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

patrons. Baby changing areas can also be quite

appropriate in such circumstances. System devel-
opers in Bogotá elected to forgo restrooms based
on a philosophy of wanting to keep passengers
moving through the system without stopping.
Restrooms and other facilities also involve
capital and operating costs. Public restrooms are
particularly susceptible to vandalism and physi-
cal deterioration which undermines the image of
the overall system as well as the facility’s func-
tional utility. Nevertheless, a well maintained
facility at major terminals may be a modest cost
to provide adequate customer service.
Lost and found facilities are also an important
service that can be reasonably expected to be
provided in major transit systems. The location
of a lost and found office should be well noted in
Fig. 77 Finally, there are some services that system system literature and at certain signage points.
Stations can be developers may wish to provide customers as Some systems use BRT stations and terminals
an appropriate a courtesy. The provision of restrooms, lost as venues to publicise or implement other
environment for
public messages. The and found offices, and emergency aid offices programmes of public interest, such as recycling
photo shows an air are examples. Opinions on whether to provide facilities and air quality monitoring (Figure 77).
quality display inside restrooms in a system can vary. If a system Thus, the BRT system can be seen as a tool to
a Montreal (Canada) includes several hundred kilometres of runways achieve a variety of public outreach objectives
transit station. and possible long commute times, then the and add even further value to the life of its
Photo by Lloyd Wright
provision of restrooms should be considered for customers.

92 3.4 Planning Stage IV: Operations

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3.5 Planning Stage V: 3.5.1 Business structure

Business and regulatory structure 3.5.1.1 Existing business structures in
The ultimate sustainability of the proposed BRT developing cities
system is likely to depend less on the system’s The existing public transport companies within
“hardware” (buses, stations, busways, and other a developing city will likely fall into one of
infrastructure) and more on the system’s “soft- three broad categories of market structures:
ware” (the business and regulatory structure). If 1. Public systems
the BRT system can be made financially sustain- 2. Private sector systems
able within an effective regulatory framework, 3. Mixed systems (public and private roles)
then the remainder of the system design is largely
Publicly-operated transit systems are quite
a matter of technical details. The administrative
common in developed nations. In countries like
and organisational structure of the system will
the United States and some western European
have profound implications on the system’s
nations, the public transit agency acts as both
efficiency, operational nature, and costing.
the regulator and operator. However, in recent
However, effective regulatory and business years, these systems have made greater use of
structures are often quite difficult to achieve, private sector contracting for specialised func-
especially when existing structures impose tions. Publicly-operated systems in the develop-
restraints over realising an optimum form. ing world are relatively rare, but there are a few
There is no one correct solution to structural examples. In some instances, the public sector
issues, as local custom and circumstances play has taken over routes and areas that are not
a determining role. Public operators may be sufficiently profitable for the private sector. In
unwilling to surrender their market and their
most cases, publicly-operated systems are not
administrative “turf”. Private operators may be
very efficient. These systems are quite often
resistant of any changes, especially when they
heavily subsidised, over-staffed, and offering a
are unaccustomed to any governmental over-
service that is not highly responsive to customer
sight. Ultimately, a mixed system with public
demands.
and private sector roles may be the optimum
approach to achieving a competitive and trans- Historically, a lack of financial resources and
parent system. Bogotá’s TransMilenio provides institutional control has meant that developing
an example of utilising the best qualities from city transit has been have left largely to private
both the public and private sectors. operators. In many instances, these firms and
The development of the system’s business model individuals operate informally with very lit-
will require some initial analysis of projected tle public oversight. With fierce competition
operating costs. This analysis will help identify between many struggling small firms and little
the conditions in which operating companies governmental control, the frequent result has
can reach profitable (and thus sustainable) been poor quality services that do little to meet
revenue levels. The calculation of operating the broader needs of the customer. Private
costs will also allow initial estimates of expected operators will tend not to provide service to
customer tariff levels. smaller neighbourhoods and will operate at
particular hours. Small operators also tend to
be run in a relatively inefficient manner. Small
3.5.1 Business structure vehicles are utilised in places where high-capac-
3.5.2 Institutional structure ity vehicles could be operated at a more efficient
level. This inefficiency can lead to higher fare
3.5.3 Incentives for competition levels than would otherwise be required.
3.5.4 Operational cost analysis An uncontrolled transit environment can also
lead to a serious over-supply of small vehicles. In
3.5.5 Tariff options
Lagos (Nigeria) there are currently an estimated
3.5.6 Revenue distribution 70,000 mini-buses plying the streets. Until
recently, over 50,000 mini-buses operated on the

3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure 93

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

has an incentive to drive the vehicle as much as

possible during the day in order to maximise
fare revenues. Drivers will thus work as much
as 16-hour days. The drivers will also have an
incentive to drive as rapidly as possible to make
as many roundtrips as they can. Further, drivers
will even cut off other bus operators in order to
prevent competitors from capturing customers.
In Bogotá, this behaviour was known as the
“battle of the cent”. Not surprisingly, the long
hours, high speeds, and aggressive driving lead
to extremely hazardous road safety conditions.
At the same time, the captive riders have few
options other than wait for the day that they
can purchase their own private vehicle.
Thus, two extremes have predominated public
transport regulatory structures: 1. Inefficient
Fig. 78 streets of Lima (Peru), and prior to TransMilenio, public monopoly; and 2. Poor quality private
In much of the approximately 35,000 buses of various shapes operators. Several cities have entered a vicious
developing world, and sizes ran along the streets of Bogotá (Figure circle of moving between public and private
public transport is 78). The large number of small transit vehicles
left to a relatively systems along with intermediary steps of a
uncontrolled private contributes significantly to congestion and poor highly-regulated private oligopoly and a mix of a
sector. The result air quality. The unwieldy number of operators publicly-operated entity competing with scores of
is often unsafe and also represents a regulatory challenge to munici- unregulated operators (Figure 79). Cities such as
congested conditions pal agencies that lack sufficient resources.
as shown in this photo Colombo (Sri Lanka) and Santiago (Chile) have
from Bogotá prior to In some instances, each vehicle is owned moved around the entire spectrum of possibilities
TransMilenio. separately, often by the person who does the without ever finding a workable solution.
Photo by Lloyd Wright
driving. In other instances, the transit vehicle The regulatory cycle becomes a vicious circle
is operated by a driver who leases the vehicle in which cities attempt to find quick fixes to
from a separate owner. Since the driver pays a ingrained structural and systemic deficiencies.
flat fee for access to the vehicle, he or she then The cycle’s characteristics along with the reasons
Figure 79: The regulatory cycle for inevitable collapse of each stage are given in
Table 21. As the spread of unregulated informal
operators creates chaos on the street and poor
quality services to the population, officials
�����������
�������������� step in to regulate the industry. However,
oligopolistic tendencies amongst the private
firms mean that fare increases can be expected.
Public pressure to reduce fares forces the firms
�������������
to either curtail services or face bankruptcy. At
����������� ���������������� this stage, the government decides to intercede
����������� ���������������� in order to restore acceptable services. A public
���������
transit company is formed with monopolistic
control over the entire market. Unfortunately,
without the market incentives of profit and loss,
the public company becomes quite inefficient.
����������� As public deficits mount, services and quality
��������
tend to diminish. Sensing an opportunity, il-
Source: Meakin (2003)
legal paratransit operators begin to fill the gaps
in the public company’s service. As the public

94 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Table 21: The regulatory cycle

Industry composition Characteristics “Solution”

1. Unregulated private Chaotic, aggressive competition, dangerous Comprehensive regulation by
operators driving, unstable services, no integration, Government.
variable fares.
2. Highly regulated Industry consolidates into large companies Government nationalisation
private oligopoly producing low levels of competition followed of firms (because ‘only the
by fare increases; political pressures from state can assure adequate
increased fares result in lower-quality services services’).
or company bankruptcies.
3. State-owned Low cost-effectiveness due to confused Government tolerates ‘illegal’
monopoly corporate objectives (service or profit?); low, private operators to meet
sporadic or inappropriate investment; poor unfulfilled market demands.
services.
4. Mix of public Deficits from public company become Government gets out of
company and politically unacceptable resulting in reduced business by privatisation or
unregulated services and increasing paratransit in the by withdrawal.
operators market.
Source: Meakin (2003)

company spirals into heavier and heavier losses, Competition for the market implies that opera-
officials decide to turn the system entirely over tors must compete to win the right to operate in
to the private sector. Thus, the regulatory cycle a corridor or an area. By contrast, competition
comes full circle with a return to the chaos of in the market implies that a firm will operate
uncontrolled private operators. simultaneously with other operators in the same
3.5.1.2 Mixed systems corridor or area and will be directly competing
for market share.
Fortunately, market structures are not limited
to the options of an indebted public system or a Well-designed business structures for BRT
chaotic private system. Mixed systems represent systems have tended to seek considerable com-
an alternative that allows cities to escape the petition for the market but limited competition
vicious circle of the regulatory cycle. Mixed in the market. This strategic use of competitive
systems exploit the most appropriate role of motivations means that firms will have to com-
both the public and private sectors in order to pete aggressively within a bidding process in
create a sustainable institutional and market order to be allowed to operate. However, once
structure. The use of extensive private sector the winning firms have been selected, there will
contracting and concessions in conjunction not be competition on the streets to wrestle pas-
with the judicious use of public oversight can sengers away from other companies. Thus, firms
produce the right set of conditions to minimise will have an incentive to provide a high-level of
costs and ensure a high level of service quality.service while simultaneously not generating the
The challenge of achieving a well-functioning negative attributes of reckless driving, speeding,
competitive structure lies in creating an appro- and cutting off other transit vehicles to gain an
advantage. Some competition in the market can
priate set of incentives that ensures each actor is
properly motivated to deliver a quality product. also be achieved by permitting multiple conces-
The actual number of business structures is sion contracts along the same corridor. However,
actually far greater than the simple categorisa- a transparent revenue distribution process along
tion of public, private, and mixed systems. with an incentive system based on kilometres
Different types of contractual arrangements are travelled rather than passenger numbers can
possible within the framework of mixed systems. avoid aggressive behaviour.
Table 22 outlines some of the options. Table Bogotá’s TransMilenio system has successfully
22 also distinguishes between situations where developed a formula of private sector com-
there is competition for the market and situa- petition within a publicly-controlled system
tions where there is competition in the market. (Figure 80). The public company, TransMilenio

3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure 95

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Table 22: Contractual options for different market structures

Competition Competition
Type Description
for market in market
Public monopoly All system assets and operations are under the
control of a public agency.

Management System assets remain in control of the public sector

contracting but certain operational and management functions X
are contracted to private firms.
Gross cost service Private firms compete to operate routes but are
contracting paid on the basis of performance and not on the X
basis of passenger fare revenues.
Net cost service Private firms compete to operate routes and are
X
contracting paid on the basis of passenger fare revenues.
Franchising Operator wins contract for exclusive operation of
(exclusive) route, and has the ability to innovate; public agency X
still sets fares and service parameters.
Concessions Operator wins contract for exclusive operation of
(exclusive) route, and full financial, planning, and operational
X
responsibility within parameters set by the public
agency.
Franchising Franchising with multiple operators in the same
Possible X
(non-exclusive) market.
Concessions Concessions with multiple operators in the same
Possible X
(non-exclusive) market.
Open market Operators provide services without any restraints
or control; routes, schedules, fares, number of
X X
operators and vehicles, and levels of quality are left
to the private sector.
Source: Adapted from Meakin (2002a)

SA, holds overall responsibility for system infrastructure components (busways, stations,
management and quality control. However, terminals, depots, etc.). The construction work
TransMilenio SA itself is only an organisation is conducted entirely by the private sector. Thus,
of approximately 70 persons, with oversight for almost all possible aspects of TransMilenio are
a system in a city of seven million inhabitants. contracted or concessioned to private sector
Private sector concessions are used to deliver all entities with public agency oversight.
other aspects of the system including fare col- 3.5.1.3 Transforming existing systems to
lection and bus operations. The buses and even competitive, mixed systems
fare collection equipment are purchased by the Of course, most cities do not begin from the
private sectors firms. point of having a well-structured system that
The director of TransMilenio reports to the balances the appropriate roles of the private
Mayor’s office via a board of directors. Thus, and public sectors. Instead, most developing
TransMilenio and the municipal government cities begin with one of the four conditions
are able to leverage private sector investment identified in the regulatory cycle. The challenge
and defer a large portion of the financial risks becomes how to transform an existing market
while retaining overall control on the shape of structure into one delivering a cost-effective and
the system. high-quality service. Figure 81 shows a pictorial
The infrastructure for TransMilenio is publicly view of the challenge within the transformation
financed, in the same manner that all other process.
municipal road infrastructure is developed. A a. Transforming a public monopoly
separate public works agency issues the tender In the case of a single public monopoly, the
documents to competitive bidding for the public firm cedes its exclusive control of the

96 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 80
Bogotá’s TransMilenio
ALCALDIA MAYOR
DE BOGOTA D.C.
has successfully
Planning, management, and quality control combined the best
Public company aspects of both public
and private sector
roles in the transit
system. The public
sector controls quality
and overall system
management while
the private sector
competes through
bidding processes to
build infrastructure
and deliver day-to-day
Infrastructure Busway operations operations.
Private sector Private sector Photos courtesy of TransMilenio SA
and Lloyd Wright

• Specifications developed by • Concessions awarded through

public sector competitive bidding
• Contracts awarded through Fare collection • Private operators are
competitive bidding responsible for purchasing
Private sector vehicles and operating vehicles

• Concession awarded through com-

petitive bidding
• Private operators are responsible for
purchasing fare equipment and
managing fare process

market by allowing private firms to compete. reduce staffing numbers. To an extent, staff
This process implies that the public transit reductions can be mitigated by transfers to
company must somehow be altered to fit the other agencies and by retraining programmes,
new market conditions. Some of the options for but the process of change can be difficult for
such a transformation include: those involved.
Public transit company is privatised through b. Transforming an open market
a transparent selling process, and the new Consolidating the thousands of registered
firm subsequently competes for market access and unregistered small operators into a more
on equal terms with other private firms;
Assets of the public company are sold and the Figure 81: The market transformation process
company is formally dissolved to allow a new
market structure to be shaped in a completely
open manner;
Public transit company relinquishes opera-
tions in the areas with the new BRT system
and instead concentrates on other parts of
the city.
Clearly, to undertake any of these options will
necessitate a certain degree of political will on
the part of political leaders. Public employees
and union leaders will likely oppose such dras- Single public Mixed system Thousands of
tic changes. Since public companies frequently monopoly (competitive informal
market with operators
operate with inefficient levels of employees, the public oversight)
transformed organisation will likely need to Source: Adapted from Meakin (2003)

3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure 97

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

manageable structure also brings with it con- Assistance can also be given in terms of helping
siderable challenges. Powerful interests will also individual operators form consortium groupings.
likely resist any changes to the existing market An individual operator is unlikely to have the
structure. However, unlike the transforma- necessary resources and skills to bid as a single
tion of a single public entity, the thousands of entity. Instead several small operators will likely
private operators are both difficult to identify as form a consortium arrangement and bid jointly.
well as difficult to organise. Alternatively, a large company or an individual
Inclusion of existing operators in the concessions with sufficient financial resources will seek out
process is important for political, social, and smaller companies to join as partners. In either
functional reasons. Ideally, the operators will case, the smaller operators can be given stock-
have had a participatory role in designing the holder status in the new venture. The operator’s
concessions process in the first place. However, stake in the new enterprise will depend on the
a major first step is the full identification of resources that are being contributed to the
group. Small operators will likely be able to
all existing operators. Unfortunately, not all
contribute the following types of assets:
the operators may be registered with the city’s
transport agency. In Bogotá prior to the BRT Points to the bid team as an existing operator;
system, there were approximately 22,000 regis- Vehicles for use in the system;
tered private bus operators, but it is likely that Vehicles for scrapping (if required in bid
the actual number of buses was closer to 35,000. conditions);
Since the unregistered operators are already Drivers and other staff;
working outside of the city’s regulatory require- Business knowledge.
ments, coaxing these individuals to join the BRT
The value of the small operator’s assets will
development process can be difficult. However,
determine their shareholder status. Operators
the BRT process can be a unique opportunity to
will be able to “shop” their assets to many dif-
bring unregistered operators back into the legal
ferent consortiums in order to realise the best
system. The lure of concession agreements in
deal. Despite the inherently different business
conjunction with operating restrictions on BRT
environment between BRT and informal opera-
corridors can be a strong incentive.
tions, the existing operators may possess many
One option for bringing existing operators into valuable attributes. While their older vehicles
the process is simply to let the incentive struc- will not likely be of use on trunk corridors, it
ture and the market forces guide the outcome. is quite possible that good quality standard
The design of the concessions process can give vehicles can be of use on feeder lines. The older
additional points to bid teams that include ex- vehicles also offer value in terms of meeting any
isting operators. The incentive process can thus requirements for scrapping vehicles. Drivers will
create an environment of active engagement. likely need some re-training in order to achieve
However, the municipality may also wish to new levels of safety and customer service, but
give additional technical support to ensure that their basic skill levels and knowledge of the city
all existing operators are able to participate streets will assist in the transformation process.
fairly in the concession competition. By build- At the end of the bidding process, it is possible
ing the business skills of the operators, the that some existing operators will be left out
municipality will help to bolster individual of the new system. The losing bid teams and
competitiveness as well as improve the quality individuals who did not join a bid team may
of the bidding process. In many instances, the well take actions to thwart the new BRT system.
operators may not even fully understand their These actions may include political pressure, le-
own cost structure. Since the BRT system will gal challenges, and protest. Thus, the municipal-
represent a major professionalisation of their ity may also wish to conduct a post-bid outreach
business, the operators will need new skills in effort with unsuccessful entities. The promise of
accounting, negotiations, technological knowl- future bidding opportunities and further skill
edge, and customer service. training can help mitigate a negative backlash.

98 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.5.1.4 Existing operators and continuance Another strategy sometimes employed is to

of service simply permit the existing operators to con-
A related issue is whether existing operators tinue operating in the BRT corridors. If the
should be allowed to continue to operate along BRT service is of superior quality at a similar
the same corridors as the BRT system. In order price, then it is likely that the BRT service will
to assure that the BRT system is financially dominate the market. The reduced travel times
viable, mandating the phase out of competing in busways along with a more secure and com-
informal services along the same routes may fortable ride will likely attract the major share
be a prudent action. Politically, it also may be of the ridership. In this scenario, the existing
an important gesture to private vehicle users operators will likely withdraw voluntarily due
in order to free up the remaining road space to to the unprofitable market conditions. This
mixed traffic. strategy potentially avoids the conflicts that can
arise from eliminating operators by mandate.
However, a complicating factor is that the
existing operators often will not operate along However, permitting the continued operation
exactly the same route structure. These vehicles of the existing operators can also be a risk to
may only use a portion of the busway corridor the BRT system. Since many developing city
for their routes. At different points along the residents are quite price sensitive, even small
corridor, the operators will enter and exit from differences in fare levels may permit the existing
various other routes and neighbourhoods. operators to retain significant market share. In
Curtailing their operations will imply that instances where existing operators provide direct
some areas may be cut-off from transit services services and the BRT system requires a transfer,
the existing operators may retain an advantage.
altogether. Additionally, residents who will be
Thus, a strategy of permitting existing operators
accustomed to a certain type of routing service
to continue along the BRT corridor should only
may be displeased with the removal of these
be undertaken in situations where the BRT
services.
system will likely dominate the market due to
Thus, to avoid difficulties both to the transit its inherent advantages. Otherwise, the financial
operators and the serviced communities, the viability of the system will be undermined.
transit agency should consider a complete Further, the continued operation of the existing
review of transit routes and licensing along the operators may imply an overall increase in levels
BRT corridors. Such a review of the entire city’s of traffic congestion.
transit route structure can lead to the following The disposition of existing operators is a sensi-
types of adjustments: tive point in the development of any new transit
Banning existing operators from servicing service. Since drivers, conductors, and other
certain areas; staff of existing services tend to come from
Re-routing the existing operators to other lower-income groups, concerns over fairness
areas; and social justice should be at the forefront of
Permitting the existing operators to continue addressing this issue. If the process is managed
along certain segments of the corridor. properly, the market opportunities within the
new BRT system can be a win for everyone,
While banning the operators from certain areas
including the existing operators. Solutions
of the city may seem difficult to achieve in
are available that can address the needs of the
political terms, incentives can be used to en-
operators. However, at the same time, a strong
courage acceptance. The withdrawal of existing
sense of political will is required to ensure that
services can be a pre-requisite for participation
the goal of a high-quality transit system is the
in the BRT bidding process. Intransigent opera- over-riding objective.
tors can lose the opportunity to participate in
the new system. Additionally, technical assist- 3.5.1.5 Open versus closed systems
ance and identification of alternative markets The business or market structure can also be
can help ease the process of consolidating exist- closely related to the operational nature of the
ing services. system. In some instances, a detailed bidding

3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure 99

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 82 and 83 process will be utilised to determine which A closed system does not imply that one cannot
The photo on the left private firms will obtain concessions to oper- have multiple operators on the same corridor.
shows an “open system” ate on the busway. Firms that do not receive a Bogotá intentionally selects at least two operat-
in Porto Alegre while
the right photo shows a concession are not permitted to operate on the ing firms on each corridor to ensure a degree of
more controlled “closed busway, and many times, are also not permitted competitiveness within the market. In the case
system” in Quito. to operate on the mixed traffic lanes in the same of strikes or operational problems with one of
Photos by Lloyd Wright corridor. This form of operational structure is the operators, there is the leverage of the addi-
known as a “closed system” in which the market tional operating company to compensate.
is restricted only to firms that are successful in Open systems require relatively few changes in
the bidding process. the operating structure of the transport compa-
Alternatively, the busway can be open to all nies. In cities such as Kunming (China), Porto
existing operators without any significant Alegre (Brazil), and Taipei (Taiwan), the use
restrictions based on vehicle numbers or routing. of an open system has avoided the need for any
In this scenario, the operators continue in much painful re-structuring of the industry. Bogotá
the same business structure as before but with also operated an open system prior to the devel-
improved infrastructure. This option is known opment of the TransMilenio system. In an open
as an “open system” (Figure 82). system, buses operate in a similar manner to the
Cities such as Bogotá and Curitiba operate as situation before the busways. Fare collection is
closed systems by limiting entry to qualified done on-board the vehicles with the revenues
private firms. Quito also operates closed systems being retained by the operators. The only major
on its Trolé and Ecovía corridors (Figure 83). improvement comes in terms of travel times and
Bogotá is perhaps the most complete example the smoothness of the ride due to the presence
of a closed system utilising a full competitive of the segregated busway.
structure. In general, open systems tend not to be as
coordinated and as efficient as closed systems
Fig. 84
precisely because no meaningful re-structuring
When bus companies
“compete in the market”, of the industry has taken place. The relative lack
there may be incentives of control over the movement of vehicles implies
for speeding or reckless that congestion can occur along the busway.
driving in order to Aggressive behaviour amongst drivers is limited
steal passengers from due to the physical design of the segregated
competitors. The photo
shows a bus passing lane, but nevertheless the lack of cooperation
another vehicle and amongst drivers can result in some gaming
avoiding just barely a tactics and dangerous driving (Figure 84).
head-on collision in
Beijing (China). Open system structures can be preferred when
Photo by Lloyd Wright only a small portion of a BRT system is being

100 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Table 23: Comparison between closed and open BRT systems

Factor Closed system Open system

Access Access limited to operators who were Access given to a wider range of
successful in bidding process. existing operators.
Control and Vehicle numbers, frequency, scheduling, Individual companies tend to make own
management and other factors are all coordinated decisions regarding key control issues
centrally for optimum efficiency. with relatively little central coordination.
Service quality Service quality is strictly controlled to high Service quality is more dependent on
standards by the contractual agreement the individual nature of each operator.
through the bidding process.
Service Service is controlled to a high and Service is more variable.
uniformity uniform standard through the terms of the
concession.
Competitive Competition is for the market but with little Little competition for the market but
structure competitive aggression in the market. significant competition in the market.
Infrastructure Works well in a full BRT network. Works well in a busway system of
limited size.
Fare collection Pre-board fare collection by a separate Fares collected on-board vehicle by
concessioned firm; fare revenues each individual operator.
distributed in a transparent process by an
independent agent.
Business Typically accompanied by a full re- Requires no large-scale re-organisation
reorganisation organisation of the bus industry. of routes or business practices.
Political will Requires sufficient political will to install a Relatively little political will is required
new competitive structure. since no major changes are imposed on
the business operations.

developed in the initial stages. In such cases, agencies to large transport departments that
the buses are only on the busway for a relatively oversee all forms of public and private transport
short distance prior to switching to more con- (Table 24). Further, these institutions can
ventional roadways. Some new systems, such as be either highly autonomous from the local
Delhi (India), are opting for open systems due to government or closely controlled by elected
both the incremental nature of the projects and officials and civil servants. The responsible level
the lack of sufficient political will to achieve a of government for a transit system is often local
full closed system. Table 23 compares the rela- in nature, but the system can also be controlled
tive advantages of both closed and open systems. in some instances by provincial governments
or even national ministries. Finally, the institu-
3.5.2 Institutional and regulatory tional oversight of a BRT system can be imple-
structure mented through an existing agency or through
The supporting institutional and regulatory a newly created organisation.
structure can either create an environment of
efficiency and transparency or lead to misplaced
incentives and even corruption. The “public” Table 24: Institutional options
side of an effective public-private partnership Type of institution Description
will play a pivotal role in developing and main-
taining a competitive transit environment. Transport department Large entity with a wide range of regulatory and
management responsibilities; typically reports directly
However, there is no one answer to an effec- to city political officials
tive institutional structure since the existing Transport authority Organisation with wide oversight on all public
agencies, historical precedents, geographical transport activities; frequently given autonomous
coverage of the system, and the local political status through a board of directors
dynamics will all shape the likely outcome. The Specialised transport Smaller organisation with a focused mandate;
options range from relatively focused specialised agency typically reports directly to city political officials

3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure 101

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

In general, transport institutions can have a responsibilities all within a single organisation
range of responsibilities, including: (Meakin, 2002b). London and Singapore also
Policy-making and setting standards provide examples of the advantages of transport
Regulation planning across an entire metropolitan area.
Planning and design In other urban conglomerations that consist
of multiple municipalities it is often difficult
Project implementation
to achieve a coordinated transit plan if each
Operational management municipal government has its own planning
Financial management processes. The single entity approach also
Contracting and concessions enables London and Singapore to address car
Regulation restraint measures, public transport, and traffic
Administration management activities in an integrated planning
process and in a unified bureaucracy. However,
Marketing
a single transport institution does bring its own
At some level, each of these activities will need challenges. Large organisations can be more
to be addressed by a governmental institution. complex and more difficult to manage. With a
However, whether the entity is organised as a range of priorities, a large institution may not
single institution or several different institutions have the same focus on BRT as a more special-
depends greatly upon local political circumstances. ised agency. In some instances, large organisa-
A single transport institution avoids many of the tions are also less responsive to market demands.
inter-organisational conflicts that can otherwise By contrast, in cities such as Bogotá and
occur. Rather than risking battles over each Curitiba, the BRT systems are overseen by
organisation’s turf, a single institution removes smaller, fairly specialised organisations. In such
much of this conflict. An organisation such as instances, different aspects of BRT development
Transport for London (TfL) has a wide range of and operation can reside in different organisa-
coordinating activities across the entire London tions. In Curitiba, the planning and develop-
metropolitan area. Prior to TfL’s creation in ment of the transport master plan resides with
2002, transport was largely the responsibility of the Institute of Urban Research and Planning
London’s many local boroughs. Unfortunately, of Curitiba (IPPUC). Another organisation,
such an arrangement did little to foster coherent Urbanisation of Curitiba (URBS), is responsible
plans for systems that crossed borough bounda- for the actual implementation and management
ries. Although TfL contracts private firms for of the BRT system.
infrastructure development and operations, the
Bogotá created a new entity, TransMilenio SA,
public organisation maintains a wide range of
to oversee the development and operation of its
responsibilities, including the following areas:
BRT system. TransMilenio SA was formed as
London bus system
a “public company” which reports to the city’s
Underground system mayor through a board of directors. Other
Light rail lines more traditional governmental departments
Walking and cycling also play a significant role in Bogotá’s BRT
Congestion charging system, but the new public company has taken
Taxi regulation a lead in terms of ensuring efficiency and an
entrepreneurial approach. TransMilenio’s board
Traffic management
consists of ten directors who are derived from a
Maintaining major roadways cross-sectional representation of interested par-
River services ties. The city’s Mayor or a representative of the
Internally, TfL organises around different divi- Mayor acts as the board’s chairperson. Included
sions such as “street management” and “London in the board are non-governmental organisa-
buses”, but overall, TfL is a single entity. In a tions and citizens groups who are able to better
similar fashion, the Land Transport Authority provide a customer perspective. The current
of Singapore holds a wide array of transport TransMilenio board even includes an opera

102 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

singer. Many of the related agencies, such as the Figure 85: Transport institutions in Bogotá
transport regulator and the public works agency,
also are represented on the board in order to
assure coordination between all governmental �����
organisations. In summary, the groups and ���������
individuals included in the TransMilenio board
of directors are:
Mayor of Bogotá;
Secretariat of Transit and Transport (trans- ������������� ���������������
���������� ������������
port regulator); ����� ������������
����������� ��
����������� ���������
Institute for Urban Development (IDU);
Civil society representative (from academia or Municipal Municipal Institute; Municipal agency; Public company;
department; Designs and Regulates Manages the
elsewhere); Develops master implements transport transport operations of
transport plan Infrastructure operators BRT system
Civil society representative (from transport or (i.e., public works)
environmental NGO);
Municipal Department of Planning;
National Department of Planning; Despite the relative efficiency of a small public
company like TransMilenio, such specialised
Municipal Secretariat of Finance.
entities do bring with them other challenges.
Board meetings are also attended by the Gen- TransMilenio SA has interfaced well with the
eral Manager and Assistant General Manager of city’s transport regulator and public works
TransMilenio SA. The staff do not have a vote department, but in other cities, conflicts
but are there to answer questions that may arise. between such organisations can stifle progress
The Board of Directors is also served by finan- on transit initiatives. Disagreements and “turf”
cial and accounting specialists who can evaluate conflicts can over-ride other shared values
financial audits of the system. between agencies. Further, when problems arise, Fig. 86
each organisation can blame the other without Poor design and
TransMilenio SA focuses upon mostly on the construction techniques
operational and contracting aspects of manag- anyone taking responsibility. A recent problem resulted in the early
ing the BRT system. The organisation is also with material failures on the concrete busways failure of the concrete
involved in planning and financial aspects of in Bogotá demonstrated the ease in which busway along Caracas
responsibility can be denied amongst a complex Avenue in Bogotá. The
the system but in coordination with other agen- lack of contractual and
group of actors (Figure 86).
cies. Specifically, the city’s Institute for Urban administrative clarity
Development (IDU) holds responsibility on However, Bogotá’s introduction of a new or- resulted in multiple
delivering the system’s infrastructure. In many ganisation, TransMilenio SA, provided a crucial parties blaming one
catalyst to innovation. Trying to implement another with no one
cities, this responsibility is given to a “public assuming responsibility.
works” department. Bogotá also has a Secre- a radically different transit product through Photo by Carlos Pardo

tariat of Transit and Transport (STT), which

plays a regulatory role in the overall bus transit
system. STT continues to regulate and license
the conventional bus services that still operate
in many parts of the city. Figure 85 provides a
schematic of the different institutional entities
with a role in the Bogotá transport sector.
Smaller, specialised agencies can be more ef-
ficient and more customer responsive than larger
organisations. TransMilenio SA is able to man-
age a BRT system that currently serves nearly
one million passenger trips per day with a staff
of only approximately 70 persons.

3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure 103

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

an existing entity can be difficult. Entrenched that the firms are properly motivated to achieve
mindsets and vested interests can stifle the high levels of service.
creativity required to develop a bold new ap- A successful incentives process will likely evoke
proach such as BRT. Thus, by bringing together the following qualities:
an entirely new team with a fresh perspective,
Transparency
Bogotá created something quite special. For
other cities, the development of a new institu- Clarity
tional entity may also be necessary in order to Simplicity
avoid established agencies that have a reputation Integrity
for inefficiency and corruption. It would be Risk
unlikely to be able to create a major new initia- Transparency and clarity refer to the develop-
tive in such an environment. Further, given ment of a contracting and concessions process
the legal and political difficulties in re-shaping that is open and fair to all. The bidding proc-
existing agencies and replacing civil service staff, esses should be well-advertised to attract as
changing the existing agency structure and many participants as possible. There should be
mindset may not be realistic within the confines no perception that any one participant has any
of a relatively short political term. inherent advantage over another. The rules and
London and Bogotá possess widely different in- process should be clear and specific enough
stitutional arrangements to oversee their transit that misunderstandings are minimised. Dates
services. While TfL is a broad-based organisa- for submission of bidding documents should be
tion with multiple roles and TransMilenio is chosen to give a fair opportunity for all.
a smaller, more focused public company, both Incentives work best when the opportunities for
organisations have achieved considerable success. “gaming” the system are minimised. Ideally, the
The lessons from London and Bogotá show that right incentives will directly lead to competitive
while the form of the institutional structure is behaviour in a positive environment. Simplicity
highly dependent on local circumstances, bus in the structure of the incentive scheme can
priority measures can succeed in a variety of thus contribute to an environment of contrac-
institutional forms when innovation and com- tual clarity. However, simplicity does not mean
petitiveness are introduced. that contracts and concessions documents will
lack the needed legal rigour. Rather, the docu-
3.5.3 Incentives for competition ments should not be so overly complex that
3.5.3.1 Qualities of a successful incentive misunderstandings occur or that opportunities
scheme for gaming arise.
The right set of financial incentives can encour- The integrity of the competitive process im-
age contractors and concessioned firms to oper- plies that the contracts will be honoured and
ate a BRT system at the highest levels of quality respected. For instance, a change of political
and performance. The wrong set of incentives leadership should not suddenly mean that
will cause operators to compete against each contracts are forcibly negated or re-negotiated.
other in a manner that risks financial sustain- Maintaining the process’ integrity does not
ability and customer safety. The success of BRT entirely mean that the contracts are completely
systems such as Bogotá and Curitiba owe much inflexible. Opportunities for re-negotiation can
to achieving an incentive structure that is a win be explicitly included in the contractual lan-
for the operators, a win for the municipality, guage. However, any such re-negotiation, stem-
and most importantly, a win for the customer. ming perhaps from extraordinary circumstances,
For a “closed” type BRT system, incentive should involve open and fair procedures.
mechanisms can be erected in at least two dis- Risk is an important part of ensuring opera-
tinct areas. First, an incentive bidding scheme tors and contractors are properly focused upon
can be established to determine which operators providing a quality service. The element of risk
should be allowed to gain access to the system. implies that if operators fail to perform, there
Second, once the operators are in place, “quality will be financial penalties and/or even removal
incentive contracting” can be utilised to ensure

104 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

from the system. Without risk, the leveraging In Leon, the consortium operates both the
ability of the municipality to control system trunk corridors and the feeder services. How-
performance is greatly compromised. ever, the distribution of revenues is handled dif-
ferently for each route type. Fares are not inde-
3.5.3.2 Non-competitive examples
pendently collected but rather handled directly
The introduction of a BRT system is the perfect by the consortium. Even though the system
time to initiate a highly competitive structure has an integrated ticketing system and a single
for public transport operations. The new system fare, fares collected by the feeder buses are kept
can be a discernible break from the past and a by the feeder bus operators. The income of the
legitimate time to consider other options. Un- feeder operators is thus based on the number
fortunately, many cities do not avail themselves of passengers. The fares collected on the trunk
upon such an opportunity. corridors are deposited into a fund established
Despite the overwhelming advantages of by the consortium. Funds are reportedly distrib-
competitive structures, cities such as Quito, uted to trunk operators on a basis of number of
Leon, and Jakarta have elected to essentially kilometres travelled. However, since the pay-
ment system is not transparent, the exact nature
“grandfather” the rights of existing operators
of the revenue distribution scheme is unclear to
into the new BRT system. The results are quite
the municipality and the public.
predictable. On Quito’s Ecovía corridor, the
existing operators formed a joint consortium Besides the non-transparency and lack of
(called TRANASOC) and were given exclusive competitiveness within the system, the market
rights to provide services for a ten-year period. design also has negative consequences for qual-
The operators were also essentially given free ity of service. Since the feeder operators only
financing on the new articulated vehicles since keep the fares that they collect, they only have
an incentive to serve customers during the
the municipality purchased the vehicles with
morning commute. On the return trip in the
public funds.
afternoon, the trunk line operators are collect-
In Quito, the operators are to repay the ing the revenues. Not surprisingly, then, the
municipality for the vehicles using revenues feeder companies provide very little service in
collected from the system. Unfortunately, fare the afternoons, and thus make the trip home
collection is done directly by the operators so a relatively unpleasant and difficult experience
the municipality actually has little knowledge for the customer. The City is trying to fix the
on actual passenger counts and revenues. Quite problem by creating a compensating fund.
worryingly, the operators’ repayment of the However, the only influence that the City and
articulated vehicles is tied to profit guarantees the State have over the regulation of the system
related to the number of passengers. Clearly, the is through a Technical Committee of the Coor-
operators have a strong incentive to underesti- dinadora de Transporte.
mate passenger and revenue numbers in order to Given the predictable results of manipulation
minimise any repayment of the vehicles. and inefficiency, why do municipalities choose
Leon’s BRT structure is likewise skewed to- uncompetitive structures such as those in Quito,
wards rewarding existing operators rather than Leon, and Jakarta? Principally, the reason is a
overall efficiency. Like Quito, existing operators lack of political will. Municipal officials are not
formed a monopoly consortium, in this case willing to entertain the possibility that some
existing operators could lose their operational
called the Coordinadora de Transporte. The
rights along a particular corridor. The resulting
municipality acquiesced to the consortium’s
upheaval from disgruntled operators could have
demands for full monopolistic rights of opera-
political consequences.
tion. The consortium’s operating rights to the
system also does not have a termination date, However, the choice between appeasing existing
implying a monopoly in perpetuity. However, operators and creating a competitive environ-
on the positive side, the consortium did invest ment is a false one. It is possible to design a
directly in new vehicles. system that gives an adequate opportunity to

3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure 105

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

the existing operators without compromising directed at both quality and low cost. In reality,
the overall competitive structure. Bogotá used its incentive structure to achieve a
variety of objectives:
3.5.3.3 Competitive bidding
Cost-effectiveness;
a. Trunk corridor bidding
Investment soundness;
The competitive bidding process ensures that
firms offering the best quality and most cost-ef- Environmental quality;
fective services are invited to participate in the Opportunities for existing operators;
new BRT system. A bidding process can also Local manufacturing of vehicles;
do much to shape the long-term sustainability International experience and partnerships.
of the system. Competition is not just reserved Bogotá’s competitive bidding process provided
for trunk line operators as other aspects of a the incentives to completely modernise its
BRT system can also benefit, including feeder transit system by encouraging modern vehicles,
services, fare collection systems, control centre wider company ownership, and sector reforms.
management, and infrastructure maintenance. The principle mechanism in Bogotá was the use
The bidding process developed by Bogotá’s of a points system to quantify the strength of
TransMilenio stands out as one of the best bidding firms. By carefully selecting the catego-
examples of providing a competitive structure ries and weightings within the points system,

Table 25: Points system for bidding on TransMilenio trunk line operations
Points
Factor †
Description Eligibility Minimum* Maximum**
Legal capacity Bidding firm holds the appropriate credentials
X - -
to submit a proposal
Economic Bidding firm holds the minimum amount of net
X - -
capacity owner’s equity to submit a proposal
Passenger public transport fleet in operation 30 150
Experience in Specific experience providing passenger 50 250
operation services in Colombia
International experience on mass transit 0 50
projects
Economic
Offer price per kilometre to operate the service 0 350
proposal
Right of exploitation of the concession
Proposal to Valuation of the share given to TransMilenio SA 21 50
the city from the revenue of the concessionaire
Valuation of the number of buses to be 14 50
scrapped by the concessionaire
Composition Share of company’s stock held by former small 32 200
of equity bus operators
structure
Environmental Level of air emissions and noise; disposal plan
0 200
performance for liquid and solid wastes
Fleet offered Size of fleet X - -
Manufacture origin of the fleet 0 50
Total (1350 points possible)
†
If the proposal meets all the requirements, then the proposal will be categorised as ELIGIBLE.
* If the proposal is below any given minimal value, then the proposal will be categorised as NOT ELIGIBLE.
** If the proposal does not meet the established range, then the proposal will be categorised as NOT ELIGIBLE.

106 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

TransMilenio shaped the nature of the ultimate The “economic proposal” is perhaps the most
product. Table 25 provides a summary of the important bid category in terms of creating
bidding categories and weightings. incentives for system that is cost-effective in
The points system was used in a way that re- operation and affordable to the majority of the
warded inclusion of the existing operators, but population. The bid process ensures that firms
the design also provided an impetus to con- closely analyse their cost structures to be as
solidate small operators into more manageable competitive as possible.
groupings. TransMilenio established eligibility The salaries, office space, and other costs of
criteria that mandated a certain minimum the public company, TransMilenio SA, are not
working capital and firms to be legally incorpo- funded through municipal payments. Instead,
rated as formal businesses. These requirements the public company receives a portion of the
prompted small operators to seek out partners system revenues. Thus, in the bidding process,
and to professionalise their business. Bid catego- the interested private firms must state what
ries such as the equity contribution of previous percentage of operating revenues will be given
operators and the experience level on a particu- to TransMilenio SA.
lar corridor gave value to the inclusion of the In order to help eliminate the more polluting
existing operators. However, the participation vehicles from the city, the private firms also
of the existing operators was not assured, as was bid on the number of old vehicles that they are
the case in Quito and Leon. This uncertainty willing to destroy. The older vehicles are to be
provided the necessary risk to drive a more physically scrapped so that these vehicles do not
competitive offering. simply move to another municipality. In some
The “economic capacity” category refers to the instances, the private operators will be able to
ability of the company to provide a minimum scrap their own vehicles. In other cases, it will
equity level as an initial investment. The be more economical to “buy” older vehicles
minimum equity level is equal to 15 per cent of from others. The idea is to find the lowest cost
the total value of the buses being offered to the vehicles to destroy. Since the lowest-cost vehicles
system. The minimum owner’s equity is defined also tend to be the oldest and most polluting,
by the formula: the incentive works well in achieving its goal
Fig. 87
of reducing the over-supply of outdated
Bidding operating
Mininum Owner’s Equity = NMV x US$ 200,000 x 15% vehicles. The vehicle scrapping process is companies in Bogotá
NMV = Maximum number of buses offered to the system quite formal. The older vehicles must be received additional
taken to a designated scrapping facility points for agreeing
where a legal certification is awarded to scrap older, more
once the vehicle is destroyed (Figure 87). polluting vehicles.
The value of US$ 200,000 is the approximate Photo courtesy of TransMilenio SA.
cost of an articulated bus, based on the specifi-
cations required by TransMilenio SA.
“Experience in operation” refers to the bidding
firm’s direct experience in providing public
transport services. The experience can be in
Bogotá, the greater metropolitan area, or in
another Colombian city where vehicles of more
than ten passengers are utilised. Companies are
also awarded for partnering with international
transport providers. For example, the principal
transport operator in Paris, RATP (Régie
Autonome des Transports Parisiens), is a partner
with one of the TransMilenio operating firms.
The idea is to encourage a sharing of knowledge
that will improve the performance of the local
operators.

3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure 107

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

The process is designed to avoid any corruption facturers in Latin America are even producing
or any “leakage” of vehicles to other cities. Euro III vehicles.
The bidding firm’s equity share held by small The bidding process also encourages the vehicle
operators is a key incentive to encourage the par- manufacturers to develop fabrication plants
ticipation of existing operators. This bid category in Colombia. Local fabrication of vehicles is
essentially gives value to these small operators awarded additional points. This item is not a
and their existing resources. The bidding firm requirement, but does bring benefit to bidding
receives more points for the higher number of firms that can secure local fabrication. Thus,
shares owned by small bus operators. During the bidding process does not require local
the negotiations between the bidding firms and manufacturing in a draconian manner. Instead,
the small operators, the existing assets of buses, the positive reinforcement of bidding points
drivers, and capital held by the small companies helps to instil a market-based outcome. To date,
will likely determine their equity stake. much to the credit of TransMilenio’s existence,
two major international bus manufacturers
The “environmental performance” of the bid
have established production sites in Colombia.
refers to the rated air emissions and noise levels
Marco Polo in conjunction with two local firms
expected from the provided vehicle technolo-
has built a fabrication plant in Bogotá (Figure
gies as well as the expected handling of any
88) while Mercedes has built a plant in the
solid and liquid waste products. In the case
Colombian city of Pereira.
of Bogotá, the initial minimum standard for
tailpipe emissions is Euro II standards. With Bogotá’s competitive bidding process has been
time, this requirement will increase to Euro IV. successful in selecting operators who are most
However, firms offering Euro III technology or capable of delivering a high-quality product.
higher can gain additional bid points for doing Table 26 summarises some of the characteristics
so. The bidding process thus offers an in-built from the successful bids for Phase II trunk lines
incentive to not only meet minimal standards, of TransMilenio.
but encourages firms to go much higher. In The successful bids in Table 26 indicate dif-
turn, this incentive creates a dynamic environ- ferent strategies by each firm. Interestingly, all
ment to push vehicle manufacturers to provide firms entered the same price level and the same
improved products. Prior to TransMilenio, Euro sharing of revenues to TransMilenio. The selec-
II technology was difficult to obtain in Latin tion of these values is not due to collusion or
America since the manufacturers produced such coincidence. Instead, these values are the me-
vehicles predominantly for the European, North dian of the allowed range. The column “vehicles
American, and Japanese markets. Now, with to scrap” indicates the number of older vehicles
the incentives from TransMilenio, some manu- that each company is willing to destroy for each

Fig. 88
The competitive bidding
system in TransMilenio
rewarded additional
points to firms that
included locally
manufactured vehicles.
The photo shows a bus
manufacturing site
that has been opened in
Bogotá.
Photo by Lloyd Wright

108 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Table 26: Successful bids for Phase II trunk lines of TransMilenio

Participation of
Price / km existing operators
Fleet Revenues* to Vehicles
Company name Emissions (Colombian
size Trans-Milenio (%) to scrap % of
pesos) Owners
equity
TransMasivo SA 130 Euro III 3,774 3.53 % 7.0 452 20.22
Sí – 02 SA 105 Euro II 3,774 3.53 % 7.5 658 21.62
Connexión Mobil 100 Euro II 3,774 3.53 % 8.9 740 29.39
Source: TransMilenio SA

* The “Revenues to TransMilenio” column represents the amount of revenues that the bidding
firms are willing to give to the public company (TransMilenio SA) in order to manage the system.

new articulated vehicle introduced. Thus, for Figure 89:

Distribution of feeder zones in Bogotá
example, the company “Connexion Mobil” will
destroy 8.9 older vehicles for every new articu-
lated vehicle that the firm purchases. With a
total of 100 new vehicles being introduced,
Connexion Mobil will thus destroy 890 older
buses. The final columns set out the amount
of participation each firm has given to existing
small operators.
b. Feeder service bidding
A similar bidding process is conducted for
feeder services. Table 26 is a summary of results
from TransMilenio Phase II bids for the feeder
routes. Due to reasons of practicality, a single
feeder company operates in a given zone of the
city. A total of eight zones are demarcated for
the feeder services in Bogotá (Figure 89). Six
of these zones were open to bidding during the
tendering process presented in Table 27.
The results of the Phase II bidding for feeder
services in Bogotá indicate the great capacity
of competitive bidding to achieve particular
results. Specifically, the number of existing
operators forming partnerships is quite im-
pressive. As many as 1,333 small owners are
participating in a single firm within the Phase
Source: TransMilenio SA

Table 27: Successful bids for Phase II feeder services of TransMilenio

Price / km Price / Emissions Vehicles Number

Zone Company
(Col. pesos) passenger Technology to scrap of owners
Norte Alnorte Fase 2 0.0 263.0 Euro III 3 240
Suba Alcapital Fase 2 0.0 260.0 Euro III 3 457
Calle 80 TAO 0.0 295.3 Euro III 3 1,151
Americas ETMA 279.6 292.0 Euro III 3 807
Sur Si – 03 0.0 332.2 Euro III 3 1,333
Usme Citimovil 0.0 347.1 Euro III (35%) 3 997
Source: TransMilenio SA

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Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

II bids for feeder services. It is unlikely any sort Once again, Bogotá provides an excellent
of mandatory grouping could have derived such example of how quality incentive contracting
a large consortium. The power of the market in can be used to motivate operator performance.
conjunction with a well-designed bid process However, many cities other cities, such as Lon-
can provide significant motivation to achieve don and Hong Kong, also make use of quality
desired results. incentive contracts in their bus operations. In
the case of Bogotá’s TransMilenio system, poor
The duration of the concession contract has also
performing operators can experience revenue
played a pivotal role in influencing the results of
reductions of up to 10 per cent of the operator’s
Bogotá’s bid process. A long concession period
monthly income. Further, in extreme cases, an
increases the value of the contract and thus
operator can even lose the concession for con-
increases the quality and quantity of the bids.
sistently unacceptable services.
However, if the concession period is too long,
then the municipality’s flexibility with future Since TransMilenio operators are paid based
changes becomes limited. Further, a long conces- upon the number of kilometres travelled,
sion period can have a negative effect on competi- penalties for poor performance are imposed by
tion since it creates a long-term oligopoly for reducing the number of kilometres assigned to
the successful firms. In the case of Bogotá, the the operator. The basis for fines and penalties
duration of the concessions match the estimated are explicitly set out in the initial contract. Areas
useful life of the new vehicles. Each successful covered in the quality incentive contract include
firm thus receives a concession for ten years. maintenance practices, customer service, driver
safety, administrative practices, and environmen-
The ten-year concession period also applies to tal performance. Table 28 summarises the types
the feeder services. During Phase I of Trans- of infractions and their associated penalties.
Milenio, the feeder operators only received a
In some instances where public safety is com-
concession for a period of four years. The trunk
promised, TransMilenio SA will also directly
operators still had a ten-year concession during
impose penalties upon the drivers in addition to
Phase I. The longer concession in Phase II for
fining the operating company. Thus, violations
the feeder companies reflects increased expecta-
such as driving at excessive speeds or disobeying
tions for these firms in terms of vehicle tech-
traffic signals can result in driver suspensions or
nology and service quality. By giving a longer
termination of employment (Table 29).
concession period, the operators are able to
purchase new vehicles and amortise the vehicles The public company, TransMilenio SA, is re-
over the course of the contract. sponsible for monitoring and evaluating compli-
ance with contractual norms. Inspections occur
3.5.3.4 Quality incentive contracts (QICs) both randomly and within periodic schedules.
The competitive bidding process ensures that Some violations can also be detected through
the most able and most cost-effective companies the GPS system. Control centre staff can record
will participate in the BRT system. Likewise, average speeds and vehicle movements, and
though, it is important to develop the right thus staff can determine when speeding or other
incentives to ensure continued high-quality vehicle violations occur.
service in the system’s operation. A “quality Ninety percent of the fines and penalties are
incentive contract” is an effective mechanism collected into the “Fines and Benefits Fund”
to encourage operators to deliver excellence in while the remainder is retained by Trans-
service. In essence, a quality incentive contract Milenio SA. The “Fines and Benefits Fund” is
stipulates how an operator’s performance is tied then periodically distributed to the highest-per-
to its financial compensation. If an operator forming operator. Thus, the scheme provides a
fails to perform properly in certain aspects of double incentive to avoid poor performance by
its service, then the firm will incur penalties first penalising poor quality service and then
or deductions in its payments. Likewise, a firm rewarding excellence. In addition, since the
that exceeds service expectations can actually be penalised operators also forfeit a certain number
rewarded with additional payments. of kilometres serviced, the well-performing

110 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Table 28: Penalty system within TransMilenio’s quality incentive contracting

Area Type of infraction Penalty

Maintenance / Alteration of / damage to the vehicle interior or exterior: 50 kilometres
vehicle deficiencies Unauthorized advertisements, non-functional signal lights,
unclean bus, or damaged seating.
Failure to follow pre-determined schedules for maintenance, 50 kilometres
repair, or inspection.
Non-functional doors or worn tires. 100 kilometres
Alteration of or damage to the GPS system or the radio 250 kilometres
communication system.
Customer service / Stopping at a different station than the assigned station or not 25 kilometres
operations stopping at an assigned station
Stopping for a longer period than requested 25 kilometres
Blocking an intersection 25 kilometres
Use of stereos, driver’s cellular or walkman devices. 50 kilometres
Parking bus in an unauthorised location 60 kilometres
Changing route without authorisation 60 kilometres
Delaying system operation without a valid reason 60 kilometres
Over-passing another bus with the same route without 60 kilometres
authorisation
Operating during unauthorised hours 175 kilometres
Permitting the boarding or alighting of passengers in places 250 kilometres
other than stations.
Operating bus on streets different than the formal trunk lines 250 kilometres
without authorisation
Abandoning a bus without a valid reason 250 kilometres
Consistency of Performance difference between best operator and other 0 kilometres
driver performance operators, < 20%
Performance difference between best operator and other 30 kilometres
operators, 20% - 25%
Performance difference between best operator and other 75 kilometres
operators, 25% - 30%
Performance difference between best operator and other 120 kilometres
operators, > 30%
Administrative / Failure to send reports required by TransMilenio 50 kilometres
institutional
Impeding the work of inspectors from TransMilenio SA 50 kilometres
Hiding information or providing incorrect information 50 kilometres
Inappropriate administrative or accounting procedures 100 kilometres
Abuse of power in relations with staff 100 kilometres
Environmental Fuel / oil leaks and spillages 25 kilometres
Noise and air pollutant levels above the levels stipulated in the 50 kilometres
bid contract.
Mishandling of hazardous materials 50 kilometres
Security Any security violations not in compliance with contractual 100 kilometres
obligations for each day
in violation
Source: TransMilenio SA

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Table 29: Penalties for driver infractions

Penalty to
Action Penalty to driver operating
company
Lack of driver’s license of bus registration Suspension (next day) 100 kilometres
document
Failure to provide first aid One day suspension 100 kilometres
Refusal to provide customer with information One day suspension 100 kilometres
Accident between to TransMilenio buses Penalty depends upon investigation 100 kilometres
Running red light Immediate suspension 100 kilometres
Backing up while on a trunk line One day suspension 50 kilometres
Possession of a firearm Immediate suspension 100 kilometres
Disobeying police instructions One day suspension 200 kilometres
Driving while under the influence of alcohol or Immediate suspension 200 kilometres
other prohibited substances
Accident resulting from an irresponsible action One day suspension 200 kilometres
Improper approach to station platform Three times in a single day results in 50 kilometres
a one day suspension
Excess velocity One day suspension 100 kilometres
Encroachment onto pedestrian crossing 100 kilometres
Mechanical problems that are not resolved in 50 kilometres
less than one hour
Verbal or physical aggression to passengers Immediate suspension 100 kilometres
Conducting fare collection on board vehicle Immediate suspension 200 kilometres
Disobeying instructions from Control Centre Immediate suspension 100 kilometres
or traffic authorities
Source: TransMilenio SA

operators also gain by receiving increased serv- the operating company. In turn, the projected
ice allocations. profitability will affect the amount of invest-
Penalised operators do have some recourse to ment the operating company is willing to make
contest unwarranted fines. If the operators feel towards the system. Longer concession periods
that the penalties have been imposed unfairly, will thus tend to increase both profitability and
an appeal can be presented during the weekly investment levels. However, longer-term conces-
meetings that take place between the operators sions have the negative effect of reducing the
and TransMilenio SA. If the other operators public sector’s flexibility and control over the
and TransMilenio SA concur that the fines were future direction of the system. Very long-term
unwarranted, then the amount of the fine is concessions can result in monopolistic behav-
returned. iour that ultimately reduces system quality.
Thus, the optimum duration for a concession
When applied fairly, a system of quality incen-
contract will be such that it provides sufficient
tive contracts provides a powerful tool in moti-
time for a profitable operation but does not
vating high-quality service from operators. By
impair future flexibility and competitiveness.
selecting the appropriate measures and follow-
ing-up with a rigorous inspection regime, opera- In Bogotá, the ten-year concession period is
tors will be given the right level of incentives to equated to the expected life of the new transit
remain focused on providing a quality product. vehicles. By allowing the operators to fully
amortise the vehicles over the life of the period
3.5.3.5 Duration of concession contracts of the concession contract, the lowest cost
The duration of the concession contract affects structure is achieved. A shorter period would
the potential profitability of the service for place additional risk on the operators who may

112 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

not have use for the under-utilised vehicles if of operating costs in order to properly distribute
they were not successful with a future conces- revenues between operators, fare collection
sion. A longer period would either mean that firms, and system administrators. System
new vehicles would need to be purchased within designers must also be explicitly aware of the
the concession, or that pressure would be placed magnitude of operational cost components in
on the city to permit operation of older vehicles. order to properly set fare levels.
The optimum concession length will vary by 3.5.4.1 Operating cost elements
local circumstances and the project’s specific cost
Operating costs can be divided into both fixed
analysis. Acceptable vehicle ages and amortisa-
and variable components. The fixed portion
tion rates will vary. However, the over-riding
includes the cost of capital and the depreciative
principal is to select a contract duration that
maximises competitiveness and cost effectiveness. value of the rolling stock (buses) assets. Ad-
ditionally, there will be fixed costs associated
3.5.4 Operational cost analysis directly with system operation such as the salary
Once a framework for the business structure of drivers, mechanics, and administrative staff.
has been determined, the information from Variable costs will include such operational con-
section 3.4 (operations) can be integrated to sumables such as fuel, tires, and lubricants as
derive an initial operational cost analysis. The well as maintenance items. Table 30 provides a
calculation of system operating costs will be summary of operational cost components along
significant not only for determining tariff levels with sample values from Bogotá’s TransMilenio
but also for defining incentives and profitability system. The values shown in Table 30 will vary
with operators. Systems in cities such as Bogotá greatly, depending on local circumstances. For
and Curitiba depend upon a strict calculation example, labour costs in developing cities may
Table 30: Operational Cost Components of BRT

Consumption
Item Measurement units
per vehicle
Repayment of Capital
Vehicle depreciation % of value of vehicle / year 10%
Cost of capital Effective annual interest rate on invested capital 15%
Fixed Operating Costs
Driver salaries Employees / vehicle 1.62
Salaries of mechanics Employees / vehicle 0.38
Salaries of administrative Employees / vehicle 0.32
personnel and supervisors
Other administrative expenses % of variable costs + maintenance + personnel 4.0%
Fleet insurance % of value of vehicle / year 1.8%
Variable Operating Costs
Fuel Gallons of diesel / 100 km 18.6
m3 of natural gas / 100 km 74.0
Tires
- New tires Units / 100,000 km 10.0
- Retreading Units / 100,000 km 27.6
Lubricants
- Motor Quarts of gallon / 10,000 km 78.9
- Transmission Quarts of gallon / 10,000 km 4.5
- Differential Quarts of gallon / 10,000 km 5.8
- Grease Kilograms / 10,000 km 3.0
Maintenance % of value of vehicle / year 6.0%
Source: TransMilenio SA, Bogotá, Colombia, June 2002.

3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure 113

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

be in the range of 10 percent to 25 percent from the standpoint of public versus private
of total costs. By comparison, labour costs in investment. The public sector generally provides
developed cities can range from 35 percent to 75 the capital investment just as it typically funds
percent of total costs. roadways for private automobiles. Many BRT
The values presented in Table 29 are used to systems utilise private operators to cover operat-
calculate an overall operating cost per kilometre ing costs, and thus such operators obtain access
for the system operators. This value is the basis to revenues from fare collection. Some costs,
for the renumeration given to the concessioned such as vehicles and fare collection equipment,
firms providing the transit services. do not automatically fall into either category,
and thus the assignment of these costs can
When comparing such operating cost values depend upon local circumstances.
between mass transit modes (e.g., BRT with
rail), one must be certain that a like for like There are instances when some elements of
comparison of variables is being made. BRT sys- the BRT system may be strategically moved
tems typically amortise vehicle purchase costs between capital and operational cost categories.
Typically, this situation arises when fare afford-
within the operating cost calculation while
ability in lower-income countries becomes a
rail systems sometimes list rolling stock as a
significant issue. For example, many African
capital cost. Further, because of rail’s high cost
nations have per capita incomes of US$ 200 or
structure, certain maintenance and replacement
less. Since the cost of vehicles and fare collec-
part items are sometimes capitalised. To make a
tion equipment will likely not be appreciably
correct comparison, adjustments will need to be
different between a low-income and middle-
made to ensure capital and operating costs are
income nation, the costs of such equipment can
appropriately categorised. put significant pressure on total operating costs
The initial analysis of operating costs will de- in low-income nations. Thus, moving some of
pend on many assumptions about the ultimate these costs to the capital cost category can help
design and operation of the system. Undoubt- permit reasonable fare levels without the need
edly, these factors will change as the planning for operating subsidies. In general, it is quite
process progresses. Further, the initial estimation desirable to avoid operating subsidies since
may also utilise base values from other cities the subsidy process adds much administrative
that may not be wholly applicable to the local complexity to the system, as well as creates op-
situation. Nevertheless, the initial analysis of portunities for the misappropriation of funds.
operating costs provides an important first step However, moving equipment purchases to the
in understanding the potential financial viability capital cost category can bring with it some
of the system. As the planning process continues, unintended consequences. In general, it is best
a feedback loop between design and operating to have the companies utilising the equipment
costs can help the decision making process. to pay for it and to maintain it. Companies that
3.5.4.2 Capital costs versus operating operate buses that they do not purchase or do
costs not own the vehicles will tend to not maintain
the vehicles properly. These companies may also
In general, the division between capital costs
not pursue the most cost-effective models at the
and operating costs are quite clear. The capital
time of purchase. Thus, public procurement of
costs represent the initial investment required to
equipment can result in many misplaced incen-
establish the system. Thus, infrastructure costs
tives. A compromise to such circumstances is for
fall into the category of capital costs. Operat-
the public sector to share costs with the private
ing costs refer to those costs that occur during
sector. For example, the public sector may
the operation of the system over the life of the provide 50 percent of the vehicle cost while the
infrastructure. Thus, labour, fuel, and mainte- private firm must pay off the other 50 percent
nance costs typically fall into the category of through fare revenues. In this way, the private
operating costs. firm still has an incentive to properly maintain
In most BRT systems, the classification of for the vehicle, but the reduced cost means that
capital costs versus operating costs is important pressure on cost recovery is lessened.

114 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

In general, it is always best for the private sector

to purchase their own vehicles, based upon the
well-defined specifications developed by the
public sector. However, in some instances with
low-income nations, it may be necessary to
transfer some of the vehicle purchase costs to
the capital cost category in order to achieve an
affordable customer tariff.
There are also circumstances that may permit
the shifting of costs in the other direction, from
capital costs towards operating costs. Some
systems have room for higher fare levels and
may prefer to reduce their capital borrowing
for the initial system infrastructure. In such
instances, putting some elements of equipment
into the operating cost category can make sense.
For example, Bogotá required the private firm
with the fare collection concession to include
the electronic turnstiles and smart cards as part
of the operational bid (Figure 90). The private maintaining system infrastructure does make Fig. 90
fare collection firm thus amortises the cost of some sense from an incentive perspective, it The fare collection
this infrastructure through their share of the does create other cost and quality issues. To and fare verification
fare revenue. In effect, the concessioned firm equipment in Bogotá
accommodate the maintenance costs, a longer was financed by a
is acting as a financing agent for the particular concession period is offered. The longer conces- concessioned private
piece of infrastructure. sion implies that the public authority has less sector firm.
Although less common, the maintenance of flexibility in shaping the system as circum- Photo by Lloyd Wright

the BRT infrastructure (busways, stations, stances change. Longer concession periods
etc.) may be another area where costs can be can thus result in oligopolistic behaviour that
moved from public responsibility to the private ultimately reduces the quality of the service.
sector. System maintenance is most commonly
performed by a public entity. However, on some 3.5.5 Tariff options
busway corridors in Sao Paulo (Brazil), the Tariff levels will greatly determine the ultimate
private operators are providing the maintenance size of the customer base and the segments of
of the stations and roadways. The private opera- society that can afford to use the system. The
tors agreed to the provision of road and station tariff levels will also determine the financial
maintenance in exchange for a longer-term stability and sustainability of the overall system.
concession. Previously, the operators paid 15 Fortunately, the relative cost effectiveness of
percent of their revenues to the public transit BRT compared to other mass transit options
authority (EMTU) to provide roadway main- means that operating subsidies are typically not
tenance. The public entity, though, delivered necessary, even with readily affordable fares.
relatively poor maintenance services. The result- The avoidance of public subsidies can greatly
ing poor quality of the roadways meant that the simplify system management as well as reduce
vehicles would incur higher maintenance costs. the continual need to justify a system’s financ-
Thus, an agreement was reached in which the
ing with public officials and the electorate.
private operators would be responsible for infra-
structure maintenance. Since the operators’ own 3.5.5.1 Tariff levels
operating costs are affected by the quality of the The actual tariff charged to the customer will
infrastructure, they have a significant incentive depend upon many factors and decisions. Most
to maintain it to higher standards. importantly, the cost levels of operating the
The Sao Paulo example, though, is relatively system are a principal consideration. To avoid
rare. While private operator responsibility for the need for an operational subsidy, covering

3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure 115

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

these basic costs is essential. Thus, a starting Thus, as noted, an initial estimation of potential
point for considering tariff levels is an analysis tariff levels can be achieved through an initial
of operational costs (see section 3.5.4). To the calculation of operating costs (see section 3.5.4),
extent possible, most developing cities structure an analysis of tariff levels with existing services,
BRT systems to avoid operating subsidies. By and an understanding of affordability levels for
avoiding subsidies, the city is also avoiding different segments of society.
the complexity and added costs of managing 3.5.5.2 Tariff types
a subsidy scheme. Further, the appearance of
There are two types of tariffs used in the fare cal-
subsidies generally creates a negative public
culation process. The first is the “customer tar-
perception on a system that is unable to pay its
iff”, which is the fare price seen by the customer.
own way. Few developing cities are equipped
The second tariff is the “technical tariff”, which
to commit to long-term transport subsidies, reflects the actual cost per passenger of operating
especially in the face of other basic needs such the system. In the case of Bogotá’s TransMilenio,
as education, electricity, health care, water, and the customer tariff is slightly higher than the
sanitation. Thus, a viability test for a new public technical tariff. This difference occurs because
transport system is whether expected operating TransMilenio also generates what is known as a
costs can be covered by the proposed fare level. “Contingency Fund” (equation 4).
Equation 4

Contingency fund = Revenues based on customer tariff – Revenues based on technical tariff

Of course, affordability is also a primary con- The contingency fund is designed to handle
sideration. If the proposed fare levels consume unexpected events such as unusual low levels
a large percentage of the daily income of of service demand, extended hours of opera-
low-income citizens, then the system will fail tion, terrorism and vandalism, and problems
to deliver its social development objectives. The associated with hyperinflation. In general, the
elasticity of demand for low-income groups can customer tariff will be greater than the techni-
cal tariff, and thus the contingency fund will
be quite high. Low-income residents may not
build up a positive balance. When unforeseen
place a high premium on reduced travel times,
circumstances occur and the technical tariff
and thus may continue to utilise lower-cost
exceeds the customer tariff, then proceeds from
options even with the improvements presented the contingency fund will be drawn upon for a
by a BRT system. Nevertheless, some price temporary period. If the changed circumstances
premium can be acceptable, especially if the become permanent, then an increase to the
proposed BRT system is providing a significant customer tariff can be expected in order to
improvement over existing informal services. ensure the financial stability of the system.
In the case of Bogotá, the city permitted the ex- Figure 91 graphs the customer tariff and the
isting operators to increase fares one year prior technical tariff for Bogotá’s TransMilenio
to the introduction of the TransMilenio service. system for the system’s first 22 months of
While the population was not entirely pleased operation. As expected, the customer tariff is
with the increases, in general, any displeasure generally greater than the technical tariff. As
was directed at the private operators and not the technical tariff has increased with time, the
the municipality. Thus, when TransMilenio was customer tariff has also increased in order to
finally introduced into operation, the cost was maintain a comfortable margin. The graphic
also demonstrates the difference in fluctuations
approximately the same as the existing services.
between each tariff types. The customer tariff
In other cases, such as Quito, the BRT service
only increases in discrete amounts since these
was introduced at a slight premium to the
represent points of actual fare increases to the
existing services. However, the vast difference customer. By contrast, the technical fare will
in quality between the new system and the likely vary to some degree each month, as the
previous older buses meant that the public was constituent cost categories will change with
supportive of the new system. economic conditions and input prices.

116 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.5.5.3 Fare adjustments Figure 91: Changes in customer tariff and

technical tariff with time
During the course of a ten-year concession,
there are undoubtedly cost elements that will ���������������
change with time. Fuel prices will vary based ����� ����������������
on world demand. Base labour costs will vary

���������������
in step with the local economy. Accurately ���
predicting these cost levels over a long period is ���
a nearly impossible task due to the great number
of external influences. Thus, a system is needed ���
to adjust fares as base costs elements change.
���
Unfortunately, costs tend to rise over time,
implying that fares must also rise. However, ���

raising fare costs to the public can be politically ���

difficult. If a transit company needs to obtain

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political approval for each fare increase, then
��

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the adjustments may never happen. In turn, the ��
entire system will eventually become financially Source: TransMilenio SA �����
untenable. To overcome such an inherent stale-
frequent adjustments, a contingency fund
mate, the system for fare adjustments should be
should be in place to bridge revenue short-falls.
relatively automatic in nature based upon key
trigger points. The contingency fund thus provides a buffer
that allows the system management company to
In the case of Bogotá, all operating costs are stabilise fare levels even in turbulent times.
calculated on a bi-weekly basis. If a particular
trigger point is reached (such as the technical 3.5.5.4 Fare discounts
tariff exceeding the customer tariff), then a fare Segmenting markets by fare levels can make
adjustment is authorised by the municipality. sense from both a business and social stand-
The mayor and other political officials are still point. Providing fare discounts to special groups
involved in the authorisation through the public is a relatively common practice in mass transit
company’s board of directors, but the stipula- systems around the world. However, a fare
tion of a fare adjustment is reached through the discount system can add considerable complex-
operating cost calculation. ity to the fare collection and fare verification
However, at the same time, some political processes. Further, unless effectively designed,
discretion is required. Fare level changes should fare discounts can also lead to wide-spread
not be frequent events; otherwise customers can fraud within the system.
become confused and angry. Also, it is probably Some of the groups that often receive fare dis-
sensible to establish fare levels that are round counts are:
numbers in order to coincide with denomina-
tions of the local currency. For example, a fare Children
of US$ 0.375 is not a possibility. Further, a fare Students
level that requires handling many small coins Elderly
means that both fare collection and fiduci- Frequent users
ary handling of the revenues will be slowed
An additional type of discount sometimes
down. This inefficiency will in effect increase
employed relates to travel during non-peak
costs even more. Thus, fare levels should only
increase at prescribed trigger points, and the times. Since peak-hour travel can strain system
increase should be significant enough so that resources, encouraging shifts to non-peak times
no further increases will be likely over the can be beneficial. Thus, a lower fare during
short term. A fare adjustment system should be non-peak hours can help balance demand and
ideally designed so that increases do not occur reduce overall system costs.
more than once or twice per year. If unusual The determination of discount eligibility for
events occur (e.g., hyperinflation) that require children and the elderly is typically based upon

3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure 117

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

age limits. For example, system managers and There are mechanisms to combat fare fraud
operators may decide that children under five to an extent. First, the avoidance of discount
years of age and adults over 60 years of age passes that allow unlimited travel is recom-
qualify for special discounts. The determination mended. Instead, discount fare passes that
of student eligibility is often predicated upon deduct credits for each trip undertaken can
either age limits and/or the possession of a somewhat help avoid shared passes. Second,
valid student identification. Student discounts advances in biometric technologies can quite
may be limited to only certain student seg- effectively eliminate unauthorised usages.
ments, such as primary, middle, secondary, and Biometric systems use inherent biological infor-
university levels of education. A frequent user mation, such as fingerprints or iris pattern, to
is typically determined by the mere purchase of assure that the person using the transit pass is
a monthly or annual travel pass, regardless of the same as the person who was issued the pass.
other customer characteristics. At the point of entry a scan verifies the identity
Discounts to children, students, and the elderly of the user. The current cost of biometric
are typically given for reasons of social equity. technology, its complexity, and its impact on
Discounts to frequent users via monthly passes the speed of fare verification mean that it is not
are sometimes given as a means to attract expected to be in widespread use for the short
customer loyalty and to ensure a solid rider- to medium term. However, the city of Goiania
ship base. Economically, a discount strategy (Brazil) is already testing such systems. Thus as
the technology improves and the costs decrease,
can make sense provided that the discounted
biometric systems may have a future role in fare
fare covers at least the marginal cost of each
verification processes.
passenger. If fare levels are to be reduced below
marginal cost levels, then some sort of subsidy An exception to these recommendations is travel
system will need to be put in place. Subsidies for very young children as designated by a certain
can take the form of cross-subsidies between age. Requiring a travel pass for a very young
customer user groups or direct subsidies from child is problematic since it can create a burden
the government to the operators. In either on parents. Also, given that the appearance of
case, the introduction of subsidies significantly young children changes considerably in the earli-
increases financial complexity within the opera- est years, photo passes are not particularly useful.
tion of the system, and subsidies also create Undoubtedly, some parents will insist that their
complications with respect to operator incen- six or seven year old is only five, but the scope of
tives. Thus, if a discounted fare structure is to this sort of deception is usually not significant
be utilised, it is usually best for the discounted enough to warrant a stringent approach.
fares to at least cover marginal costs. An effective fare discount system also implies
Discounted fare systems are also highly suscep- the need for more costly fare collection and fare
tible to fraud. As noted above, the qualifica- verification technologies, such as magnetic strip
tions for a child, student, or elderly discount or smart card technologies. The software to
is based upon age or a special identification. incorporate a fare discount system within these
However, once the discount passes are issued, it technologies will increase fare collection and
is extremely difficult to ascertain exactly who verification costs to a degree. Further, the added
is using the pass. The discount passes can be complexity is another factor that can lead to
“lent” to family or friends who otherwise do not system failure.
qualify for the discount. More worryingly is In summary, fare discounts are well-meaning at-
the development of a grey market for discount tempts to increase affordability and social equity
passes in which persons obtain passes and within a transit system. In some cases, though,
sell them to others. Likewise, certain types of the added costs and complexity of implement-
monthly passes for frequent users can be abused. ing a fare discount strategy can negate these
If the monthly pass allows unlimited travel on intended benefits. Before committing to a fare
the system, then the pass may end up being discount system, cities should carefully consider
shared amongst several persons. the full ramifications.

118 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.5.5.5 Fare-free systems 3.5.6.1 Fundamentals of revenue

A relatively new approach to transit fares is to distribution
eliminate the fares altogether. Transit systems in Traditionally, the handling of fare revenues
Belgium have realised that their fare collection in a developing-city transit system is a rather
process is actually so costly that it makes sense opaque process. Portions of the fares may be
just to provide free transit. By eliminating the kept by conductors or drivers with understood
fare fees for transit, there is no need for fare amounts being handed over to owners. There
collection and fare verification equipment, no also may be payments to police or other official
smart cards or other fare mediums, and no entities. As such, this process does not lend itself
customer wait times for fare purchases. Further, to a transparent business model in which the
the design of bus interiors and stations is void of public interest is carefully weighed. This process
the requirements from the fare system. also inherently rewards drivers to maximise the
Of course, the main benefit from fare-free number of passengers they collect during the
systems is the impact on passenger numbers. day. With the incentive of maximising pas-
In Hasselt (Belgium), bus patronage jumped sengers, drivers then work in a manner that can
from 23,000 passengers per month to 300,000 conflict with public safety and rider comfort.
passengers per month with the introduction of The transparent and fair distribution of revenues
fare-free service. About 25 percent of private is fundamental to operating a network of
vehicle users have switched to public transport integrated transit providers. If operators do not
since the implementation of this scheme. Like- have confidence in the distribution of revenues,
wise, urban rail fares have also been eliminated then their behaviour will revert to self-interested
in much of Belgium. actions that undermine customer satisfaction.
The basis of the decision in Belgium was the fact The most important elements in a transparent
that approximately 60 percent of the system’s system for revenue distribution are:
revenues were being used to print, distribute, 1. A business and institutional structure that
and inspect fares. If other externality costs, such provides for an independent fare collection
as impacts on station design and customer wait system;
times, are considered, then the case for fare-free 2. Checks and balances in place to verify rev-
travel will be even stronger. enues at different stages of process;
The development of a fare-free system does not 3. Revenues distributed based upon a clear set
mean that the overall business structure must of rules and procedures;
radically change. Private operators can still 4. An independent auditing system.
bid competitively for providing the services.
Figure 92 outlines the general process of fare
Payment to the operators can still be based on
collection and revenue distribution in Bogotá.
the number of kilometres travelled. The only
The fare collection and fare verification system
change is the origin of the revenue stream,
is managed by a separate private company that
which instead of being from the customers
successfully bid for the fare handling concession.
will be from other sources such as road pricing,
The fare handling company has no involvement
petrol taxes, and parking fees.
with any of the bus operating companies on
3.5.6 Collection and distribution of the BRT system. In Bogotá, the bus operators
revenues and their drivers never handle customer fares.
The distribution of revenues is another process Alleviating bus operators of this responsibility
which will greatly influence the behaviour of reduces system delays due to on-board fare
the system operators. Distributing revenues on collection and also reduces the likelihood of
a basis of the number of passengers or on a basis misappropriation of the revenues.
of kilometres travelled will affect behaviour in 3.5.6.2 Revenue verification
different ways. In systems such as Bogotá where smart card fare
systems are utilised, the data from the electronic
system can act as a verification of the revenues

3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure 119

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

collected. The revenues from a particular station process than the fare system for trunk lines.
or terminal should match the electronic records Cities such as Bogotá and Quito now compen-
of the passengers entering the system. In the sate feeder operators by a combination of the
case of TransMilenio, the electronic records are vehicle-kilometres travelled and the number of
passengers carried. This compensation package
Figure 92: ������������������ attempts to balance incentives in order to moti-
Revenue flows vate operators to provide a high-quality service.
��������������������
Within this model, feeder operations have a
�
���������������
range of options for fare collection and fare
verification. In Bogotá, feeder operators do not
collect the fares from passengers boarding at
feeder shelters. Instead passengers only pay once
they reach the terminal stations or intermedi-
������������������������� ���������������� ate transfer stations. For the return trip home,
passengers pay upon entering the trunk-line
�����������������
����������������� ��������������������� corridor, and then transfer fare free to the feeder
���������������� ����������������� services. However, for the return trip, entry into
���������������� the feeder service is restricted to those persons
collecting a transfer slip upon exiting the trunk
service (Figure 94). This system holds the
advantage of not making the feeder operators
�������������������� ����������������������� handle any revenues from passengers. By avoid-
ing fare collection and fare verification at the
���������������
������������� feeder level, there is considerable time savings as
�������������������
���������������� well as the avoidance of any corruption.
�������������������
����������������
����������������������� However, the system has the disadvantage of
allowing passengers to travel from one feeder
actually independently verified in two locations. stop to another feeder stop without paying
The electronic data is downloaded to mainframe
computers at both the fare collection company Figure 93: Electronic verification of fare
and the public management company (Figure information
93). This sort of electronic verification is an
effective mechanism in building the confidence ���������������������
level of all parties in the fare collection system. �����������������������
3.5.6.3 Feeder fare collection
As noted, fare revenues on the trunk corridors
can be collected and verified by a
concessioned private firm.
Fare collection on
feeder routes can be
��������� ��������� ���������
more complicated.
Typically, the same
fare collection infra-
structure cannot be cost justified on
feeder routes. Further, the lack of closed stations
on feeder routes creates physical challenges to ������������������
controlling passenger fares. ������������������
Thus, the fare handling system for feeder
services will often follow a different operational Source: TransMilenio SA

120 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

anything. This situation occurs due to the fact Fig. 94

that payment is only made once passengers A passenger wishing to
reach a terminal. In some ways the “free ride” use the feeder service
must obtain a transfer
between feeder stops could be viewed as a posi- slip upon leaving the
tive marketing point for TransMilenio since trunk line service in
people will enjoy having a free neighbourhood Bogotá.
service. However, the number of persons taking Photo by Lloyd Wright

advantage of this free service is now reaching 15

percent of total feeder ridership. TransMilenio
has changed feeder operator contracts from
being based exclusively on kilometres travelled
to being a combination of kilometres travelled
and passengers carried. It is possible that the
addition of passengers carried to the contract
will provide an incentive for operators to curb
the free use of the feeder services.
There are other options for feeder fare control
that can avoid some of the issues faced by
TransMilenio. Another option is for feeder
services to collect fares when passengers board
the feeder vehicle. While it would likely not
be practical to make the driver handle fare
collection and/or fare verification, the addition
of fare collection staff to the vehicle could be
magnitude, then the additional fare collection
a solution. Boarding the vehicle could take
staff could be fully cost justified.
place at a single doorway (e.g., the rear door).
Likewise, alighting the vehicle would then only If the feeder passenger volumes are sufficiently
be allowed at the other doorway (e.g., the front high, then other options utilising more sophis-
door). The fare collection staff (i.e., conductor) ticated fare technologies may be possible. These
could be from the fare collection company and options include:
not from the feeder operating company. This Fare collection vending machines at feeder
separation of interests would help to avoid shelters (either open or closed shelters)
any mishandling of fare revenues. Passengers Smart card readers upon entering a closed
boarding the feeder vehicle would enter a closed feeder station
reservoir area in the bus, and then proceed Smart card readers upon entering the feeder
through a turnstile once payment to the fare vehicle
collection staff is made. The reservoir concept Cities such as London are utilising coin-fed fare
allows the bus to continue to the next stop collection machines at conventional open bus sta-
while passengers are being processed through tions. This type of technology could be adaptable
fare collection. The reservoir concept is already to feeder services in some developing cities. If the
utilised extensively in countries like Brazil for shelter was closed (i.e., no entrance without fare
conventional bus services. The disadvantage of payment), then a coin-based or even smart-card
this option is the cost of adding another staff based system could permit entrance to the shelter.
person to the vehicle and the cost of the fare Alternatively, a fare card purchased at a vending
collection infrastructure within the vehicle. machine in an “open” shelter could then be
However, in many developing cities, the lower verified inside the vehicle. The verification could
labour costs in conjunction with political needs either be done in a closed reservoir environment
to maximise employment make this option a on the bus or by way of an honour system where
viable possibility. Further, if the free ridership passengers self-validate their fare tickets. If smart
problem experienced in Bogotá was of such a cards are utilised, then again the fare verification

3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure 121

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Figure 95: Flow of fare revenues through For TransMilenio, most of the revenues are
distribution process distributed to the concessioned private operators
who are providing either trunk line (66.5% of
���������� revenues) or feeder services (20% of revenues).
These percentages were pre-determined based
on negotiations and the terms of the bid process.
The company with the concession for the fare
��������������� collection receives 10% of the technical tariff
������� revenues. TransMilenio SA, the public company
with overall management responsibility for
the system, receives 3%. Finally, the fiduciary
��������� company, called the Trust Fund Administrator,
������� retains 0.5% of the technical tariff revenues.
The fiduciary company is responsible for manag-
ing the incoming assets as well as dis-
tributing the funds to the other
entities. Figure 96 summarises
����������� ���������� ������ ������ ���������
���� ��������� ��������� ������� ������� these distribution amounts.
The categories of “trunk-line
could take place through a self-validating ma- operators” and “feeder operators”
chine inside the vehicle. actually consist of many different private firms.
All of these technological solutions, though, do Thus, there is a further distribution process to
have limitations in the developing city context. divide these shares to each of the participating
First, the cost of the technologies for feeder operating companies.
services may be prohibitive from both a capital As noted earlier, the trunk-line operators are
and operating cost standpoint. Second, creat- compensated strictly upon the number of kilo-
ing “closed” stations at feeder stops may not metres travelled. The distribution of revenues
be practicable from either a spatial or a cost based on distance travelled helps eliminate
perspective. Third, the effectiveness of “honour” aggressive behaviour between operators. If the
payment and verification systems in developing operators were instead compensated by the
cities is still not proven. Fourth, costly fare number of actual passengers carried, then each
collection machines left unprotected at feeder
shelters could be subject to maintenance issues Figure 96: Distribution of system revenues
and even theft. from TransMilenio

3.5.6.4 Revenue distribution

In Bogotá, the concessioned fare collection
company does not actually distribute the
revenues to the bus operating companies. Since
the fare collection company itself is due part of
the proceeds, it would be a source of potential
suspicion if the fare collection company was
to fulfil this function. Instead, an independ-
ent fiduciary company (such as a bank) is the
depository of the actual fares. At this stage, the
public oversight company will then use the ��������������������
agreed upon formulas from the concession ����������������
agreements to distribute revenues amongst the �����������������������
operating companies. Thus, the actual handling ��������������
of the revenues follows the path outlined in
�����������������
Figure 95.

122 3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Figure 97: Distribution of revenues to trunk-line operators

Public company
3%

Fare collection Fiduciary company

company 10% 0.5%
Operator 1

Feeder operators Operator 4 Operator 2

20% Trunk-line operators
66.5% Operator 3

operator would seek to maximise their own pas- compensation is exclusively based on passenger
senger counts. This sort of incentive could lead numbers, the feeder operators are exposed to
to dangerous driving and poor customer service. considerable demand risk. Thus, the right incen-
The number of kilometres each operating tive package for feeder operators may be com-
company is assigned is negotiated beforehand pensation based upon BOTH the number of
amongst all the interested parties. In some cases, kilometres travelled and the number of passen-
there will be adjustments based upon any fines gers carried. In this scenario, the operators have
that an operating company has incurred. Thus, an incentive to both provide services across the
the revenue distribution process to the trunk- daily schedule and to cater to passenger needs.
line operators looks something like the process In both Bogotá and Quito, feeder services were
shown in Figure 97. originally compensated only by the number
The basis for revenue distribution to feeder of passengers served. However, both of these
services is somewhat different than the trunk- cities have now switched to a combined incen-
line operators. On the trunk-line corridors, the tive scheme (distance travelled and passengers
activities of the operators are relatively control- served) in order to improve feeder performance.
led, due to the fixed nature of busways and the
3.5.6.5 Auditing the process
control centre oversight. Driver infractions such
as not stopping at a station are readily observ- The entire process should be independently
able on the trunk lines. However, feeder services audited by another professional firm. This audit-
are less easily monitored and controlled. Thus, ing process provides a check on the handling of
the revenue distribution system must account revenues by the fare collection company and the
for any misplaced incentives. fiduciary company.
For example, if the feeder services are compen- The auditing process in conjunction with the
sated exclusively based on kilometres travelled, electronic verification of fares collected, as well
then the feeder operators have an incentive to as the presence of the fiduciary company, all
drive as quickly as possible without picking up help contribute to an environment of confi-
any passengers. Conversely, if the feeder opera- dence in the system. Without such a rigorous
tors are compensated exclusively on the number and transparent process, operators would be less
of passengers, then the operators will not oper- trustful of the system and less willing to act in a
ate during non-peak periods. Also, when the manner supporting the common good.

3.5 Planning Stage V: Business and Regulatory Structure 123

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

124
 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure be required. Thus, physical or financial limita-
tions that are placed upon infrastructure design
The physical design of the BRT system begins to
can necessitate a revision of the previous work
give the project a physical substance that better
on operational characteristics.
allows all stakeholders to properly envision the
final product. This process also allows the plan- The initial stage in the infrastructure design
ning team to better estimate the actual capital process is to develop a conceptual design
costs expected for the project. framework for the system. Based upon the in-
puts from the previous demand modelling and
Infrastructure consists of not only the roadwork
the operational study, the physical location and
that forms the busway but also a range of other initial designs are completed for the various
components. The infrastructure components infrastructure elements. An initial cost analysis
include: can then be performed to determine the feasi-
Busway infrastructure bility of the proposed design. Finally, once the
Feeder infrastructure conceptual design has been thoroughly evalu-
Stations ated and approved, detailed engineering designs
Intermediate transfer stations can proceed.
Terminals The topics presented in Planning Stage VI,
“Infrastructure”, are as follows:
Depots
Control centre
Pedestrian infrastructure 3.6.1 Conceptual study versus
detailed engineering study
Bicycle infrastructure
Commercial space 3.6.2 Busways
Traffic control signals 3.6.3 Stations
Public utilities (electricity, gas, water, sewage,
3.6.4 Intermediate transfer stations
telephone, etc.)
Landscape 3.6.5 Terminals
The design and engineering of these components 3.6.6 Depots
is dependent upon several key factors that will
3.6.7 Control centre
dictate the eventual form of the infrastructure.
Theses factors include: cost, functional at- 3.6.8 Feeder infrastructure
tributes, and aesthetic attributes. Like so many
3.6.9 Integration infrastructure
topics in BRT, there is no one correct solution
to infrastructure design. Much depends upon 3.6.10 Commercial space
local circumstances such as climatic and topo-
3.6.11 Traffic control signals
logical conditions, cost structures, and cultural
preferences. For instance, what is aesthetically 3.6.12 Public utilities
pleasing in one culture will not be considered as
3.6.13 Landscape
such in another.
The physical design and engineering of the 3.6.14 Infrastructure cost analysis
system directly follows from the operational
characteristics chosen in section 3.4. The corri- 3.6.1 Conceptual study versus detailed
dor selected, expected capacities, and service op- engineering study
tions all influence the physical design. However, The level of detail in the infrastructure plan will
the physical design may also exert influence on evolve as the BRT project progresses. In the
the operational characteristics as well. Given the first stage, conceptual designs will be developed
varying cost ramifications of different physical in tandem with the emerging operational plan.
designs, several iterations between operational More detailed engineering analyses will follow
design and physical infrastructure design may once the conceptual study and the initial cost

3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure 125

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

estimates warrant a commitment towards a

particular design. Thus, for each infrastructure
component discussed in this section (e.g., bus-
ways, stations, terminals, etc.), the planning
team will first complete a conceptual study prior
to moving towards more detailed engineering
plans and specifications.
3.6.1.1 Conceptual study
The infrastructure conceptual study should
provide a reasonable level of detail so that
decision-makers may properly evaluate the cost,
functionality, and aesthetics of the proposed
system. Thus, the conceptual study will include
overall dimensions of the infrastructure compo-
nents, basic drawings, and sufficient description
to develop an initial cost estimate.
Many of the initial artistic impressions and
drawings of the system infrastructure will be
used to help decision-makers and interested par-
ties to begin to visualise the system. Figures 98
and 99 are examples of these types of drawings.
Fig. 98 and 99
Other drawings will begin to provide some of Examples of the types of drawings that are
the more precise dimensional and structural developed in the conceptual phase of the BRT
details that will later be transformed into highly plan
detailed engineering drawings. Figures 100 and 3.6.1.2 Detailed engineering study and
101 are examples of these types of drawings. design specifications
Once a conceptual design is completed and
initial cost estimations are within an acceptable
range, then more detailed engineering work can
be undertaken. The detailed engineering design
and specifications will be the basis for the actual
construction work. The detailed design will
also permit construction firms to make more
accurate cost estimates within the construction
bid process.
Fig. 100 and 101
Given the topographical changes throughout
Examples of more
detailed drawings any corridor, each section of roadway will have
developed during the its own unique design. Detailed drawings gener-
detailed design phase ated from software such as AutoCAD will be
required along each segment.

126 3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.6.2 Busways
3.6.2.1 Lane selection
The location of the segregated busway within a
specific roadway is a design decision that holds
more options than might be immediately appar-
ent. The most common option is to locate the
busway in the centre median or in the centre
two lanes (Figure 102). This configuration re-
duces turning conflicts to the right (in countries
that drive on the right-hand side of the street).
The median location also permits a central
station to serve both busway directions. A single
station reduces infrastructure costs in compari-
son to the construction of separate stations for
each direction. The median-based station also
allows for more integration options with busway
lines that may cross on a perpendicular street.
It is far simpler to link two median stations by
way of tunnels or bridges than trying to link Fig. 102
four stations along the sides of the roadway. The placement of the
Two corridors may also be linked by having busway in the median
of the roadway is the
bus routes turn onto the perpendicular busway. most common and
Again, a median station is advantageous as probably the most
customers have the option of changing routes effective alignment
and selecting from multiple directions within a option.
Photo courtesy of TransMilenio SA
single station.
Along with a centre lane configuration option,
one can opt for either “with flow” or “counter- Fig. 103
flow” bus movements. “With flow” means that Operating vehicles in a
the buses drive in the same direction as the counter-flow direction
along the busway is
mixed traffic in the adjoining lanes. “Counter a possibility, but can
flow” means that the buses drive in the opposite create additional
direction of mixed traffic (Figure 103). “Coun- hazards for pedestrians.
ter flow” is sometimes used if the doorways Photo by Lloyd Wright

on the existing buses require the bus to drive

on a certain side. Obviously, it is preferable to
derive the bus design from the optimum busway
design, but this situation is not always possible.
“Counter flow” set-ups do have a potentially seri-
Bike Path

ous problem with increased pedestrian accidents.

Pedestrians can be unaccustomed to looking in
the direction of the counter flow lane and thus
cross unknowingly into a dangerous situation.
Beyond the centre lane configuration, there
exists a full range of alternatives that all too
Busway Southbound Northbound often do not receive complete consideration. In
Miami, the two busway lanes operate entirely
Fig. 104
on one side of the roadway while the mixed
In Miami (USA), BRT lanes for both busway
directions are placed on one side of the roadway. traffic is given several lanes (in both directions)
Image courtesy of the US Federal Transit Administration on the other side (Figure 104). This configura-

3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure 127

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 105 way to be stopped due to an accident or conges-

In Orlando (USA), tion. Such a configuration also creates difficulty
both BRT lanes are also when trying to allow free-flow transfers between
placed on one side of
the roadway with just perpendicular lines. To do so, one would have
a single lane of mixed to construct a rather elaborate set of overhead
traffic. or underground pedestrian passages to keep the
Photo courtesy of the US Federal
Transit Administration
system closed off. In general, customers will not
pay twice merely to change directions.
Like many other design decisions associated
with BRT, there is no one correct solution to
roadway configuration. Much depends upon
the local circumstances. Additionally, it may
be possible to use several different configura-
tions in a single system. Curitiba, Brazil uses
centre lanes, both lanes on the side, and streets
tion works well when one side of the road
exclusively for BRT (Figures 107, 108, and
lacks many turn offs, such as when a roadway
109). It most cases the only limitation is to
runs along a body of water or a large park. In
keep the doorway on the same side, so that
Orlando, a similar concept is used but with a
one has the flexibility to use the same buses on
roadway of significantly fewer lanes (Figure
105). In some cases it may be possible to give
over the entire roadway to the BRT system. In
Pittsburgh, USA, the East and West busways
operate on exclusive road networks that have
virtually no interactions with mixed traffic. The
Fig. 107, 108, and 109 East busway is in fact a former rail corridor.
Multiple roadway Likewise, segments of the Brisbane busway
configurations are system operate on streets with exclusive use for
possible within the BRT vehicles (Figure 106).
same system. Curitiba
employs several A surprisingly rare BRT configuration is the
different configurations placement of the busway on the sides of the
depending upon the roadway. While this configuration is fairly
local circumstances of
the area: 1.) Exclusive common with bus lanes, busways generally do
roadway use for busway not utilise the design, primarily because of the
(left photo); 2.) Median conflicts with turning traffic. Such conflicts will
busway (centre photo); greatly inhibit the system’s capacity. Achieving
and, 3.) Busway capacities over 5,000 passengers per hour per di-
entirely on one side of
roadway (right photo). rection is quite difficult if vehicles are frequently Fig. 106
interfering with busway operations. Turning In Brisbane (Australia), BRT vehicles have
Left and right photos by Lloyd Wright.
exclusive use of the entire roadway.
Centre photo courtesy of Karl
Fjellstrom.
vehicles create the potential for the entire bus- Photo courtesy of Queensland Transport

128 3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

multiple lines. However, even this caveat has

been circumvented in some cases; Porto Alegre
possesses buses with doorways on both sides to VALO VELHO 2257

allow maximum flexibility.

3.6.2.2 Busway dimensions
The availability of road space will likely be a
��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ���
significant design consideration in the devel-
����� ����� ����� ����� �����
opment of the busway. Providing space for
����������
busways, pedestrian and bicycle access areas,
and mixed traffic lanes can be a challenge when 14,000 pphpd the best option may be to con- Fig. 110
given the inherent limitations of existing road sider a passing lane at stations or even a second A typical roadway
widths. However, typically solutions can be lane throughout the full corridor (Figure 112). configuration for a
found to even the most space-limited streets. median busway.
By permitting a passing lane at stations, buses Image courtesy of the Municipality of
Buses are generally in the area of 2.6 metres can comfortably overtake other buses. Thus, Pereira (Colombia).

in width. To provide safe manoeuvring space multiple stopping bays and express services
for the vehicles, a standard lane of 3.5 metres can be accommodated with a passing lane. A
is typically provided. As lanes narrow, the safe passing lane also gives a system considerable
operating speed of the vehicle will likely be re- flexibility in terms of future ridership growth.
duced. The width of a median station will vary The principal difficulty in including a passing
depending on customer flows, but, in general, lane is the impact on road space. The additional
a median station will range from 2 metres to 5 lane in each direction would seem to require a
metres in width. A typical roadway cross-sec- road width few developing cities can reasonably
tion is presented in Figure 110. provide. However, a staggered station design can
If sufficient road space is not available to meet help to permit passing lanes, even in relatively
a preferred design option, there are still options tight corridors. Figure 113 provides an illustra-
for municipal officials to consider. Eliminating tion of this type of design option. The preferred
some mixed traffic lanes may seem politically median station design is retained, but its shape is
difficult to achieve, but by doing so, the result- elongated to help accommodate the passing lane.
ing design provides a strong incentive for shifts Passengers can still change directions within
to the new system. Further, the promise of a
new, high-quality mass transit system can help
stem concerns over reduced space for private
vehicles. Quito has managed to develop a bus-
way along an extremely narrow corridor in its
historical centre. In this instance, the city was
able to provide an exclusive busway with as little
as 3.2 metres in road width (Figure 111). Other
options include the grade separation of the bus
infrastructure through the use of underpasses,
tunnels, and overpasses.
3.6.2.3 Passing lanes Fig. 111

With a single busway lane in each direction, BRT is possible even

in very narrow street
a BRT system will reach a capacity limit at configurations. The
approximately 14,000 passengers per hour per photo shows the Quito
direction (pphpd) (see table 19). This capacity system in the city’s
level can be increased with the platooning of historical centre where
the roadway is only
vehicles and multiple stopping bays, but such slightly wider than a
a configuration is relatively complex to man- transit vehicle.
age and control. Instead, for capacities above Photo by Lloyd Wright

3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure 129

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 112
The provision of passing ������������������� �����������������
lanes at stations can be
achieved with either:
1.) A four-lane BRT
system; 2.) Additional
lanes provided only at
stations.
Image courtesy of TransMilenio SA

�������
���

the closed station area by crossing a connecting such as Barranquilla (Colombia), plans call for
platform. In this case, the higher passenger flows the purchase of properties near station areas.
within the stations are achieved by lengthening The road infrastructure is widened in these areas
the stations instead of widening them. in order to accommodate the passing lane. The
Other options for accommodating passing lanes viability of property purchases for this purpose
in relatively narrow roadways include reducing depends upon local property costs as well as
mixed traffic lanes as well as making property the existence of a well-designed compensation
purchases for widening. In some BRT cities, programme for property owners.

Mixed traffic

Exclusive busway

Direction: east Pedestrian Direction: east

ian Local service connection Express service
s tr
e d e ction
P ne
Direction: west Pedestrian Direction: west con
Express service connection Local service

Fig. 113 Exclusive busway

With clever design,
passing lanes can
be provided even in
relatively narrow street Mixed traffic
configurations.
Image by Lloyd Wright

130 3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.6.2.4 Construction techniques and 3.6.2.5 Lane separation

materials Busways are generally separated from mixed
The construction of the busway will typically traffic lanes by the use of blocks, curbing, per-
represent approximately 50 percent of the total manent traffic cones, or other types of barrier
infrastructure costs. Thus, savings through devices. The design of the separator should be
efficient design and material choice can produce sufficient to physically prohibit mixed traffic
significant dividends. Cost savings, though, vehicles to enter the busway. However, it may be
must be viewed both from the perspective of useful to design the separator to permit buses
initial construction costs and long-term main- to leave the busway in the event of unforeseen
tenance costs. Lower-quality road materials events. For example, if a bus breaks down on
may reduce capital costs but will dramatically the busway, it can be useful to allow other
increase maintenance costs if roadways need re- buses to avoid being blocked. Thus, a curb-
paving or reconstruction after just a few years. ing separator that is high enough to dissuade
In terms of longevity, concrete is typically a private vehicles from entering but low enough
to allow buses to safely leave the busway can be
better choice than asphalt. Concrete is more
appropriate. Like all aspects of the system, the
resistant to the forces of heavy buses passing
aesthetics of the separator design should also be
on a frequent basis. While concrete is more
a consideration.
costly than asphalt, in general, the longer life
of the surface will justify the higher initial cost. 3.6.2.6 Intersection design
One cost-cutting option is to consider concrete Intersections represent several design challenges
only at stations. In such instances, the runways for a busway system. If not designed to give
between the stations are constructed with priority to the BRT system, intersections will
lower-cost asphalt. The station areas are the have negative effects on travel times, system
most important in terms of retaining a stable capacity, and safety. Intersections can create
roadway level. If station areas subside from the bottleneck points due to congestion from other
weight and force of the vehicles, then maintain- vehicles as well as from traffic light phasing.
ing a level boarding height between the vehicles Intersections will also create design challenges
and the station platforms will be quite difficult. when it is necessary for BRT vehicles to turn
Station areas also see the most demanding from one corridor to another.
surface impacts due to the forces generated by Intersections with roundabouts can create
decelerating and accelerating vehicles. considerable uncertainty for the busway system.
The surface material, though, will only endure If the BRT vehicle must cross several lanes of
as long as the base materials are in tact. If water mixed traffic within a heavily congested round-
drainage is insufficient or if the base structure is about, the BRT vehicle may be hindered from
inherently weak, then the surface material will proceeding. In turn, such unpredictability with
quickly fail. A poor base design in Bogotá led to congestion delays can create havoc for system
the premature failure of the concrete surface on controllers who are attempting to maintain
the system’s Avenue Caracas corridor. Bogotá frequent services and evenly-spaced distances
has largely relied upon a technique known as between transit vehicles.
“white topping” for its concrete busways. The However, there are some solutions to the dif-
white topping method utilises the existing ficulties posed by roundabouts. First, the most
asphalt lane as the base material for the concrete elaborate solution is to construct a busway
surface material. White topping is thus a fairly underpass that goes below the roundabout,
economic option since it does not rely upon re- and thus avoids all conflicts with mixed traf-
construction of the busway base. However, the fic. Quito has achieved great success with
successful application of white topping depends its “Villa Flor” station that goes beneath the
on the strength of the base core, the integrity of heavily-trafficked roundabout on Maldonado
the asphalt layer, and the level of cohesiveness Avenue (Figure 114). Second, the busway can
between the asphalt and concrete layers. be given special signalling and a dedicated lane

3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure 131

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 114
One option for avoiding
traffic conflicts at
roundabouts is to build
the busway underneath
the roundabout, as
has been done with the
Villa Flor station in
Quito.
Photo by Lloyd Wright

cutting through the centre of the roundabout

area. Quito’s Ecovía line provides an example
of this technique (Figure 115). The ability to
construct a dedicated lane through the centre of
the roundabout will only be feasible when the
centre area of the roundabout does not host a
fountain, sculpture, or other permanent piece
of urban infrastructure. The construction of the
BRT system should not involve the loss of any
items of cultural identity. A third technique for
Fig. 116
permitting a BRT vehicle to efficiently cross a
Fig. 115
roundabout involves a combination of signalling Part of Boston’s “Big Dig” provides for an
In some instances, it underground busway.
may also be possible and a dedicated lane on the inside of the round- Photo courtesy of the US Federal Transit Administration
to construct a busway about. In this case, the BRT vehicle is given
3.6.2.7 Grade separation
through the centre of signal priority to enter the roundabout and
the roundabout, as has then follows a dedicated inside lane. Another The exclusive busways, rapid boarding and
been done on the Quito set of signals permit the vehicle to exit from the alighting techniques, and the well-spaced sta-
Ecovía corridor. tions all give BRT customers reduced travel
Photo by Lloyd Wright
roundabout on the opposite side.
times to their destinations. However, intersec-
tions and other points of interference with
vehicles will negatively affect speeds and travel
time. Separating the busway from these points
of conflict will substantially improve travel
times as well as safety.
Busways can be either “at-grade” or “grade-
separated”. An “at-grade” busway runs along
at street level and thus must eventually cross
signal-controlled intersections, which may
greatly reduce the overall potential throughput
of the system. “Grade-separated” busways avoid
such conflicts by being constructed in a manner
completely separated from any conflict with
other lanes. Overpasses, underpasses, and tun-
nels are a few of the options available to create
grade separation. In fact, the use of tunnels in
cities such as Seattle and Boston has made the
terms “surface subway” and “BRT” no longer

132 3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure

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3.6.2.8 Coloured lanes Fig. 117 and 118

The aesthetic appearance of the lanes will have Quito avoids conflicts
synonymous (Figure 116). Clearly, such designs an impact on the public’s image of the system. at intersections by
providing exclusive
undercut the cost advantages that surface BRT The colouration of the busway is one option for busway underpasses.
systems hold over rail, but it does provide creating a special and attractive BRT environ- The relatively modest
further indication of the blurring of the line ment (Figures 119 and 120). A smartly coloured cost of each underpass
between bus and rail options. busway not only raises the image of the system (US$ 1 million) is
but also creates a greater sense of permanence to justified by the time
In Quito, both the “Trolé” corridor and the new savings achieved.
“Central North” corridor make extensive use of the existence of the system. Coloured lanes also Photos by Lloyd Wright

underpasses. The “Villa Flor” interchange along create a psychological advantage over motorists
Quito’s “Trolé” corridor is a set of underpasses who may potentially block the busway when
that help avoid several intersecting roadways the lane must cross mixed traffic. Motorists are
and a major roundabout (Figure 117). The more likely to recognise that they are commit-
interchange has reduced north-south travel ting a traffic infraction by blocking a highly
times from 55 minutes to 45 minutes. Quito visible bus lane, especially when compared to
has determined that the large travel time savings the crossing of a lane that is indistinguishable
will deliver sufficient cost savings to justify the from a normal mixed-traffic lane.
additional construction costs of the underpasses. Colouration of busway lanes can be accom-
Figure 118 notes that a typical underpass in plished by at least two techniques. First, a road
Quito costs in the area of US$ 1 million. By surface paint can simply be applied to the
factoring in the value of time for transit users and busway. The advantage of simply painting the
the associated impacts of traffic congestion that lane is that colouration can be accomplished
at-grade intersections produce, the underpasses when just the existing street infrastructure is
deliver relatively short pay-back periods for Quito. being converted to a busway. The disadvantage

Fig. 119 and 120

Coloured busway lanes
help to raise the public
profile of the BRT
system.
Photos courtesy of the US Transit
Cooperative Research Program.

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 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

infrastructure purposes. For example, it might

be useful to use a colour for the busway that is
different than the colour utilised for the city’s
cycle ways. In this way, each set of sustainable
Fig. 121 and 122 of paint-based techniques is the duration of the transport infrastructure has its own unique
Mechanically guided colour and the long-term maintenance costs. A
systems allow greater visual identity.
second option is to utilise a coloured emulsion
vehicle velocities and a
narrower busway width, within the asphalt or concrete mix. In this 3.6.2.9 Guided busways
but these systems do case the colouration is a permanent part of the A guided busway is a special type of BRT sys-
increase construction surface material. As the surface begins to wear tem in which the lateral movement of the bus is
costs and reduce overall down, the colour is retained. controlled by side roller wheels (Figures 121 and
system flexibility.
Photos courtesy of the US Federal Pigments can be used that produce a lumines- 122). A few guided systems have been developed
Transit Administration
cent effect. A busway that is luminescent in in cities such as Essen (Germany), Adelaide
the evening can be another way of attracting (Australia), Leeds (UK), and Bradford (UK).
positive attention to the system. In Jakarta the The guidance systems consist of a physical bus
application of a red luminescent paint to the track that steers the bus by way of a mounted
busway gives the system a majestic red carpet side roller wheel.
appearance in the evenings. These systems can have a positive effect on speed
The choice of colour is highly specific to local and safety since the guideway better controls
preferences and local conditions. Local aesthetic the vehicle’s movements. Guided busways also
values play a role in choosing a colour that will permit a more narrow lane to be constructed,
produce a readily identifiable and positive im- and thus is helpful when road space is limited.
age for the BRT system. Further, a city-wide However, guided systems are still relatively rare
colour coding scheme should be considered as due to their added costs, complexity, and lack
a mechanism to differentiate between various of flexibility in use of the vehicles. Table 31
Table 31: Advantages and disadvantages of guided busway summarises the advantages and disadvantages
systems involved with guided systems.
Advantages Disadvantages Additionally, since busways do not require the
need for vehicle lane changes, some system
Higher speeds (reduced travel Increases busway construction costs
times) are achievable within considerably developers have elected to not pave the centre
safety standards of the lane (Figures 123 and 124). The resulting
Permits construction of narrower Increases vehicle costs savings in construction costs can be substantial.
busway lanes Further, the existence of earth or grass beneath
Contributes to a more Reduces flexibility with regard to the type the bus can help absorb engine noise; noise
permanent image of the busway of vehicles that may utilise the busway reductions of up to 40% have been reported
Allows construction of lanes Speed advantages of guided busways are using this technique. Not paving the centre
without paving the centre strip only realised when the distances between of the lane is also an option that other busway
stations are quite significant developers are considering, even when roller

134 3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 123 and 124

Not paving the centre of
the busway can produce
infrastructure cost
savings as well as reduce
operational noise.
Photo on left courtesy of Lane District
Transit (Eugene, USA)
Photo on right courtesy of US Transit
Cooperative Research Program

guides are not being utilised. The paved strips times, and expected bus dwell times. The floor
for non-guided buses will likely be wider than space dedicated to the expected number of
the strips for guided buses since non-guided waiting customers should be sufficient to avoid
buses will be subject to more variation in lateral user discomfort. Adequate customer space will
movement. The feasibility of this approach and also help to reduce incidences of pick-pocketing
cost savings associated with not paving the and other crime. However, floor space is limited
centre lane area will depend on local construc- to an extent by the available street space that
tion costs and practices. In some instances, may be allocated to the station footprint. Station
local contractors may not be well-versed in widths typically vary from 2.5 metres to 5 me-
utilising this construction technique. However, tres. Passenger space in narrower stations can be
given that the paving of the busway represents partially gained by increasing the overall length.
perhaps the single highest cost item in system The overall length of the station facility will
infrastructure, any potential cost savings should depend upon the length of the vehicles and the
be considered. number of stopping bays. If a system utilises
multiple routes and/or multiple service types
3.6.3 Stations
(e.g., local, limited-stop, and express), then
3.6.3.1 Station location several stopping bays are likely to be required.
The design and location of the BRT stations The distance between each stopping bay will
will affect system flow capacities as well as key in part be determined by the required turning
customer service parameters such as safety and distance needed for vehicles to enter and exit
convenience. Station location is largely demand the individual bays. If the distances between
driven with access to primary destinations such stopping bays are too close, then congestion
as shopping complexes, stadiums, major office between vehicles is likely to occur.
buildings, and schools being a determining Different stations will have different space
factor. The optimum distance between stations requirements. If a particular station hosts a wide
is a trade-off between demand at key locations number of routes and services, then several ad-
and the time penalty incurred for each stop ditional bays will be needed. Conversely, if the
added. A standard distance between stations is station is just serving a few routes, then possibly
approximately 500 metres but can often range only a single bay will be required. Figure 125
from 300 metres to 1000 metres, depending provides an overview of the different types of
upon local circumstances. stations utilised in phase I of Bogotá’s Trans-
Milenio system.
3.6.3.2 Station size
The entry areas, fare sales area, turnstiles and the 3.6.3.3 Boarding and alighting
station structure must all be designed to suf- Station design depends greatly upon an interac-
ficiently handle projected peak customer flows. tion with bus technology decisions, especially
Key factors for this determination include the with regard to the point of interface between
number of bus stopping bays, peak frequency the vehicles and the stations. Decisions on the

3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure 135

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

number of boarding doors and the width of chanical guidance devices can also be utilised
the doorways must reflect both passenger flow to ensure swift and accurate docking. Las Vegas
requirements and the availability of options (USA) utilises an optical guidance system that
from bus manufacturers. automatically docks the vehicle without driver
The design of the boarding and alighting in- intervention. Of course, the added hardware
terface will affect the likely dwell times of the and software costs of an optically automated
buses. BRT systems in cities like Bogotá are system can push vehicle costs well over US$ 1
able to reduce dwell times to 20 seconds using million. Further, automated systems can actu-
an array of rapid boarding and alighting strate- ally be slower than manual alignment in decel-
gies. TransMilenio relies upon close alignment erating towards the station, due to the inherent
between the bus and the station docking area limitations of the software.
to allow quick access. Minimising the bus to Cities such as Curitiba and Quito utilise flip-
station distance is a key factor in realising high down ramps (also known as boarding bridges)
customer flows as well as making boarding attached to the bus to speed up customer flows
practicable and safe for individuals with physi- (Figures 127 and 128). Bogotá’s TransMilenio
cal disabilities (Figure 126). Optical and me- system opted not to utilise flip-down ramps in
Figure 125: TransMilenio stations

198 metres (3 wagons, 5 platforms)

124 metres (2 wagons, 4 platforms)
112 metres (2 wagons, 4 platforms)
94 metres (2 wagons, 2 platforms)
53 metres (1 wagon, 2 platforms)
62 metres (1 wagon, 2 platforms)

Source: TransMilenio, SA

136 3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 127 and 128

The entry ramps used
in Curitiba (left photo)
and Quito (photo
below) help to speed
passenger boarding
and alighting as well
as improve passenger
safety.
Left photo courtesy of Volvo
Right photo by Lloyd Wright

Fig. 126
Level boarding (photo above) makes the system
accessible to the physically disabled.
Photo courtesy of TransMilenio SA

order to save the few seconds that the flip-down

device consumes when opening and closing
(Figure 129). However, the 1.5 seconds gained
from not waiting for the ramp to deploy can be
lost elsewhere. When a gap exists between the
vehicle and the station, passengers will tend to
look down to make sure they safely cross. This
small action of looking down actually delays
each person’s alighting time. Further, pas-
sengers have a greater tendency to depart the
vehicle one-by-one when a gap exists between
the vehicle and the platform. The flip-down
ramps utilised in Curitiba and Quito avoid
these cumulative customer hesitancies that will
slow boarding and alighting. With the ramps
customers will tend to move with greater confi-
dence and speed.
Street lighting, adequate sidewalk widths and
Bogotá has made use of sliding doors at the quality surfaces all contribute to ensuring that
station to vehicle interface (Figure 130). Au- customers can confidently utilise the system.
tomatic station doors give a degree of safety to
waiting passengers as well as protection against Access of entry is also an issue for boarding and
wind, rain and cold. Additionally, the sliding alighting the vehicles. If crowding occurs at the
doors can help prevent fare evaders from enter- station doorways, then the overall travel time
ing the system. The disadvantage of the doors is will be delayed. Chaotic boarding areas also act
that they are susceptible to mechanical failure
and can thus add to system maintenance costs.
Fig. 129
3.6.3.4 Access Systems that do not
Ease of access to the stations will play a role deploy a boarding
ramp gain time in
in determining the size of customer base. The terms of avoiding the
development of pedestrian and bicycle corridors ramp deployment time,
around the station will help ensure that custom- but the hesitancy of
ers are able to conveniently and safely make passengers crossing the
their way to the station. Recognisable signage open space will likely
increase dwell time.
in the area will also help to attract customers. Photo by Lloyd Wright

3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure 137

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 130 3.6.3.5 Interchange stations

Sliding doors at As a system expands across a wider network,
the station to bus intersecting stations will require mechanisms
interface help to protect
passengers as well as to transfer from one corridor to another. An
deter fare evasion. “interchange station” is a facility that permits
Photo by Lloyd Wright such transfers, and thus has additional design
considerations than a standard station.
There are several options for facilitating transfers
between corridors. These options include:
Multiple routings (Figure 131);
Interchange facility;
to negatively affect customer satisfaction and Underground tunnels / overhead pedestrian
ridership. If the entry area is sufficiently spa- bridges (Figure 132).
cious, then boarding and alighting may not be A system may use a combination of these
problematic. In other cases it may be practicable interchange options, depending on the local
to designate particular doorways for either circumstances at the interchange point.
boarding or alighting. In Curitiba, for example,
The multiple routing technique permits corridor
the rear doorways are for alighting while the
changes without passengers needing to transfer
front doorways are for boarding. This arrange-
vehicles. Instead, different route structures call
ment helps to reduce station dwell times. How-
for vehicles to turn from one corridor to another.
ever, this arrangement does require the customer
From the customer perspective, this option can
to know when to move towards a doorway for
be quite convenient since no transfers are neces-
alighting. Customers who are unfamiliar with a
sary. However, the added complexity of provid-
corridor may not realise in time that they must
ing many route permutations can make for a
move towards a particular doorway.
relatively confusing system. This complexity is
multiplied if there are also various limited-stop
and express services. This technique also re-
quires vehicle turning actions from one corridor
to another, which again increases complexity
through the need to control traffic lights and
Fig. 131 the provision of more complicated intersection
The multiple platforms infrastructure.
and stopping bays Another option is to construct an interchange
within TransMilenio
stations permit easy station in which two (or more) trunk lines are
passenger transfers physically joined by the same station infrastruc-
between different routes. ture. This infrastructure can take the form of a
Photo by Lloyd Wright
single-level, multi-bay facility or of a multi-level
facility in which one line is physically above the
other. This option closely approximates transfer
points within a rail underground system. Within
this closed environment, passengers then transfer
from one route to another. Disadvantages of
Fig. 132
this approach are the cost of the infrastructure
To connect two
corridors that cross and the space required to construct the facility.
one another, Bogotá However, in comparison to requiring passengers
utilises an underground walk from one corridor to another, there is less
tunnel to permit fare- distance to walk between vehicles.
free transfers between
corridors. The final option is to simply have passengers
Photo by Lloyd Wright physically transfer from one corridor to another

138 3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

by way of a pedestrian tunnel or pedestrian Fig. 133

overpass. The tunnel or overpass will have to be A station design that
closed to outside access; otherwise, fare evasion is open to the outside
will permit cool breezes
can be a problem. While tunnels and overpasses to reach waiting
add cost, this type of infrastructure is less costly passengers. Such designs
than a multi-level interchange facility. The can also be economical
main disadvantage is the need for customers to to construct. However,
change from one vehicle to another, and thus an open station can be
susceptible to persons
incurring longer wait times and overall travel attempting to evade
times. fare payment.
Image courtesy of the Municipality of
3.6.3.6 Climate protection Pereira (Colombia)

Protection from weather is a major considera-

tion in station design. The image of the station
as a refuge from the outside world can help natural ventilation flows (Figure 134). However,
attract customers. In many developing-nation passive design options should not detract from
cities, high temperatures and humidity are a the aesthetic quality of the system. The curved
concern. Open designs can also be an option, overhangs on the Leon (Mexico) system are
especially in warm locations. More open de- helpful in terms of climate control but have
signs, though, do increase the need for protec- been criticised for aesthetic reasons (Figure
tion against fare evasion. However, the example 135). Vegetation above the station, either from
in Figure 133 shows that it is possible to achieve planted trees or a green lattice, can also be an
both an open design and relatively good natural effective and attractive climate control option.
deterrents to fare evasion. However, open de- 3.6.3.7 Aesthetic design
signs will likely make waiting customers more
Architectural considerations are also important
exposed to wind and rain.
from aesthetic, cultural and customer-friendli-
Air conditioning and ventilator fans are also op- ness perspectives. Many systems opt for a highly
tions to consider. The use of air conditioning in modernised appearance, which helps to position
both stations and vehicles can contribute greatly BRT as a new class of public transport. The
to the desirability of the system, especially with station designers in Brisbane have even been the
respect to capturing customers who were previ- Fig. 134
recipients of architectural awards (Figure 136).
ously private vehicle users. Air conditioning in Passive solar design
The modern tube structures in Curitiba have techniques can work
tropical climates can contribute to the image of become an international symbol of BRT as well to provide shading in
the transit system as a city oasis. However, the as provide customers with an image represent- order to cool station
use of air conditioning units brings with it cost ing speed and modernity. The disadvantage of temperatures.
and technical considerations. Air conditioning rounded (tube-like) stations is the limitations
Image courtesy of the Municipality of
Barranquilla (Colombia)
will likely reduce fuel economy by approxi-
mately 20 percent. Thus, if fuel costs represent a
significant portion of operating costs, then the
use of air conditioning in vehicles can contrib-
ute to noticeably higher fare levels.
Systems in cities with cold climates may also
wish to consider climate control options.
Heated station areas and heated vehicles will
likewise create an image of the transit system as
a refuge from a hostile environment.
Passive solar design and natural design tech-
niques can be utilised to overcome climatic
extremes. Passive designs can help shield the
station from direct sun as well as stimulate

3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure 139

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

The ornate style in Guayaquil contrasts with

the simpler design for the new Central-North
corridor in Quito (Figure 138). The Central-
North design provides a lighter look for the
roof-line which gives the system a neat, modern
appearance. Quito is also home to one of the
most spectacular BRT stations built to date in
the world. The Villa Flor station on the “Trolé”
line utilises an array of aesthetic features, such
as plantings and waterfalls, to create a truly
beautiful setting for customers (Figure 139). In
fact, the Villa Flor station has proven to be so
popular that families view the station from the
outside as a type of social event (Figure 140).
Fig. 135 that the design may impose upon customer The Villa Flor station would likely benefit from
Passive solar design, capacity. In Bogotá, the city also opted for a even establishing a formal viewing area.
though, should not modern design but with a squared, box struc- Station aesthetics can be negatively affected by
detract from the over-use of advertisement displays. While adver-
aesthetic quality ture. The larger Bogotá stations are able to
of the station. The handle higher customer volumes. tising may be a needed source of revenue, too
shading device on However, the modern look may not always be much advertising will detract from the visual
the Leon (Mexico) appropriate. If the system runs through or along clarity of the system and can lead to customer
stations detracts from confusion, especially when system maps and
the station’s overall corridors of great historical value, designers
may wish to seek congruence with the adjoining other key information displays are difficult to
appearance.
Photo by Lloyd Wright architecture. Guayaquil (Ecuador) has elected find due to visual clutter. Thus, any decision to
to match the station design to the city’s French- permit moderate amounts of advertising must
inspired style from the 1920s. The chosen style be taken in conjunction with aesthetic and
in Guayaquil reflects a connection between functional considerations.
the transit stations and their surroundings.
Congruence with the surroundings was the
reason that Quito (Ecuador) re-designed some
of its “Trolé” line stations in the city’s historical
centre (Figure 137). It was felt that the enclosed
stations were visually too forceful within the
historical centre, which is listed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Thus, the city opted for a
more open design for the station at the Santo
Domingo plaza.

Fig. 136
The modern and Fig. 137
simple design of the
Brisbane BRT stations A simple and open design was selected for a
has garnered the city station within Quito’s historical centre in order
architectural awards. to minimise intrusions on the surrounding
Photo courtesy of Queensland architecture.
Transport Photo by Lloyd Wright

140 3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.6.3.8 Amenity features

System designers also face decisions regarding
the types of additional services that may be of-
fered within a station. Amenity options for cus-
tomer service are discussed in section 3.4.5.10
of this guidebook. The provision of video, audio,
seating, restrooms, etc. involves decisions about
costs and local preferences. As noted in section
3.4.5.10, though, serving the customer’s needs is
the paramount consideration.
The provision of seating at stations and termi-
nals can help relieve tired bodies during the
waiting period. The options for customer resting
include formal benches as well as customer
leaning posts. Formal benches can sometimes
be problematic if certain customers choose to lie
down upon it, and subsequently pass long pe-
riods there without the intent to actually travel Unlike terminal sites, intermediate transfer Fig. 138
on the system. Thus, some systems, such as the stations may not have the luxury of space to The modern and light
Bogotá TransMilenio system, have purposely easily accommodate both feeder platforms and roof-line on proposed
chosen not to provide seating for customers stations for the Quito
trunk-line platforms. Thus, a bit of creativity Central North corridor
within the stations. TransMilenio also believes is required to design and control the transfer gives the system a very
that its short wait times (usually less than three process. Ideally, the feeder vehicles can enter a clean look.
minutes) void the need for station seating. For “closed” space in which a fare-free transfer can Image courtesy of the Municipality
of Quito
systems with longer headways and thus longer take place without concerns over fare evasion.
wait times, some form of resting infrastructure
may be considered. However, the placement
of resting infrastructure should be such that
it does not conflict with doorway locations or
cause congested customer movements during
the boarding and alighting process.
Security is frequently a major determinant in Fig. 139
the desirability of system use by women, chil- With palm trees,
gardens, and waterfalls,
dren, and other vulnerable groups. A demon- Quito’s Villa Flor
strable presence of security staff in buses and station has raised
stations is a strong deterrent to crime. Security the standard of BRT
cameras and good night-time illumination are aesthetics.
Photo by Lloyd Wright
effective infrastructure elements that contribute
to a more secure environment (Figure 141).

3.6.4 Intermediate transfer stations

Feeder connections to the trunk lines do not
necessarily occur only at major terminal facilities. Fig. 140
Feeders can also intersect the trunk corridors at The Quito Villa Flor
what are known as intermediate transfer stations. station has become
These stations are somewhat a hybrid facility a tourist attraction
between ordinary local stations and terminal in its own right with
facilities. Figure 142 provides an overview of the citizens braving a busy
roundabout just to get a
relationship between standard stations, interme- glimpse.
diate stations, and terminal facilities. Photo by Lloyd Wright

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However, this ideal is typically not the case.

Instead, feeder vehicles arrive from a smaller side
street, and passengers must walk from the feeder
station to the trunk-line station. A crosswalk or
pedestrian bridge will often link the two stations
(Figure 143). A further discussion on fare collec-
tion and fare verification techniques for feeder
services is included in section 3.6.1.6.
Fig. 141
A well-lit station can
help overcome concerns
about system security.
Photo courtesy of TransMilenio SA

Fig. 143
In Bogotá, passengers departing from the feeder
stations (served by green buses) walk directly
via a pedestrian bridge to trunk-line stations
(served by red buses).
Photo courtesy of TransMilenio SA
3.6.5 Terminals
Terminals involve many of the same design impression of importance to the customer and
issues as stations. However, given the larger helps to instil the system’s professional image.
number of passengers and transfer options, The number of terminals depends in part on the
terminals obviously require more space. The length of the system, the number of corridors,
architectural design of terminals can either and the number of feeder routes converging
mimic the style of the system’s stations or take upon a site. Typically, there are terminals at
on a different look. Terminal platforms are each end of a trunk-line corridor. However, if
typically not enclosed with walls since entrance the end of the corridor does not host large num-
to the terminal site is controlled from a distance bers of feeder services, then a terminal may not
(Figure 144). Terminal facilities in cities such be entirely necessary. It is also possible to site a
as Bogotá and Quito have high ceiling designs full terminal in the middle of a corridor. This
with modern roof structures (Figure 145). The scenario may arise when multiple corridors cross
scale and style of these facilities imparts an one another in a single location. However, siting
a large terminal within a central city location
can be quite costly from a property purchase
standpoint. Thus, terminals are more frequently
Intermediate transfer station
developed in lower-cost peripheral areas.
Standard trunk-line station Whether or not the system is designed for fare-
free transfers will have a significant impact on
Terminal facility terminal design. Fare-free transfers mean that
passengers can move from feeder services to
Trunk line trunk-line services without an additional fare.
If an additional fare payment is required, then
Feeder line
space must be given to fare collection and fare
verification activities. The physical division
Fig. 142 between the different fare areas must also be
Intermediate transfer stations sufficient to avoid problems with fare evasion.
allow feeder services to merge Given the large numbers of passengers passing
with trunk-line services at key
junctures. through terminal areas, design against crimes
Image courtesy of TransMilenio SA such as pick-pocketing should be considered.

142 3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure

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Thus, measures such as security cameras may be operators (Figure 147). The location of a bus Fig. 144 and 145
appropriate. depot is ideally within close proximity to the The modern terminal
actual system since operators will want to have structures in Quito
The design of the terminal space should strive (left photo) and Bogotá
to minimise both customer and vehicle move- the ability to rapidly introduce additional buses (right photo) provide an
ments to the extent possible. Thus, the most to meet peak demand. Further, since buses enter elegant environment for
likely transfer points between complementary and leave the depot without passengers, the passenger transfers.
routes should be located closely together. As “dead” kilometres incurred between the depot Photos by Lloyd Wright

both feeder vehicles and trunk-line vehicles will and the passenger corridor can have a discern-
be staging at the terminal, the movement of ible effect on operating costs. However, since
vehicles should be devised to avoid congestion. bus depots can consume considerable space, the
Most typically, feeder vehicles arrive on one location is often dependent upon the economi-
side of a platform area with trunk-line vehicles cal acquisition of sufficient property. Ideally,
awaiting on the opposite side (Figure 146). depots will be located near terminal facilities.
The larger space at terminal sites can permit the The internal design of the depot area should al-
hosting of additional facilities such as informa- low for a logical movement of vehicles based on
tion kiosks, lost and found offices, restrooms, their typical requirements. Thus, upon entering
and commercial establishments. Allowing shops the secured area, vehicles will likely first stop
within terminals are possible but can create at the fuel re-fuelling station. Here fuel levels
an array of complications, including litter and and vehicle kilometres are checked as a way of
security issues. Food and beverages should be monitoring usage and operating costs (Figure
kept out of the system to the extent possible 148). If required, vehicles would be re-fuelled at
since their presence adds to maintenance costs this time. Next vehicles that are not required on
and ultimately lead to a premature aging of the the corridor will be parked until peak periods
infrastructure. Some systems intentionally elect necessitate their return. Alternatively, vehicles
not to provide additional services. These system
designers feel that the most important task is
to keep passengers moving through the system,
and that additional services are an impediment
to that over-arching goal.
Fig. 146
3.6.6 Depots In Quito, passengers
3.6.6.1 Functional design merely cross a platform
Bus depot areas serve an array of purposes to transfer from a
trunk-line vehicle into
including bus parking areas, re-fuelling facili- a feeder vehicle.
ties, maintenance areas, and office space for bus Photo by Lloyd Wright

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Fig. 147 may move to the wash station for exterior and/ Fig. 149
An aerial view of a or interior cleaning. Finally, vehicles requiring A channel area beneath the vehicle permits
depot area in Bogotá. maintenance or a periodic maintenance check maintenance staff to easily access the underside
Photo courtesy of TransMilenio SA. of the vehicle.
would enter into the repair area. A channelled Photo by Lloyd Wright
work space below each bus in the maintenance However, public ownership of the site will likely
area permits repair staff to easily access the bus be in the best interest of the overall system.
chassis for inspection and repair (Figure 149). Since the operators will hold a concession for
Offices for operating companies are likely to be a set period of time (10 years in the case of
best provided at the depot areas. By being lo- TransMilenio), it is probably best that they
cated at the depots, operating company officials only have access to the depot site for the dura-
can better monitor activities and oversee staff. tion of the concession. Otherwise, the existing
3.6.6.2 Aesthetic design
operators will hold too much leverage when the
concession is completed. Thus, the best option
Although depot areas are not generally acces-
is for public ownership of the depot site with
sible to the public, there still may be many
a lease agreement to the operator through the
reasons to give attention to the aesthetic quali-
concession period. The proper maintenance
ties of the space. First, depots consume large
amounts of urban space and thus are typically and upkeep of the depot area can be stipulated
quite visible to the general population as well as within the concession agreement.
local residents. Thus, the visual aesthetics of the
3.6.7 Control centre
depot will affect the local population’s image of
the system. It is always important to be a good A centralised control centre will help ensure
neighbour with populations living near the smooth and efficient BRT operations. Control-
system. Second, a well-designed work environ- ling a high-volume BRT system spread across a
ment can have a positive impact on employee major developing city is a complex and highly-
satisfaction and work effectiveness. involved activity. As noted in section 3.4.5, a
centralised control and management system
3.6.6.3 Ownership brings with it the following benefits:
Depot areas may be owned by either the public Immediate response to changes in customer
transit agency or the private bus operator. In demand;
Fig. 148 some instances, the depot area may have previ-
Measuring fuel usage ously served the same operating company, and Immediate response to equipment failures
and adding fuel are thus it may be simplest to permit the operator and security problems;
typically the first Efficient spacing between vehicles and avoid-
actions of a vehicle to retain control of the site. Further, public
entering the depot area. purchasing of the depot site will obviously add ance of vehicle “bunching”;
Photo by Lloyd Wright considerably to the overall infrastructure cost. Automated system performance evaluation;

144 3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure

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Automated linkages between operations and headways (Figures 151). A control centre opera-
revenue distribution. tor will direct a driver to slow down or speed
This section reviews the various technological up depending on the location of other vehicles
and infrastructure aspects of developing an and the demand requested. Further, if a surge
effective control centre. in demand occurs at a particular station, a new
vehicle can be sent in to alleviate crowding.
3.6.7.1 Control centre technology options
The Bogotá control centre also includes staff
While the benefits seem clear, the costs of a real-
from the city’s police department. If a security
time control system would seem prohibitive for
problem arises on a vehicle, a police dispatcher
a developing city. However, the cost of central
will immediately send officers to the location
control technologies has steadily decreased
as well as advise the driver as to the appropriate
during the past few years. Thus, even cities in
action.
developing nations may now wish to consider
the advantages of a central control system. In addition to GPS technologies, non-satel-
lite based options can also be effective. For
Several options exist to link buses and stations
example, infra-red technology can track vehicle
with a central control office. In some instances,
movements in a similar fashion utilising local
a simple radio or mobile telephone system
beacons distributed through the transit area.
may suffice. However, increasingly Geographi-
This type of technology can be an effective
cal Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology is
alternative when topography and tall buildings
providing an effective communications link
act to block satellite-based communications.
(Figure 150). GPS technology permits real-time
information on bus location and status. Bus
location is generally known to an accuracy of
approximately one metre through GPS. GPS
technology is utilised within the control system
of Bogotá’s TransMilenio system. By using the
GPS technology in conjunction with vehicle
tracking software and a voice communications Satellite
system, Bogotá is able to closely control vehicle

Receiver

Fig. 150
GPS technology
has opened up new
opportunities for
communicating
information between
control centres and
Control centre Vehicle vehicles.
Photos courtesy of TransMilenio SA

3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure 145

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 151 each operator can safely control. The quality

The vehicle tracking of the controller software package will play
software of the a role as well in determining the number of
TransMilenio system transit vehicles a control centre staff person
permits controllers
to closely track each can effectively oversee. Additionally, since the
bus and to give operators must be able to clearly communicate
instructions to drivers with drivers, the acoustical arrangement of the
as appropriate. workstations should be considered. If noise from
Image courtesy of TransMilenio SA
one workstation interferes with the communica-
tions in another workstation, then the potential
for lost or misinterpreted communications will
be a problem.
3.6.7.2 Control room infrastructure As noted previously, other municipal staff, such
a. Location of control centre as police representatives, may also require their
The control centre does not need to be located own workstations in the control centre. Super-
in any one special location. The control centre visory personnel will likely require work space
that allows them to easily oversee the entire
functions remotely from the corridor through
control centre operation.
its information and communications system.
The control centre must be situated in a place Control centre operators can become fatigued
that has highly reliable communications con- by long hours of looking at monitors and track-
nections and electrical power connections. Since ing vehicles. Holding focussed concentration
the centre may also be receiving information for long periods of time can be quite mentally
by way of satellite or infra-red communications, exhausting. Typically, operators will have
frequent scheduled breaks in order to maintain
the centre should not be located anywhere
their alertness. Thus, the control centre should
signals could be potentially blocked.
also have a relaxation area or break area that
There could be some benefits to locating control allows operators to refresh themselves.
centre staff in management facilities or in termi-
c. Equipment requirements
nal facilities. These locations would allow greater
The ergonomics of the workstation furniture
interactions between control centre staff and
should also be an important consideration.
management staff or vehicle operators. This sort
Comfortable seating and correctly adjusted
of interaction could lead to certain synergies in
placement of monitor screens can help prevent
gaining further insights on system operations.
undue stress and discomfort.
b. Work space
The control room itself will require particular
spatial features. The size of the control room
will depend upon the number of workstations
required. Since a BRT system is likely to be
developed in phases, the control room will
probably be only partly utilised during the
initial years. However, planning for future space
requirements at the outset is probably the best
strategy. Otherwise, a disruptive move to larger
facilities will be required later.
Each control centre operator will require space
for a computer terminal, voice communications
equipment, and additional work space (Figure
152). The number of operator workstations Fig. 152
required for the total system is a factor of the A control operator’s workstation in Bogotá.
size of the system and the number of vehicles Photo by Lloyd Wright

146 3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure

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In some instances, it is useful to permit visual 3.6.8.1 Road infrastructure

tracking of vehicles not only by individual Feeder services typically are not provided with
monitors but also by way of a large-screen dis- dedicated busways but instead utilise mixed-
play for the entire centre (Figure 153). The large traffic lanes. Since many feeder routes extend
screen can provide control centre supervisors into fairly narrow residential streets, exclusive
with a macro-perspective on the system. The vehicle lanes is not always a practical option.
large screen would also help in circumstances However, there may be instances where road
when multiple staff members are resolving a spacing permits exclusive feeder bus passing
complex issue together. lanes or feeder “queue jumping” lanes. A queue
The entire control centre facility should have not jumping lane is an exclusive bus lane at a sig-
only high-quality primary systems, but reliable nalled intersection. By entering this exclusive
back-up systems as well. Spare workstations lane the vehicle is able to jump ahead of other
should be available in case of a technical prob- waiting vehicles. A separate traffic light for the
lem. Further, back-up electricity generators and bus lane can in fact give the feeder vehicle a few
telecommunications options should also be part seconds of a head start against the other traffic.
of the infrastructure.
Passing lanes may also be feasible in sections of
3.6.8 Feeder infrastructure the roadway that have sufficient width. Even a
Feeder services will likely provide a substantial relatively short passing lane can be beneficial
percentage of a system’s ridership since the if it permits the feeder vehicle to avoid an area
feeder corridors are the key link into residential prone to congestion. London has successfully
areas. Quality infrastructure should not just be utilised short passing lanes with its conventional
given only to trunk lines. Feeder lines should bus services (Figure 154). The London pass-
also receive a high level of quality service; other- ing lanes have been effective in reducing the
wise, a large part of the customer base will never unpredictability of bus schedules due to traffic
engage the system. congestion.
This section discusses several components of Unlike busways, feeder vehicles typically use
feeder infrastructure and service, including road the lanes adjacent to the street curb rather than
infrastructure, stations, and the fare collection in the median. Thus, any bus lanes for feeder
and fare verification process for feeder services. services may not be protected by a barrier from
A discussion of feeder vehicle types is found in the mixed traffic. The mixed traffic will need to
section 3.7. access the curb lane in order to negotiate turns
or to access parking. Under such conditions,
infringement of the bus lane by private vehicles
can undermine its usefulness. To combat pri-
vate vehicles from illegally entering the passing
lane, London utilises enforcement cameras that
will record the license plate number of vehicles
using the bus only lane. The key to maintain-
ing the usefulness of a bus lane resides in the
enforcements mechanisms utilised.
Since feeder vehicles are typically smaller than
trunk-line vehicles, the need for special surface
materials (such as concrete) is not necessary.
The lower vehicle weights do not damage streets
Fig. 153 to the same degree. Nevertheless, the proper
A large-screen display of the vehicle tracking maintenance of asphalt streets is important in
system permits all control operators and maintaining the quality of the feeder fleet and
supervisors to simultaneously view a particular
situation. in reducing maintenance costs. Thus, feeder
Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation streets should receive priority treatment for

3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure 147

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

be closed as is the case for the trunk line. How-

ever, a roof cover along with back and side pan-
els can be appropriate. In many instances, feeder
shelter construction and maintenance can be
funded in part by panel advertising. However,
in such instances, the advertising should not
detract from the functionality of the shelter. For
example, advertising panels should not block
the vision of passengers towards the arriving
feeder vehicle. Panels should also include a full
system map. Further, third party construction
of a shelter should follow strict design guide-
lines developed by the public agency.
Since wait times for feeder services tend to be
somewhat longer than trunk-line services, some
shelter amenities may be appropriate. For exam-
Fig. 154 repairs and maintenance. Also, feeder vehicles ple, seating or a leaning post can be a low-cost
Providing feeder will likely have less suspension support than way of significantly improving the comfort of
services with dedicated trunk-line vehicles, so the smoothness of the those waiting.
lanes at points of
potential traffic ride and the comfort of the customers will be
congestion can pay more dependent upon road conditions. 3.6.9 Integration infrastructure
significant dividends in Public transport will almost never be the sole
3.6.8.2 Stations
terms of reducing travel modal technology for any customer trip. The
time. Feeder services should not merely replicate initial part of the trip may involve a walk, a bi-
Photo by Lloyd Wright the previous informal services that preceded cycle ride, or even a car trip to a transit station.
the introduction of the BRT system. While Likewise, once a customer exits a station near
previous services likely boarded and alighted his or her destination, another modal option
passengers at random locations, depending on will likely complete the journey to the ultimate
customer preferences, a formal feeder service destination.
should establish formal station areas. Just as
Ensuring that the transit system is well
travel times along the trunk lines benefit from
integrated with these other modal options is
well-spaced station, the same holds true for
critical to developing a truly usable system.
feeder corridors. However, it may be justifiable
The difference between a pleasant and safe
to place feeder stations somewhat closer together
walking environment and a poorly maintained
than the range recommended for trunk-line
pedestrian path can be the difference between
services, which is approximately 300 metres to
customers choosing public transport over other
1000 metres. Since pedestrian conditions along
options. Thus, the quality of the integration
feeder routes may be less developed than trunk-
infrastructure is one of the determining factors
line routes, it can be difficult for some residents
in ridership and customer satisfaction.
to access the system in such circumstances. The
actual distance spacing between feeder stations The integration infrastructure will likely be
will depend upon several factors, including the composed of a range of components, including
population density of the area as well as the infrastructure components for the following
location of major trip destinations and origins. types of modal options:
These stations will likely not be as architectur- Pedestrian infrastructure;
ally sophisticated as trunk-line stations, but Bicycle infrastructure;
nevertheless, the feeder stations should provide Integrated taxi stations;
a quality wait environment. A shelter should be Integration infrastructure for other public
provided to protect customers from rain and transport systems (e.g., water transport, rail
heat. Given cost considerations and the nature transport, etc.);
of feeder services, the shelter does not need to Park and ride facilities.

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Section 3.8 discusses issues concerning each of

these types of integration infrastructure.

3.6.10 Commercial space

In many developing cities, a close relationship
exists between the location of transit infrastruc-
ture and the location of commercial traders. The
high volume of transit customers through sta-
tions and terminals provides vendors with a con-
centration of potential clientele. Additionally,
the proximity of vendor products to a person’s
daily travel route can be a task-saving conve-
nience for some. The provision of infrastructure
for commercial activities within or near transit
stations can be a source of controversy. Some the station, all sides can win. The higher qual- Fig. 155
transit agencies may not view commercial activi- ity space provided to the vendors can in fact New bus stations in
ties as being consistent with the objective of improve their work conditions and their care Delhi (India) have been
encouraging rapid customer movements. This developed with built-in
of the transit environment. Further, the formal space to accommodate
section refers some of the options for combining inclusion of vendor space in the design process informal vendors. This
vendor activity with BRT operation. can ensure these sites do not conflict with pas- type of design can
senger movements. benefit the vendors,
3.6.10.1 Small-scale vendors passengers, and bus
Small-scale vendors are closely tied to transit 3.6.10.2 Larger commercial sites operators.
provision in many cities. These informal Transit stations may also attract the attention Photo by Lloyd Wright

vendors often constitute a large portion of the of large commercial retailers seeking to reap the
city’s overall workforce. Thus, there are many benefits of passenger flows. Likewise, the ability
economic, social, and political reasons for con- to conduct grocery shopping and other tasks
sidering the role of these vendors in conjunction near the transit corridor is a benefit to custom-
with the transit system. ers. The presence of these commercial entities
Conversely, the presence of vendors can also be also offers some opportunities for financing the
a detriment to the transit system. If left uncon- station and terminal construction costs (see
trolled, vendors may tend to block walkways, section 3.10.2).
and thus inhibit access to stations. Aggressive From an infrastructure standpoint, it is possible
sales techniques may also make some transit to integrate commercial enterprises into the
customers uncomfortable with using the system. station and/or terminal sites. The availability of
Further, waste and debris left behind by vendors space is the prime determinant along with the
can lead to an aesthetic deterioration of the ability to design the shop to avoid conflicts with
station environment. Some systems, such as passenger movements. The Bangkok SkyTrain
TransMilenio in Bogotá, have largely prohibited system hosts small shops within its elevated
vendor activity near stations in order to avoid concourse. If a BRT system has an underground
these types of problems. tunnel connecting interchange stations, then
However, in many cultures, the employment an underground shop location could be feasible.
and social justice impacts of vendor displace- Terminals perhaps offer the greatest potential
ment is a highly sensitive matter. Simply since space is typically more readily available.
evicting these individuals will have traumatic Terminal sites often also reduce the distance
impacts on these person, their families, and goods must be carried home.
society at large. In Delhi (India), the BRT Commercial enterprises can also benefit by
development team is seeking a novel approach locating near to station and terminal locations
of integrating vendor space formally into the without actually being within the transit prop-
infrastructure design process (Figure 155). By erty. In Bogotá, large commercial centres have
providing vendors with a formal space near opened near the TransMilenio corridor (Figure

3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure 149

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156). Capturing the value added to these prop- The appropriate synchronisation of traffic lights
erty developments and applying the added value often does not currently exist in developing
to system financing is a subject of much interest. cities. A readjustment of phase lengths and
More information on land-value taxation can be synchronisation should be undertaken with a
found in section 3.10.2. special focus on smooth transit vehicle flow.
However, as noted previously, retail integration Priority signal technology is an option, but is
with the transit system brings with it unin- not always feasible in high-frequency systems.
tended complications. The presence of shops In cities such as Los Angeles, signal priority is
within the system adds a layer of complexity to given to transit vehicles by way of a message
relayed from a vehicle transducer to the signal
control box. As a transit vehicle approaches, the
traffic light will extend the green phase to allow
the bus to pass. However, even with relatively
long peak headways of five minutes or more
in Los Angeles, the signal prioritisation will
only function every other phase cycle. If the
phase priority is given more frequently, it will
essentially give a permanent green to the direc-
tion of the transit corridor. Thus, other vehicle
directions will essentially become unavailable.
In developing cities with high population densi-
ties, peak transit headways may be in the range
of one to two minutes. In such a scenario, signal
prioritisation becomes less viable. Nevertheless,
other improvements such as adjusting phase
lengths are still quite possible in the developing
city context.
Integrating traffic signal control into the cen-
Fig. 156 passenger flows and can retard throughput. Re- tralised transit control system is also an option
A new commercial tailing employees are typically given free access to consider. In cities such as London, traffic
shopping centre being to the shops, but such exemptions can spiral cameras at key intersections permit control cen-
constructed next to a tre staff to directly observe potential congestion
TransMilenio station. into abuse of system entry. Finally, deliveries to
Photo by Lloyd Wright shops can also create congestion if not carefully points. This technology can be used to provide
controlled or relegated to non-operating hours. priority to transit vehicles entering a bottleneck
point.
3.6.11 Traffic signal control
The development of a BRT system can also 3.6.12 Public utilities
present a unique opportunity to upgrade the City streets are complicated environments. The
traffic signal technology along the same corridor. same space that provides widespread mobility
A new BRT system will imply several changes may also serve as corridors of telecommunica-
that will affect traffic signal technology. These tions, electricity, water, flood control, and sew-
changes include: age. When implementing a busway through
such a complicated area, it is not surprising that
New priority treatment for transit vehicles;
there will be competing uses of the public space.
New exclusive lanes; The location of public utility poles, pipes, and
New turning movements for transit vehicles; tubes will undoubtedly require some alteration
New restrictions on private vehicle turns. in the BRT design work.
With new electronic signalling technologies and In some cases, especially in the case of median
software programmes now available, an upgrade busways, the area may actually be relatively
of the traffic signal system should be integrated free of conflicts between the road work and
into the BRT planning process. the public utilities. Nevertheless, the existing

150 3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure

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public utility scheme should still be reviewed. the tree’s root structure should grow vertically
The construction of a BRT system represents rather than horizontally. Root structures that
a unique opportunity to address many physi- grow horizontally beneath the surface will likely
cal street structures simultaneously. In some cause buckling of the busway materials. Each
instances, the BRT system may be the catalyst type of tree has inherent growth characteristics,
to install fibre-optic cable lines for high-speed and thus some research is needed to determine
communications systems. which is most appropriate for the busway envi-
Effective water drainage will directly affect ronment. The expected life of the tree is also a
busway operation and the longevity of the key factor since it can be quite disruptive to the
pavement materials. A drainage scheme to system to require a new set of trees after only a
avoid episodes of flooding even in fierce storms few decades.
can help ensure that the city’s principal transit Local weather conditions will also determine
artery continues at critical times. the desirability of whether “deciduous” trees
or “coniferous” trees are appropriate. A decidu-
3.6.13 Landscape ous tree will shed its leaves during the colder
BRT systems should add to the aesthetic quality seasons, and thus more heat and sunlight will
of a city’s public space rather than detract from penetrate to the ground during this period. A
it. All efforts should be made to retain existing deciduous tree is thus part of an effective pas-
green spaces. If the centre median is utilised sive solar strategy for cities which experience
as the location of the stations, the existing both warm and cold seasons. However, one
landscape can be left significantly in tact. Only disadvantage of deciduous trees is the pos-
the station footprint may require landscape sible need to clean fallen leaves from the BRT
alterations. The other areas can be enhanced infrastructure. By contrast, cities without cold
with additional plantings. Greenery may also be seasons may prefer trees that do not shed leaves.
an option as a divider between the BRT system These types of trees will provide shade year-
and other traffic lanes. Trees and plants can also round in consistently tropical or warm climates.
provide climatic protection to pedestrian and Priority should be given to selecting indigenous
bicycle corridors linking with the BRT system. trees rather than species that are not common
In tropical climates, trees and vegetation can to the area. Indigenous species create fewer
even help partially cover the station structure problems regarding invading species and also
itself in order to reduce inside temperatures. typically are more suited to local soil and water
Some environmental groups in Jakarta ex- conditions.
pressed concern about the impact of the busway
on the trees planted in the median. However, 3.6.14 Infrastructure cost analysis
in many respects, the busway will serve as a 3.6.14.1 Infrastructure cost categories
protective buffer between the mixed traffic An initial infrastructure cost analysis can help
lanes and greenery in the median. Prior to the focus the possible design work on financially
development of the busway, the lane nearest the realistic options. Based on the preferred design
trees was used for mixed traffic vehicles. Thus, characteristics in conjunction with the size
previously the trees were subjected to a constant of the initial phase of the project, a city can
bombardment from heavy traffic congestion determine if the capital cost estimates are in
and intense emissions. Now, cleaner transit line with realistic financial resources. Cities
vehicles are operating along the corridor at should be encouraged to experiment with a
frequencies of every three to five minutes. The range of possibilities with respect to both design
busway has therefore calmed the environment options and the amount of financial resources
around the greenery which should improve the likely to be available. If the design team is overly
health of the trees. pessimistic about the likely financial resources
There is a science to choosing the right plants available, then the quality of the system may
and trees within the landscape plan. The height be needlessly compromised by an inadequate
of the tree and its eventual branches will have design. Several iterations of physical designs
to clear the height of the BRT vehicles. Also, and operational designs are likely before find-

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ing a balance between system cost and system road expansion efforts and previous bus im-
performance. provement measures;
Infrastructure costs for BRT systems can vary Informal discussions with local contractors
considerably depending on the complexity and and engineering trade associations; and,
sophistication of the system as well as the local Survey work by consultants, which may
economic and topographical characteristics. incorporate all of the above estimation tech-
Successful systems have been developed for as niques.
little as US$ 500,000 per kilometre (Taipei). More accurate cost estimates will be generated
However, in general, developing-city BRT at a later time when the project approaches
systems will cost in the range of US$ 1 million the implementation stage (see section 3.10). In
to US$ 10 million per kilometre. Some of the the early development phase, the estimation
principal factors in determining the actual techniques presented above should help narrow
infrastructure costs will include: the design and performance characteristics into
Number of exclusive lanes; a relatively focused area of values.
Materials utilised in the construction of the 3.6.14.3 Property acquisition
lanes (asphalt or concrete);
One of the most variable cost items when
Expected system capacity, and thus the capac- comparing different BRT systems is the level
ity and size of stations, terminals, and depots; of property acquisition required. In many
Local construction costs; instances, the municipality will need to impose
Amount of property expropriation required. eminent domain upon private properties. Since
Table 32 lists the actual infrastructure costs for the exclusive busways are most typically in the
Phase I of TransMilenio. centre median, the private properties along the
corridor remain relatively untouched. Space for
3.6.14.2 Estimation techniques terminals and depots can be more problematic
The limited number of BRT systems to date due to the larger property requirement. How-
combined with the lack of a shared costing da- ever, these sites are often located farther from
tabase makes local estimations of infrastructure the centre, and thus more open space and lower
costs somewhat difficult. However, there are a cost properties are generally available at such
few options for developing an initial estimate peripheral locations.
of infrastructure costs. These options include In instances that property purchases are neces-
developing estimates based on: sary, infrastructure costs can quickly skyrocket.
Costs from BRT systems in other cities with Infrastructure costs on Bogotá’s TransMilenio
adjustments based on local design and macro- system jumped from approximately US$ 5.3
economic factors; million per kilometre in Phase I to US$ 13.5
Similar past projects in similar areas of the per kilometre in Phase II. Much of this increase
municipality; such projects could include was due to the much greater need for property
Table 32: BRT construction cost breakdown, purchases in the second phase. In Phase I of
Bogotá’s TransMilenio TransMilenio, approximately 600 plots were
purchased. In Phase II, the municipality pur-
Component Total Cost (US$) Cost per Kilometre (US$) chased approximately 4,000 plots (Figure 157).
Trunk lines 94.7 2.5 The use of eminent domain law is a highly sensi-
Stations 29.2 0.8 tive political and social issue. Emotions can run
Terminal 14.9 0.4 quite deep when businesses and families must
Pedestrian overpasses 16.1 0.4 give up workplaces and homes, especially when
Bus depots 15.2 0.4 such sites have been owned for generations. Fur-
ther, since low-income groups often live closest
Control centre 4.3 0.1
to the busiest corridors, social justice issues will
Other 25.7 0.7
also come into play. International lending agen-
Total 198.8 5.3 cies, such as the World Bank, are quite sensitive

152 3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

to the appropriateness of eminent domain proce-

dures. Failure to handle the property purchases
in a fair manner can result in the loss of interna-
tional financing. For all these reasons, property
expropriation must be handled carefully and
with the highest degree of transparency.
Some characteristics of a well-designed property
purchase programme include:
Clarity in the procedures;
Transparency and openness of the process;
Timeliness in processing and timeliness in
resolving conflicts;
An over-riding sense of fairness in the
process.
The World Bank has developed a set of recom-
mended procedures for compulsory purchase families and other vulnerable groups that are Fig. 157
programmes in infrastructure projects. Likewise, being displaced. The widening of the
Bogotá has developed a similar process to fairly 7. Provide a complete and well-documented roadway in parts of
deal with property purchases required by the Bogotá's TransMilenio
compensation offer for the displaced inhabit- system has necessitated
expanding TransMilenio system. The following ants. It is recommended to include a down the purchase of some
steps outline the Bogotá process: payment at this stage to help move the trans- private properties
1. Map the area plots in relation to the planned action towards completion. Photo by Carlos Pardo

BRT system. Design adjustments should be 8. If the offer is accepted, provide a fast-track
undertaken to minimise land acquisition, process to complete the transaction docu-
even if this implies reducing the number of ments and issue the down payment. Failure
mixed traffic lanes. to promptly deliver promised documentation
2. Determine the property ownership history of and payments will undermine public confi-
any required properties. This process includes dence in the process and lead to less coopera-
investigating land titles, mortgages, and cur- tion in future acquisitions.
rent occupants. 9. If the offer is declined due to the amount of
3. Survey the actual activities and socio-eco- the proposed compensation, then both par-
nomic conditions of existing occupants, in ties can agree to an arbitration process to
order to define a baseline for potential finan- determine the correct value. This arbitration
cial compensation. process should be well-defined at the outset
of the purchase programme, and thus be set-
4. Assess the property value through independ-
up to provide a timely answer.
ent appraisers to compensate the commercial
10. If the offer is declined and the parties do not
value of the plots. If only the property tax
agree to arbitration, then eminent domain
registrar is used, properties may be signifi-
law will be applied. A subsequent legal pro-
cantly undervalued, which may prompt litiga-
ceeding will take place in which the property
tion and delays in the purchase process.
owner(s) can present the case against expro-
5. Estimate the required compensation based on priation or argue for a different compensation
the current property conditions. Also include value. Given the lengthy duration of potential
a value for potential impacts on sales during legal proceedings, the city may request that
the relocation process. the court award the handover of the property
6. Offer assistance in searching for relocation immediately for system development. The
options. Provide information on potential awarded value of the compensation will then
alternatives. This assistance should be par- be determined at the termination of the legal
ticularly directed towards any low-income process.

3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure 153

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

The smooth and timely handling of the Trans-

Milenio acquisition process has won praise from
the World Bank for the manner in which it
was implemented. The TransMilenio property
acquisition programme has also now become a
model for all the municipality’s infrastructure
projects requiring purchase of private proper-
ties. The key to the programme’s success is the
quality of the property appraisal and the clarity
of the procedures to be undertaken. The entire
process is designed to account for all eventuali-
ties and to provide timely actions at each step.
Even small delays due to legal proceedings can
increase construction costs dramatically.

154 3.6 Planning Stage VI: Infrastructure

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.7 Planning Stage VII: Technology Thus, within Bogotá’s TransMilenio system, dif-
BRT is not a standard bus service. BRT is a col- ferent operating companies have selected differ-
lection of best-practice measures and advanced ent vehicle manufacturers. However, thanks to
technologies that deliver a high-quality mass the detailed specifications, from the perspective
transit experience. BRT’s passenger vehicles, fare of the customer, all of the buses look and oper-
collection systems, and customer information ate identically.
systems are as sophisticated as most other types Private procurement of the vehicles also permits
of mass transit systems, including rail systems. public investment to be focused on high-quality
However, at the same time, technology should infrastructure. Additionally, by keeping public
not overshadow the main basis of BRT, which officials away from the bus purchasing process,
is excellence in customer service. Further, while there is less likelihood of corruption and misap-
BRT’s technologies are quite advanced, the propriation of public funds.
relative cost of these technologies to other mass 3.7.1.1 Decision factors
transit technologies (e.g., light rail vehicles) is Operators purchasing BRT vehicles must weigh
significantly less. many factors in choosing a fuel and propulsion
This section outlines the various technological system technology. Beyond basic vehicle prices,
options for vehicles, fare collection systems, and there are a host of issues that must be consid-
intelligent transportation systems (ITS). This ered. Will the vehicle technology meet required
section will also discuss how to design a com- emission standards? Will the size and design of
petitive procurement process that will deliver the vehicle fulfil capacity requirements? Does
the most cost-effective product. the technology have a history of operating
consistently in developing city conditions? Does
3.7.1 Vehicle technology the technology require maintenance personnel
with highly-specialised skills? Are spare parts for
3.7.2 Fare collections systems the technology expensive and difficult to obtain
3.7.3 Intelligent transportation systems in a developing city? Are special re-fuelling
stations required for the technology? Table 33
3.7.4 Technology procurement process summarises many of the factors that an operator
3.7.1 Vehicle technology
Table 33: Decision factors for choosing a vehicle technology
Few decisions in the development of a BRT sys-
tem invoke more debate than the choice of bus Category Factor
propulsion technology and bus manufacturer. Cost Purchase cost
However, it should always be remembered that Maintenance costs
Re-sale value in local market
BRT is far more than just a bus. The choice of
bus technology is important, but not necessarily Vehicle features Passenger capacity
Interior design options
more so than the myriad of other system choices. Aesthetics
Decisions on vehicle ownership will affect the Manufacturer Manufacturer support office in country
type of vehicles selected. The current common support Capabilities of manufacturing technical assistance staff
practice is for the public agency to set vehicle Warranty coverage and conditions
standards while the private sector actually pur- Robustness Track record of technology in a developing city
chases and operates the vehicles. Thus, while a Degree to which specialised skills are required for
maintenance and operation
standard set of basic requirements must be met, Feasibility of making repairs on the road
many decisions, such as vehicle manufacturer, Expected percentage of up-time in operation
are actually left to the bus operating companies. Re-fuelling Re-fuelling time
The public agency will likely develop a detailed Type and cost of required re-fuelling station
set of vehicle specifications that each operator Environment Local emissions (NOx, SOx, CO, PM, toxics)
will be required to fulfil. However, it is up to Global emissions (CO2, N2O4, CH4)
the bus operator, who is paying for the buses, to Noise levels
determine how to best meet the specifications. Other waste products (e.g., solid waste, waste oil, etc.)

3.7 Planning Stage VII: Technology 155

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will consider in deciding upon a technology and A range of other possibilities also exist such as
a manufacturer. fly-wheel technology, di-methyl ether (DME),
and blended fuels (e.g., water-in-oil emulsions).
3.7.1.2 Fuel and technology options
The choice of fuel and propulsion technol- a. Clean diesel
ogy will affect operating costs, maintenance Clean diesel is a technology that both produces
costs, supporting infrastructure, and emission relatively low emissions and also is within the
levels. Local circumstances play a central role technology experience of most developing cities.
in fuel choice as the availability of a fuel and A “clean diesel” system implies that the propul-
experience in maintaining a particular vehicle sion system technology and the fuel quality are
technology are key factors. Further, as atten- such that the end result is much lower emissions
tion focuses more and more on the human and than a standard diesel vehicle. The International
environmental costs of both local pollutants Energy Agency notes that (IEA, 2002, p. 61):
and global climate change, system developers “Diesel engines are recognised and favoured
are under increasing pressure to deliver cleaner worldwide for their fuel efficiency, excellent
vehicles options. durability and low maintenance requirements.
The following is a list of some of the most com- They offer the convenience of using a liquid fuel
mon fuel options currently being considered for that is easily dispensed through an established
public transport vehicles (Figure 158): fuelling infrastructure. The technology is ma-
Standard diesel ture, widely produced and competitively priced.
Although diesel engines have historically pro-
Clean diesel
duced high levels of pollutant emissions, espe-
Bio-diesel (biomass fuel - diesel) cially oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate
Compressed natural gas (CNG) matter (PM), recent improvements in engines,
Liquid petroleum gas (LPG) fuel and emissions-control technology have
Hybrid-electric (diesel-electric and CNG- resulted in new diesel systems for buses that are
electric) substantially cleaner than they were only a few
Electric years ago.”
Hydrogen (fuel cell technology)

Clean diesel Hybrid electric

Electric trolley

Fig. 158
A range of fuel
technologies are
available to today’s Fuel cell Natural gas
transit developers

156 3.7 Planning Stage VII: Technology

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

The sulphur and aromatic content of the diesel quiet in operation. Due to the lower mechanical
fuel is a particularly telling measure of the demands on the electric-trolley technology, the
fuel quality. In some developing cities, diesel life of the vehicles can be twice that of diesel
fuels may contain over 2,000 parts per million vehicles.
(ppm) of sulphur. To achieve Euro II standards, The principal drawback to electric-trolley ve-
a sulphur level of less 500 ppm is likely to be hicles is the cost. Electric-trolleys can be three
required. To achieve “ultra-low-sulphur diesel” times the cost of a comparable Euro II diesel
(ULSD), the fuel must contain less than 50 vehicle. Further, the added infrastructure costs
ppm. Many emission-control technologies will of the trolley cables and transformers can be
only function properly if the fuel sulphur levels significant. Additionally, in some cities there
are below acceptable levels. Thus, the availabil- will be aesthetic issues to consider with the
ity of high-quality diesel fuel is a pre-requisite introduction of trolley wires. The aesthetic
for cities that wish to mandate Euro II or better issue can be particularly sensitive in cities with
emission standards. historical centres. The performance of trolley
b. Compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles is generally comparable to conventional
CNG is highly touted as a reliable fuel option vehicles although there are some limitations to
that “inherently” achieves lower emissions. steeper road grades.
CNG contains virtually no sulphur and natu- Quito utilised electric-trolley technology on
rally burns quite cleanly. However, CNG is not its first BRT corridor in 1996 (Figure 159).
a perfect solution. The low energy density of the The technology was chosen primarily for its
fuel means that the gas must be compressed for environmental benefits. Quito’s historical core
on-board storage in large, bulky cylinders. The is a World Heritage Site and the municipality
refuelling infrastructure for CNG can also be wished to reduce the impacts of diesel emis-
costly to develop. The amount of time required sions on the integrity of the built environment.
for refuelling is also an issue for CNG vehicles. Further, Ecuador’s electricity generation at the
Typically, refuelling time per vehicle will range time was primarily from hydro-electric sources.
from 20 minutes to 40 minutes. The CNG The city had two competing bids for provi-
vehicles themselves are also typically more sion of the vehicles: 1. The Spanish affiliate of
costly than clean diesel vehicles. The emission Mercedes Benz; and 2. A Russian company. A
reduction performance, though, is not that
much better than clean diesel vehicles. In fact,
greenhouse gas emissions from CNG vehicles
will likely be even higher than the emissions
from clean diesel vehicles. CNG vehicles also
require different maintenance skills that may
not be common in developing cities.
c. Electric-trolley vehicles
Electric-trolley vehicles are a well-established
technology that produces zero emissions at the
point of use. The total fuel-cycle emissions of
electric-operated vehicles will depend upon
the fuel used in the electricity generation. Fos-
sil-fuel based electricity generation, such as
electricity from coal or petroleum, will produce Fig. 159
high levels of total emissions, while renewable Electric trolley
sources, such as hydro-electric and wind sources, technology is less
will be relatively emission free. Thus, in coun- frequently used in BRT
systems due to higher
tries with clean electricity generation, electric infrastructure and
trolleys can be a low-emitting option to con- vehicle costs.
sider. Electric-trolley vehicles are also extremely Photo by Lloyd Wright

3.7 Planning Stage VII: Technology 157

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

concessionary loan guarantee from the Spanish conventional fuels (e.g., diesel, CNG, etc.)
government convinced Quito to accept the offer and electrical motors to propel the drive-train.
from Mercedes Benz. The price of each vehicle Electric power can be generated during vehicle
was approximately US$ 700,000. In total, the deceleration and then utilised to operate motors
added infrastructure for the electric-trolley cor- attached to each wheel. Since electric motors are
ridor pushed capital costs to over US$ 5 million used for part of the vehicle’s operation, hybrids
per kilometre. By comparison a subsequent BRT offer superior fuel economy, reduced emissions,
corridor in Quito using Euro II diesel technol- and lower noise levels. However, the complexity
ogy resulted in capital costs of approximately of propulsion system and cost of the hybrid
US$ 1 million per kilometre. components means that hybrids may not be
While the initially low electricity rates made well-suited for all developing city applications.
the operational costs competitive with diesel- Currently, efforts are being made to produce
based systems, a subsequent deregulation hybrid-electric vehicles in Brazil.
of the Ecuadorian electricity sector has seen 3.7.1.3 Vehicle cost
electricity costs skyrocket to market levels. A particular technology’s purchase price will
Due to these spiralling costs, the city was not be perhaps a foremost consideration for private
able to offer the “trole-bus” corridor to private sector operators. Technologies with a longer
operators. Thus, the “trole-bus” corridor has history and large manufacturing volumes will
remained a public company while all new hold a cost advantage in terms of manufactur-
diesel BRT corridors in Quito are privately ing economies of scale. New technologies will
operated. Based on this experience, Quito does generally have lower manufacturing volumes
not expect to utilise electric-trolley technology and may incur additional research and tooling
on any of its future corridors. costs.
Table 34 summarises the advantages and disad- The location of the manufactured vehicle will
vantages of utilising electric-trolley technology. also be a factor. Production sites in developing
d. Advanced technologies countries will hold an advantage in terms of
Highly advanced technologies such as hybrid- labour and site costs. Further, locally manufac-
electric vehicles and fuel-cell vehicles are under tured vehicles will have lower shipping costs to
going testing in both developed and developing arrive at the destination city. However, in some
cities. However, none of these cities are actually instances, locally manufactured vehicles may
operating full fleets with these technologies. raise quality issues in comparison to developed-
The costs and performance of these vehicles are nation production sites.
not entirely proven. Table 35 provides a summary of vehicle cost
Hybrid-electric vehicles will likely be the first estimation based on technology types and loca-
of these technologies to gain large-scale ac- tion of manufacture.
ceptance in the market. Hybrids utilise both

Table 34: Advantages and disadvantages of electric-trolley technology

Advantages Disadvantages
Zero emissions at point of use (total emissions will Vehicles can cost up to three times the amount of
depend on fuel type for electricity generation) a comparable diesel vehicle
Quiet operation Operating costs highly dependent on electricity
prices; subsequent electricity deregulation can
destabilise financial model
Smooth ride characteristics Infrastructure costs can be over twice that of a non-
trolley BRT system
Longer vehicle life (up to twice the vehicle life of Presence of wiring, posts, and transformers can
diesel vehicles) create aesthetic concerns, particularly in historical
centres

158 3.7 Planning Stage VII: Technology

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Table 35: Bus vehicle costs

Vehicle type Purchase cost (US$)

Small, new or second-hand bus seating 20-40
$ 10,000 - $ 40,000
passengers, often with truck chassis
Large, modern-style diesel bus that can carry
up to 100 passengers, produced by indigenous $ 40,000 - $ 75,000
companies or low-cost import
Diesel bus meeting Euro II standard, produced
for (or in) developing countries by international $ 100,000 - $ 150,000
bus companies
Standard OECD Euro II diesel bus sold in
$ 175,000 - $ 350,000
Europe or United States
Diesel with advanced emissions controls $ 5,000 to $ 10,000 more than a comparable
meeting Euro III or better standard diesel bus
$ 25,000 to $ 50,000 more than a comparable
CNG, LPG buses
standard diesel bus (less in developing countries)
$ 75,000 to $ 150,000 more than a comparable
Hybrid-electric buses
standard diesel bus
$ 850,000 to $ 1,200,000 more than a comparable
Fuel-cell buses
standard diesel bus
Source: Adapted from IEA, 2002, p. 120.

3.7.1.4 Vehicle size cause passengers to choose alternative modes of

The size and required passenger capacity of the transport, such as private vehicles.
vehicle are largely determined by the modelling High volume systems will likely require both
analysis conducted at the outset of the project large (articulate or bi-articulated) buses and
(see Section 3.2). The analysis process will have high-frequency service (Figure 160). Lower
determined a projected passenger volume for a volume systems should also strive for high-fre-
particular corridor. Vehicle capacities in con- quency service, but obviously with smaller bus
junction with service frequency are the primary types. It is also not a matter of just selecting one
factors that will help achieve a required volume bus type since feeder and trunk line vehicles
of customers. will likely be quite different. Bogotá’s Trans-
Manufacturers typically produce vehicles in set Milenio system, for example, utilises articulated
range of interior dimensions. The actual number buses on trunk line corridors and standard
of passengers that can be accommodated in a buses on feeder lines.
given interior space will depend on interior lay- Another consideration of vehicle size is manu-
out and the number of seats provided versus the facturer availability and industry competitive-
amount of space for standing customers. Table ness. Currently, only one major manufacturer
36 summarises some typical ranges of passenger
Table 36: Standard vehicle types and
capacities for standard vehicle sizes.
passenger capacities
A common error is to assume that larger vehi-
Typical
cles are somehow “better”. In truth, the best Typical
vehicle
vehicle size is one that permits a cost-effective Vehicle type number of
length
passengers
operation for the given volumes and service (metres)
frequency. If a large vehicle requires a ten Vans 10-16 3 metres
minute headway between vehicles in order to Mini-buses 25-35 6 metres
achieve an optimum load factor, then it might
Standard buses 60-80 12 metres
be better to choose a lower capacity vehicle.
Articulated buses 120-170 18 metres
Passengers prefer headways in the range of one
to four minutes. Long wait times will ultimately Bi-articulated buses 240-270 24 metres

3.7 Planning Stage VII: Technology 159

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 160 be quite substantial. Bio-fuels may seem to be

Bi-articulated vehicles, net-zero producers of greenhouse gases, but
as used in Curitiba, can agricultural practices can mean that soil-related
help to meet passenger
demand in high- emissions are quite high. Some fuels may work
capacity situations. well in ideal conditions but are more polluting
Photo courtesy of Volvo in circumstances when maintenance and road
conditions are poor.
Emission standards are the most typical mecha-
nism for differentiating between the emission
levels of different options. The standards set
forward by the US Environmental Protection
Agency and the European Commission are most
produces a bi-articulated vehicle. Thus, if this typically used to classify emission performance
type of vehicle is specified there is likely to be of different technologies. Table 37 summarises
less competition within the bidding process. the “Euro” standards system.
This lack of competition will ultimately force a
higher price being paid by the operators, which Emission standards can be achieved through
will then translate into higher customer fares. several options including:
Fuel quality;
3.7.1.5 Environmental performance
Engine technologies;
a. Emission standards
Emission-control technologies; and
From an emissions standpoint, there is no one
clear solution that is necessarily superior to Driver and maintenance practices.
another. In some instances, a fuel may emit less A strategy incorporating each of these com-
of one type of pollutant but more of another ponents will be most effective. However, each
type of pollutant. For example, CNG may do component has a different ramification in the
well in terms of reducing particulate emissions, developing city context. If fuel quality is the
but can end up emitting more greenhouse focus of the strategy, can the quality of the
gas emissions than even a diesel option. Some incoming fuel be assured and how will adultera-
fuels may produce less local emissions but will tion of fuels be avoided? If advanced engine
produce more total emissions when the full and emission-control technologies are utilised,
fuel cycle is considered. For example, electric how robust are these technologies in develop-
vehicles and hydrogen-fuelled vehicles may ing city conditions? If an improved driver and
produce zero emissions at the tailpipe, but maintenance programme is established, what
the emissions generated at the power-plant or mechanisms and incentives are in place to
through the hydrogen generation process can ensure follow-up and compliance?
Table 37: “Euro” emission standards for heavy vehicles
Euro Date PM
NOx (g/kWh) Engine control requirements
category in EU (g/kWh)
Minor diesel engine improvements, good
Euro II 1998 7.0 0.15 maintenance, proper operating settings, and
diesel fuel with 500 ppm sulphur or less
Further engine improvements (e.g. closed loop
Euro III 2000 5.0 0.10 system) and probably a diesel oxidation catalyst.
NOx system may require an EGR system
Ultra-low sulphur diesel (< 50 ppm) and a
Euro IV 2005 3.5 0.02 catalytic particulate filter, with additional NOx
control such as advanced EGR
Further NOx reduction such as NOx absorber or
Euro V 2008 2.0 0.02
SCR technologies
Source: IEA, 2002, p. 64

160 3.7 Planning Stage VII: Technology

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

In addition to emission standards, system plan- c. Noise

ners may also specify the maximum allowable Acceptable noise levels should also be specified
age of buses operating on the system. The age within the bus procurement specifications. Ex-
specification will help to maintain long-term cessively loud vehicles are both a health hazard
system quality as well as ensure all private as well as a detriment to the marketing image of
operators are competing on an equal basis. The the transit service.
maximum age will also play a fundamental role
Noise levels are determined by several variables
in calculating the operator’s amortisation rate
including:
for the vehicle.
Fuel and propulsion system technology;
b. Specifying an emission standard or a fuel type?
Design of propulsion system;
Within the vehicle specifications set by the public
Size of vehicle relative to engine size;
agency, a decision must be made to specify a par-
ticular technology or to only specify a particular Dampening technologies and exhaust system
emission standard. In general, it is preferable to employed;
only specify a particular emission standard, and Quality of road surface; and
then allow the private sector find the best means Maintenance practices.
of fulfilling the standard. The operator will need Some fuel and propulsion systems, such as
to consider a range of factors such as fuel costs, electric vehicles, are naturally quiet. In other
fuel availability, maintenance, reliability, refuel- instances, the design of the propulsion system
ling times, and performance. These factors will can encourage smooth operation as well as the
vary by location and situation, and the private dampening of sounds. Ensuring incentives for
sector may be in the best position to weigh the well-maintained vehicles and roads will also
relative economic value of each factor. help achieve lower noise levels. In Bogotá, the
For instance, TransMilenio specifies that buses vehicle specifications mandate that internal
must meet a minimum Euro II emission stand- noise levels of the vehicles are specified to not
ard and have set forward a schedule to move exceed 90 decibels (dB).
towards Euro IV standards. TransMilenio does 3.7.1.6 Low-floor vehicles versus high-floor
not specify a particular fuel or propulsion tech- vehicles
nology. These decisions are left to the private
There has been considerable amount of attention
operators.
to low-floor buses in recent years, particularly Fig. 161
However, in some instances, there may be in Europe and North America (Figure 162). By All buses in Delhi
reason to specify a particular fuel type. In contrast, most BRT systems in developing cities (India) have been
Delhi (India) all public transport vehicles have converted to CNG by
utilise high-floor vehicles with ramped entry governmental mandate.
been mandated to utilise compressed natural systems. Photo by Lloyd Wright
gas (CNG) as fuel (Figure 161). Some diesel
fuel suppliers in India adulterate the fuel with
other liquids such as kerosene. The result is
poor performing vehicles, higher emissions, and
more costly maintenance requirements. Thus,
requiring Euro II or Euro III technology can
be meaningless in such a scenario since there is
little control on the input fuel. By contrast, it is
quite difficult to adulterate CNG and thus its
quality is more assured. Despite the rationale of
this course, Delhi’s conversion from diesel fuels
to CNG has been fraught with conflicts and
political recriminations. Ultimately, it required
the intervention of the national Supreme Court
to intercede and ensure that the conversion
process was finally undertaken.

3.7 Planning Stage VII: Technology 161

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 162 Ramped-entry vehicles with high floors are

Low-floor vehicles are typically the most practical for BRT applica-
increasingly popular tions in developing cities. A level entry will
in North America and
Western Europe but permit rapid customer boarding and alighting.
do not always meet the Only with minimal dwell times can developing
needs of BRT systems in city passenger capacities be achieved. High-floor
developing cities, where vehicles permit a smooth ride experience as the
level boarding may be additional distance permits greater absorption
more appropriate.
Photo by Lloyd Wright
of road imperfections. Low-floor vehicles have
a lower equivalent passenger capacity since the
wheel-wells will protrude into the passenger
space. Standard tow vehicles will not be able to
move low-floor vehicles if there are mechanical
problems. A more costly specialised tow vehicle
Low-floor buses permit relatively rapid board- will be required. Finally, low-floor vehicles can
ing and alighting without the need for ramped create difficulties with regard to preventing fare
entry stations. However, there are also trade-offs evasion. With a ramped-entry high-floor vehicle,
with low-floor buses. Being closer to the ground, the height of entry acts as a natural defence
the buses typically incur more structural against individuals trying to enter from outside
stress and thus have higher maintenance costs. the station. With low-floor vehicles, fare evaders
Road surfaces on low-floor bus routes must be can sneak between the station and the bus, and
maintained at a very high level in order to avoid then enter the vehicle with relatively little dif-
damage to the vehicles. Small imperfections in ficulty. Table 38 summarises the advantages and
the road surface will also tend to make the ride disadvantages of low-floor vehicles.
less smooth and comfortable for the customers.
Low-floor buses also typically cost US$ 50,000 – 3.7.1.7 Double-decker buses
US$ 100,000 more than standard models. Double-decker vehicles have also maintained
popularity with conventional bus services in both
Table 38: Advantages and Disadvantages of Low-Floor Buses developed and developing cities. Although often
associated with the buses in London, double-
Advantages Disadvantages
decker vehicles have been employed in Dhaka,
Avoids the need to construct Can cost US$ 50,000 to US$ 100,000 Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Singapore, and
ramped stations more per bus elsewhere (Figure 163). Double deckers can bring
Allows the flexibility to use in low- Higher maintenance costs due to an intriguing image to a public transit system
density communities where station impacts from road surface and
and can be quite popular when applied to tourist
construction is impractical vibrations
Creates more modern image with Difficult to tow when break downs
the customer occur
More rapid boarding in comparison Lower passenger throughputs in
to systems with high steps comparison to buses with ramped
entries
More difficult for the physically
disabled and elderly to enter than
buses with ramped entries
Creates difficulties in stopping fare
evasion within closed fare systems
Less comfortable ride experience
Fig. 163
since small road imperfections will
affect ride smoothness Double-decker vehicles can create a unique
image for a city, but their cost and performance
Low-floor articulated vehicles will lose do not necessarily make them the ideal
as much as 12 seats worth of floor
technology for BRT applications. Photo shows a
space due to the protrusion of wheel-
double-decker vehicle in Dhaka (Bangladesh).
wells into the passenger area Photo by Lloyd Wright

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Table 39: Advantages and disadvantages of double-decker vehicles

Advantages Disadvantages
Increases passenger carrying capacity without Adds cost to vehicle; cost per passenger carried is
increasing road space footprint much higher than articulated vehicles
Creates intriguing transit image and is Stairway consumes passenger space on both floors
attractive for tourism and thus reduces overall passenger density in vehicle
Can be dangerous for passengers using stairway
while vehicle in motion
Boarding and alighting can be delayed due to
congestion on stairway
Height of vehicle can be a problem on some routes
with low-clearance infrastructure and trees
Height of roof and the structural integrity of the roof
creates difficulties in placing cylinders for natural gas
or other alternative fuels

routes. The upper deck of the vehicle offers an takes place at a few station points in the centre
opportune vantage point for sightseeing. of the city and then again at a distant suburban
Other arguments supporting double-decker location.
vehicles revolve around the higher passenger Table 39 summarises the advantages and dis-
density achieved while maintaining a low advantages of utilising double-decker vehicles
footprint density on the in-use road space. Thus, within the context of BRT.
while an articulated vehicle gains passenger
3.7.1.8 Interior design
numbers by the length of the vehicle, a double
decker gains passenger numbers by its height. From a customer perspective, the interior of the
A double decker vehicle will also consume less bus is far more important than the mechanical
road space at stations. components propelling the bus. The interior
design will directly affect comfort, passenger
However, double deckers bring with them many
capacity, security and safety. The amount of
complications, not the least of which is added
space dedicated to standing areas and to seated
cost. The gain in passenger numbers with the
second level is less than the same amount of areas should be based upon expected passenger
floor space added to an articulated vehicle. The flows, especially accounting for peak capacities.
difference is the floor space consumed by the The width of aisle ways will also be part of this
stairway, both on the lower and upper floors. equation. Standing passengers will require hold-
Thus, the passenger numbers achieved and the ing devices (poles, straps, etc.) in order to travel
vehicle cost per passenger accommodated with safely and comfortably.
double deckers fail to match the performance of Seating facing to the sides rather than to the
articulated vehicles. The stairway also creates a front can be effective in opening up space for
potentially troublesome difficulty for passengers, standing passengers (Figure 164). Front-facing
particularly during boarding and alighting. single seats can also be preferred by custom-
Moving up and down the stairway as the vehicle ers who wish to maintain a degree of privacy.
moves can be dangerous. The width of the Double seats can create difficulties when cus-
stairway also makes two-way passenger move- tomers prefer the aisle seat in order to be more
ment difficult. The net effect is to dramatically accessible to the exit. In such circumstances,
lengthen passenger boarding and alighting times. other customers must step over the aisle-seated
Double deckers are thus not entirely suitable customer to access the window seat. In other Fig. 164
for high-volume operations where passengers cases, customers may place belongings on one of Side-facing seats can
the double seats in order to prevent others from help open up more
are frequently boarding and alighting. Double vehicle space for
deckers are best used on conventional commuter sitting alongside. These circumstances can cre- standing passengers.
routes where most of the boarding and alighting ate conflicts between customers. Instead, good Photo by Lloyd Wright

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Fig. 165
Cloth and padded
seating can be an added
expense, but the value
to the customer may
make such seating a
good investment.
Photo courtesy of Advanced Public
Transport Systems

Fig. 166
An open space within the vehicle interior serves
both passengers with bicycles and standing
passengers.
Photo courtesy of Graham Carey

make the journey more enjoyable for passengers

who wish to view of the outside environment.
Special arrangements should also be made to
cater to the needs of physically disabled and
elderly passengers. The station entry ramps are
an important feature, but likewise adequate
design practices should be employed to avoid
interior space for wheelchairs is key. Addition-
potentially awkward customer situations.
ally, the safe attachment of wheelchairs to a
Cloth and padded seating offers additional com- fixed interior structure may be required.
fort to passengers (Figure 165). However, there
Bicycles can also be safely and effectively se-
are cost and maintenance issues to consider
cured inside the bus. Unfortunately, the bicycle
with these types of seats. While plastic seating
is needlessly banned from many bus systems.
is not as comfortable, such seating is less costly
With the ramped entryways of BRT vehicles,
and is easier to clean and maintain.
bicycles can be easily boarded, especially dur-
Special panoramic windows allow better ing non-peak periods. The space permitted for
views of the external environment. Panoramic bicycles can also be an effective open space for
windows offer a larger visible area for customer standing passengers during peak times. BRT
views. Being able to see upcoming stations and vehicles in Rouen (France) provide this type of
station name plates is especially important for open area for easy bicycle entry (Figure 166).
customers unfamiliar with a particular corridor.
Clean and highly vis- 3.7.1.9 Vehicle aesthetics
ible windows The aesthetic nature of the bus technology
also should also be an explicit component of
the design and specification process. Bus
styling, colour and aesthetic features
figure greatly in the public’s perception
of the system. Some bus manufacturers
Fig. 167
are now emulating many of the design
The vehicle in this photo
is a bus and not a light features from light rail systems (Figure
rail vehicle. The advent 167). Simply by covering the wheels
of modern, rail-like and rounding the bus body, these
vehicles is helping to manufacturers have greatly increased
transform the image the aesthetic appeal of their prod-
of buses as public
transport. uct. These initial bus designs are
Photo courtesy of Irisbus (Civis model) relatively expensive, in part because

164 3.7 Planning Stage VII: Technology

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other features such as optical guidance systems screen fed by a small camera under the vehicle
often accompany them. However, the idea of or integrated into the wheel. Electronically-
creating a customer pleasing form is not neces- operated optical systems function in a similar
sarily a costly endeavour. manner but rely upon a micro-processor to
actually steer the vehicle. Thus, as the vehicle
3.7.1.10 Docking systems
nears the station, the micro-processor assumes
The process of aligning the vehicle to the station control of the vehicle from the driver. This type
will affect the speed of passenger boarding and of system is utilised on the BRT system in Las
alighting, customer safety, and vehicle quality. Vegas (USA). The Civis vehicle used in Las
Vehicle alignment to the station can be critical Vegas can also be set-up to operate the entire
for both the lateral and longitudinal distances. route without driver intervention. However, the
The lateral distance between the vehicle and the cost of the automated optical system can push
station is important in terms of customers easily vehicle costs to over US$ 1 million per vehicle.
and safely crossing. The longitudinal placement Further, since labour is generally quite cost-ef-
of the vehicle can be critical if the station has fective in developing cities, there is little applica-
precise doorways that must match up with tion for such automated systems in developing
the doorways on the vehicle. If the station has nations.
an open platform without doorways, then the
longitudinal placement is less critical. Mechanical guidance systems for station align-
ment are similar to the mechanical systems used
The type of docking precision required is related on busways in Essen (Germany) and Adelaide
to the type of bridging device utilised to link (Australia). Such systems can also be used
the vehicle to the station. If a flip-down ramp only at station to bus interfaces. In this case,
is utilised to extend from the bus to the station side-roller wheels are not needed for guidance.
platform, exact precision is less important. As Instead, the vehicle enters a mechanical track
long as the separation distance still allows the with soft sides that guides the bus into position.
ramp to securely rest upon the platform, the
positioning is less critical. By contrast, if no Finally, similar to the Civis optical guidance
flip-down ramp is utilised, drivers will seek system, the Phileaus bus offers a magnetically
to minimise the gap left between the vehicle controlled guidance system. Magnetic materi-
and the station. A large gap will slow customer als are inserted into precise locations of the
boarding, create potential safety risks, and roadway. A micro-processor interface with an
impose difficulties on customers with wheel- on-board magnetic sensor then steers the vehicle
chairs. However, if a driver comes to close to the along a precise path. Like the Civis, the Phile-
station platform, a collision between the vehicle aus bus can be operated without driver interven-
and the station can easily occur. Rubber pad- tion at both stations and along the busway.
ding on the platform sides can mitigate some of For the developing city application, a simple
the damage, but ultimately, small collisions will optical system that is manually operated by
damage the vehicle. the driver is quite sufficient. In conjunction
Optical, mechanical, electronic, and magnetic with ramped-entry devices, these systems offer
docking systems are all possible technologies a cost-effective way of achieving a sufficiently
to assist the driver in the docking process. Of precise docking position in order to permit
course, as the technology becomes increasingly rapid boarding and alighting.
sophisticated, the vehicle and station costs can 3.7.1.11 Vehicle specification matrix
rise dramatically. The public planning agency will likely develop
Optical systems can either be manually or an official document detailing the vehicle
electronically activated. A manual optical specifications by which the private operators
system is simply a visual target for the driver to will select their vehicles. System planners should
focus upon while nearing the station platform. develop vehicle specifications that best meet
The driver’s focus on the visual target can be the local circumstances of the envisioned BRT
improved through the use of a magnified video system rather than merely follow the specifica-

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tions put forward by a single bus manufacturer. Table 40 is a summary of the vehicle specifica-
However, at the same time, system planners tions put forward by the public company
must also be cognisant of the vehicle products overseeing the Bogotá TransMilenio system.
available on the market so as to specify a vehicle The actual specifications for any given city
that will be cost-effective. The public agency will vary depending on local preferences and
must also be careful to not over-specify the circumstances.
vehicle to the point that few vehicle options are
actually available to the private operators.

Table 40: Bogotá vehicle specifications (trunk-line vehicles)

Vehicle attribute Specification

Load weights
GAWR front axle load 7,500 kg
GAWR middle axle load 12,500 kg
GAWR rear axle load 12,500 kg
GVWR total weight 30,000 kg

External dimensions
Maximum width 2.60 metres
Maximum height 4.10 metres
Overall minimum length 17.50 metres
Overall maximum length 18.50 metres
Maximum front overhang 3000 mm
Maximum rear overhang 3500 mm

Floor height from ground

Minimum height 870 mm
Maximum height 930 mm

Turning radius
Minimum between sidewalks 7,400 mm
Maximum between sidewalks 12,100 mm
Minimum between walls 7,400 mm
Maximum between walls 13,400 mm

Chassis and body

Body type Integral body or self-supporting body
Modification Every modification of the chassis must be formally approved by the
manufacturer
Certification of static load proof Can by obtained by physical proof or computational model
Minimum certified roof resistance in 5 minutes: 50% of GMV
Maximum deformation in every point: 70 mm

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Vehicle attribute Specification

Passenger space
Total passenger capacity 160 passengers
Seating capacity 48 passengers
Colour of seats Red
Number of preferential seats 6
Colour of preferential seats Blue
Standing passenger area 16 m2
Standing design capacity 7 passengers per square metre
Wheelchair capacity 1 space for wheelchair (90 cm x 140 cm); Located in the first body of
the bus in front of the second door
Layout of seats 2-2, 2-1, 1-1, 1-0; Perimeter or front-to-front

Internal dimensions
Free internal height 2100 mm minimum
Superior visibility height 1850 mm minimum
Inferior visibility height 600 mm minimum; 850 mm maximum
Corridor width 600 mm minimum

Seating characteristics
Characteristics Individual seats
Closed in back
Direct anchorage to the vehicle floor
Without upholstery or cushioned
Without sharp edges or rivets
Materials Plastic
Washable
Self-extinguishing and flame retardant
No release of toxic gases during combustion

Seat dimensions
Distance between seats 700 mm
Distance between seats front 1300 mm
to front
Seat depth 350 mm minimum; 430 mm maximum
Seat height (measured from 350 mm minimum; 450 mm maximum
floor)
Back height 500 mm minimum; 600 mm maximum
Seat width 400 mm

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Vehicle attribute Specification

Handles and handrails

Characteristics Surfaces without sharp edges
End finished in a curve
Continuous
Non-slip surface
Dimensions Diameter: Between 30 and 45 mm
Horizontal handrail height: 1750 mm minimum and 1800 mm
maximum
Distance between vertical balusters: 1500 mm or very two seats

Windows
Front window type Laminated
Type, all other windows Tempered
Colour of window Green
Transparency level 70%
Advertising Windows without advertisement
Inferior module Fixed to the body with adhesive
Superior module height Minimum: 30% of total height of the window
Maximum: 50% of total height of the window

Doorways
Number of passenger doorways 4
Position Left side of bus
Minimum free width 1100 mm
Free height 1900 mm
Door opening time 2 seconds
Emergency doors Type: single door
Number of emergency doorways: 2
Minimum free width: 650 mm
Free height: 1800 mm
With stairs covered and with a pneumatic opening system

Control and instrumentation

Logic unit Communication display in view of driver
GPS and communications antennas
Tachnograph (with register and storage of instant velocity, distance
travelled, times of operation and non-operation over 24-hour period)
Control centre communications Voice communication equipment
Instrumentation Odometer with pulse output connected to the logic unit
Complete instrumentation with alarms for low pressure of the air
brake system and motor oil system

Ventilation
Air renewal requirement Minimum 20 times per hour

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Vehicle attribute Specification

Noise
Maximum internal sound level 90 dB(A)

Destination signs
Number and size of signs 1 in front: 1950 mm x 300 mm
2 on left side: 450 mm x 250 mm
Visibility Visible from a distance of 100 metres

Technical standards
Bus NTC 4901-1 Mass Transport Passenger Vehicles
Test methods NTC 4901-2 Mass Transport Passenger Vehicles
Local standards ICONTEC (Colombian Technical and Standardisation Institute)
Source: TransMilenio SA

3.7.2 Fare collection and fare verification fare collection and fare verification reduces the
systems long delays that accompany on-board payment.
The method of fare collection and fare verifica- Once passenger flows reach a certain point, the
tion has a significant impact on passenger flow delays and time loss associated with on-board
capacities and the system’s overall impression to fare collection become a significant system
the customer. Section 3.5 discussed the fare col- liability (Figure 168). In Goiania (Brazil) the
lection system from the perspective of the busi- local transit agency estimates that this point is
ness model and the distribution of revenues to reached when the system capacity reaches 2,500
different private and public entities. This section passengers per hour per direction.
outlines some of the technological options for Pre-board fare collection and fare verification Fig. 168
collecting and verifying fares. Additionally, the also carries another benefit. By removing the On-board fare
advantages and disadvantages of different service collection and
handling of cash by drivers, incidents of on- fare verification
options are also discussed; these options include: board robbery are reduced. Further, by having dramatically slows
On-board versus off-board fare collection; an open and transparent fare collection system, customer throughputs,
Distance-based fare collection versus flat fares; there is less opportunity for circumstances in as evidenced here in
which individuals withhold funds. Goiania (Brazil).
Time-based fare collection; Photo by Lloyd Wright

Actual verification versus “proof of payment”

systems.
Both fare collection and fare verification proc-
esses are included in this section. Fare collection
refers to the fare payment process while fare veri-
fication refers to the validation of the fare. Fare
collection and fare verification can actually occur
simultaneously or in different steps, depending
on the process and technology being utilised.
3.7.2.1 On-board versus off-board fare
collection and fare verification
The decision to collect and verify fares off-board
will have a significant impact on the potential
passenger capacity of the system. Off-board

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3.7.2.2 Flat fares versus distance-based most closely mirror actual operating costs and
fares thus provide a truer measure of expenses for
The customer tariff can either be represented system operators. A longer journey implies that
through a flat fare or a distance-based fare. A more fuel and labour is required. Thus, distance-
flat fare implies that the same fare is charged to based systems do not involve the implied cross-
a customer regardless of the distance travelled subsidy that exists in flat fare systems. Distance-
in the urban area. A distance-based fare im- based fares also require a more sophisticated
plies that customers are charged based on the fare collection and fare verification system.
distance covered in their journey. The choice Unless an honour system is utilised, distance-
between the two fare options involves trade-offs based fares will require magnetic strip or smart
between social equity issues as well as between card technology. These technology choices
levels of fare collection complexity. bring along with them issues of additional costs,
customer queuing, and overall complexity.
In much of the developing world, flat fares are
utilised for social equity reasons. In many devel- In actuality, it is also possible to have a mix of
oping cities the lowest income groups often re- both flat fares and distance-based fares. A flat
side at the urban fringe. These peri-urban areas fare may be utilised within a well-defined urban
offer property at substantially lower costs than area while journeys extending to regional loca-
central areas. In many cases, the poor are utilis- tions, such as other municipalities, can require
ing peri-urban properties that are not owned by an additional charge. A mixed fare system
the individual. These informally occupied areas can be appropriate when a metropolitan area
quite often lack public services such as water includes satellite commuter cities. If such cities
and electricity. Additionally, the long distances are predominantly middle- or higher-income in
between the peri-urban communities and em- nature, then the justification for cross-subsidies
ployment opportunities in the city can inhibit are less. For example, the busways in Sao Paulo
access to jobs, health care, and education. If a (Brazil) charge a flat fare in central areas but
distance-based fare was implemented in such revert to a distance-based scheme for continuing
a situation, the poor at the urban fringe would onto satellite destinations. The fare collection
end up paying the highest transport costs. In system in such instances may require greater so-
order to achieve greater social equity, a flat fare phistication, such as smart cards. Alternatively,
helps to give such low-income groups access to the point between flat fare and distance-based
city centre services and opportunities. In such fares may be realised at terminal sites where it is
instances, a flat fare acts as a cross-subsidy from necessary to transfer between vehicles. At this
higher-income residents in the central parts of stage, the transfer between vehicles can require
the city to lower-income residents located in an additional payment.
peri-urban areas. 3.7.2.3 Time-based fares
A flat fare also permits the use of simpler fare Time-based fares typically enforce a maximum
collection technologies. Ticket-less options, amount of time that a person can reside within
such as coin-based machines, are possible with the system. A time-based restriction is some-
a flat fare. Further, a flat fare implies that no times imposed in order to prevent some custom-
distance verification step is required upon ers from abusing the intent of the transit service.
exiting the system. The lack of this verification For example, a homeless person may stay on the
step reduces queues and thus improves overall system for long periods of time just to stay in a
system efficiency. In general, a flat fare scheme quality and protective environment. Pickpock-
reduces the level of complexity in fare collection ets may also stay on for long periods in order to
by an order of magnitude. steal from several different customers.
Distance-based fare systems are utilised quite In less sinister scenarios, a person may also
frequently in developed nations as well as some travel a long distance on the system, and then
rail systems in developing cities, such as the conduct business within the system. The
SkyTrain in Bangkok (Thailand) and the Metro person would then return to the original point
in Delhi (India). Distance-based fare structures of origin, and thus only pay for a short trip.

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Alternatively, a person may travel some distance Systems in Europe and North America often em-
on the system and then realise that he or she ploy “proof of payment” techniques, also known
has forgotten something at home. The total as “honour” systems. In such systems, very little
time, including the trip back home, may exceed actual fare verification is actually conducted. Oc-
the allotted time. Also, tourists may travel for casional checks by transit staff is done to control
long periods of time on the system in order just the relative level of fare evasion. The actual pay-
to see the city. In all of these less sinister cases, ment of the fare is largely reliant on the public’s
the activities are probably not something that goodwill and overall willingness to comply. For
should worry a transit agency. The number of those caught without a valid fare during the
persons taking these unusual routes is likely to random inspection process, a penalty is applied.
be quite small. Further, sanctioning persons Honour systems do entail pre-board fare collec-
for such relatively innocent behaviour will only tion, usually through a vending machine or kiosk
dampen customer relations. (Figure 169). However, from the fare payment
However, some metro systems do put a time point onwards, the customers proceed directly to
limit on travel. By doing so, the complexity of the transit vehicle without inspection.
the fare system increases dramatically. Record- The main advantage of proof of payment fare
ing the time and distance of a trip requires a systems is that it allows one to avoid the con- Fig. 169
fairly sophisticated and costly technology, such struction of a closed entry station. No physical Pre-board fare vending
as magnetic strip or smart card technology since separation between the station and the outside machine in Berlin
the time must be recorded upon entry and exit. area is necessary. This design advantage can (Germany).
Further, staff must be posted at exits in order to help reduce station construction costs as well Photo by Lloyd Wright

deal with customers who have stayed beyond the as permit better station design in areas with
allotted time. The technology should also adjust limited physical space.
for incidents when it is not the customer’s fault The principal disadvantage of such a system is
that the time has been exceeded. For example, its great dependence on customer compliance
if a serious delay occurs in the system, then the that is sometimes difficult to obtain. Further,
customer should not be held accountable. the use of fare verification staff for the random
In summary, time-based fares are probably not checks can sometimes be costly. The viability
an entirely appropriate idea in either developed of operating an effective honour system in a
or developing cities. To curb extended use of the low-income city is yet to be proven. The lack of
system by the homeless or by individuals engaged such systems in developing cities does not imply
in theft, there are probably other more effective that developing-city residents are less honest.
techniques that can be utilised. The presence of However, managing such a system in the high-
security staff and security cameras are likely to volume applications of developing would be
be preferred tools to address these issues. In the quite difficult. Even with stringent verification
case of more innocent time violations, such as requirements, cities such as Quito face non-neg-
the use of the system by tourists, there is little to ligible amounts of fare evasion.
be gained from sanctioning this behaviour. In
3.7.2.5 Decision factors
reality, the use of the system as a tourist sight-see-
ing vehicle is a complement to the quality and Fare collection technologies vary significantly in
usability of the system, and is not an activity that terms of technical sophistication and cost. The
should be discouraged or berated. decision-making process will likely encompass
the following types of considerations:
3.7.2.4 Pre-board verification or honour Capital cost
system
Operating cost
The decision on whether to require verification
Complexity and reliability
of a ticket will affect the design of the stations
and the amount of fare evasion that occurs. Flexibility
Verification is the process of checking whether Physical requirements
a person has actually paid for their intended (or Impacts on queuing
completed) journey. Service features

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One of the principal determinants in choosing to handle fare collection and fare verification.
the appropriate technology depends on whether Coin-based systems also tend to reduce queuing
a system utilises a flat fare or distance-based in comparison to other technologies. However,
fare scheme. Section 3.5.5.3 discussed the vari- with this simplicity comes some limitations.
ous trade-offs in selecting a flat fare or distance- Coin-based systems work best with flat-fare
based fare. A flat fare scheme will greatly simply structures.
the technology required. With a flat fare there Queuing is reduced with coin-based systems
is no need to verify the distance travelled, so due to the fact that the customer does not need
there is no need to check the fare record at the to purchase a fare card. Instead the currency
destination side of the journey. acts directly as the fare payment and verification
The number of queues that the customer will mechanism. There is no need to issue any paper
endure in conjunction with the likely length of tickets to customers. Flat fare systems also typi-
time in each queue will affect passenger capacity cally do not require fare inspection upon exiting
flows and customer satisfaction. Thus, simpler the system. Thus, while other systems may
fare collection systems will likely not only be involve at least three separate customer queues
more robust to maintain but will also be more (purchase fare, verify fare at entrance, verify
user-friendly. fare at exit), coin-based systems require the
Flexibility refers to the ability to adapt the customer to only enter one queue (verify fare at
fare collection system to changes in the overall entrance). The time saved to the customer and
transit environment. If a municipality decides the reduction in overall system space dedicated
to move from a flat-fare scheme to a distance- to fare verification can be significant. Simpler
based scheme, the existing system may provide technologies also produce a savings in terms
sufficient flexibility or may require a complete of maintenance and operation since such the
overhaul. technologies tend to be more robust.
The physical requirements of the technology are In Quito, Ecuador, a simple coin-based system
particularly important given the limited space has worked successfully for both the city’s
available in most BRT station areas. If a veri- “Trole-line” and “Ecovía” line (Figure 170).
fication turnstile is quite bulky, then only one The system thus avoids the need for any paper
or two of the devices can be placed at the entry tickets. In Quito, an attendant window does
gate. The limitation on the number of turnstiles exist, but it is only to give change to those who
will affect the maximum number of passengers require it. Upon exiting a system, passengers
that may be processed. simply file through one-way exit doors without
the need for further fare verification. Quito’s
3.7.2.6 Technology options
system also allows the inherent flexibility to
Several different technologies and mechanisms utilise discount fare cards as well. The coin
exist to facilitate BRT fare collection and fare dispenser also has room for a card reader as well.
verification, including: However, the entire turnstile device is relatively
Coin or token systems narrow, and thus permits two turnstiles in a
Paper systems relatively narrow station.
Magnetic strip technology Naturally, coin-based systems depend upon the
Smart card technology availability of coins in the local currency. Fur-
Proof of payment systems ther, the coins must be available in a combina-
tion that matches the desired fare level. If coins
No one solution is inherently correct. The
are not part of the local currency, then tokens
choice of fare collection system often involves a
Fig. 170 are an option. However, the inclusion of tokens
The coin-based fare trade-offs between costs, simplicity, and service
in the fare collection system defeats many of
collection system in features.
the benefits of coins. While still providing a
Quito works quite well a. Coin / token systems
in terms of efficiency relatively simple fare system, requiring the
and cost. Coin and token systems are amongst the customers to purchase tokens means additional
Photo by Lloyd Wright simplest and lowest cost technologies available queues. Another alternative is to utilise fare

172 3.7 Planning Stage VII: Technology

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collection turnstiles that handle paper currency.

However, this technology is not nearly as robust
as coin readers. The extra moments required
for authenticating the currency note will slow
down the entry process and thus reduce system
capacity. This problem is exacerbated by the
poor quality of older currency notes often found
in developing nations.
b. Paper systems
Simple paper tickets are issued for bus and rail
systems throughout the world (Figure 171). distances travelled within
Ticket purchases can take place at vending in a high-volume system is
booths, machines, kiosks, and other shops. The somewhat suspect.
ticket will often have enough recognisable detail
to prevent counterfeiting. c. Magnetic strip technology
Magnetic strip technology
In some instances, paper
has had a relatively long his- Fig. 172 and 173
ticket systems will require
tory of application and suc- Magnetic strip
a validation step to the
cess in the field. Magnetic technology is available
process. The validation in two different size
strip technology has been
standards. However,
Fig. 171 used successfully in metro this technology is slowly
Paper-based systems systems around the world being replaced by smart
typically require manual (Figures 172 and 173). There card technology.
verification or an honour are two different standards Photos courtesy of TransMilenio SA
system. Such systems may for magnetic strip cards: 1.) The standard-sized
not be appropriate in some
developing city contexts. ISO 7810 card; 2.) The smaller “Edmundson”
Photo courtesy of TransMilenio SA card.

will involve inserting the paper ticket into a The technology requires the pre-purchase of the
stamping machine. This machine will mark the magnetic card for system entry and verification.
Capital costs can be significant for both the
time and sometimes the location of the valida-
ticket vending machines and the magnetic strip
tion. The validation process becomes important
readers at the fare gate. The advantage of mag-
when paper systems are distance-based and/or
netic strip technology is the relatively low-cost
have time limits on usage.
of the fare cards themselves, US $0.02 - US$
Verification of paper tickets can take place 0.05 per card. However, unlike smart cards,
manually upon entrance into the system or may magnetic strip cards have a limited lifetime. In
only be verified on the occasion of a random in- some cases, cards may be issued for only a single
spection. In some instances, the verification may uses. The cards are made of coated paper and
be done by the bus driver or a conductor. Such can be relatively easily damaged.
manual verification is quite problematic in high
Depending on the type of magnetic strip card,
volume systems. The queuing points are likely counterfeiting can also be an issue. Cards with
to be quite lengthy and the detrimental impact low coercitivity can be relatively easy to coun-
on customer travel times would be significant. terfeit; more costly high coercitivity cards are
Normally, verification for paper ticket systems is more difficult to fake.
conducted on an honour system. However, the The cards may be programmed to allow mul-
viability of an honour system in most develop- tiple trips and can also permit different fares
ing cities has yet to be substantiated. to be charged for different distances travelled.
Paper systems can permit distance-based fares, Some system providers utilising magnetic strip
but verification of distance travelled can only cards also elect to permit discounted fares for
be verified manually. The feasibility of verifying individuals purchasing multiple trips.

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 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

The cards typically are verified both at entry

into the system and at the exit. Data from the
verification turnstile can provide system opera-
tors with information on customer movements.
d. Smart card technology
Smart card technology is the latest advent in
the fare collection field. Smart cards contain an
electronic chip that can read a variety of infor-
mation regarding cash inputs, travel and system
usage. Smart cards also permit a wide range of
information to be collected on customer move-
ments, which ultimately can assist in system
development and revenue distribution. BRT Fig. 175
systems in Bogotá and Goiania have success- Both contact and contactless forms of smart
fully employed smart card technologies (Figure cards are available options.
174). Smart cards permit the widest range of Photo by Lloyd Wright

fare collection offer greater customer ease and convenience.

options such as However, contactless cards are also more costly.
distance-based
The microchip on the card can either be “mem-
fares, discounted
ory only” or “memory with micro-processing”
fares, and
capabilities. Cards with a memory chip can only
multiple trip
Fig. 174 store data. The addition of micro-processing
Smart card fares. Such cards
allows the smart card to actually execute appli-
technology is also collect a
cations as well. For example, a micro-processing
increasingly complete set of
a popular chip can allow the stored value of the smart
system statistics
choice for transit card to be used for purchases outside the transit
that can be helpful to system managers.
systems due to its system. In Hong Kong, the Octopus card per-
versatility, but the The main drawbacks of smart card technology mits users to make purchases at shops as well as
technology may not are cost and complexity. The systems require pay for transit (Figure 176). While this feature
always be the most fare vending personnel and / or card vending
cost-effective option for can be quite convenient, smart cards with micro-
machines. The system also typically requires processing capabilities are the most expensive
developing cities.
Photo courtesy of TransMilenio SA
verification machines at the system exits, if type of card.
distance-based fares are utilised. In each in-
stance, there is a risk of long customer queues, Unlike magnetic strip cards, though, smart
especially during peak periods. In addition cards have a long life and can be re-used. As
to the costs of the vending and verification
machines, each smart card is a relatively costly
expense. Current prices are in the range of
US$ 1.00 – US$ 2.50 per card. The card cost
depends on the card complexity.
Virtually all smart cards conform to the ISO
7816 size standard. The card material can vary
with such options as PVC, PET, and even
paper. The activation mechanism can either be
realised by way of “contact” cards or “contact-
less” cards. As the name implies, contact cards
require physical contact with the turnstile Fig. 176
scanning beam in order to be verified (Figure The Octopus smart card in Hong Kong features
175). Contactless cards permit the user to pass a microprocessor chip which allows the card to
not only be used for transit but also for shop
in the vicinity of the turnstile reader to activate purchases.
verification. For this reason, contactless cards Photo courtesy of TransMilenio SA

174 3.7 Planning Stage VII: Technology

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Table 41: Summary of fare collection technologies

Magnetic Smart card
Factors Coin system Paper system
strip system system
Set-up / equipment costs Medium Low-Medium High High
Operating costs Low Low Medium Medium
Level of complexity Medium Low High High
Number of customer queues in a
1 1-2 2-3 2-3
single trip
Can provide customer tracking
No No Yes Yes
information
Allows automated fare verification Yes No Yes Yes
Allows distance-based fare schemes No With difficulty Yes Yes
Supports high customer flows Yes No Yes Yes
Supports high-tech image of system Medium Low Medium-High High
Space requirements for fare
Medium Low High High
equipment
Susceptibility to counterfeiting Medium High Low to medium Low

smart cards become more common, this cost ticular route is going to arrive. By knowing the
will undoubtedly continue to fall. The long-term expected arrival time of a bus, the customer can
promise of this technology also extends well be- mentally relax as well as potentially undertake
yond transit fares, as some systems are seeking to another value-added activity to make best use of
utilise the same smart cards to permit purchases the time. Some systems, such as the Singapore
at shops and the payment of other bills. MRT system, even place a real-time informa-
e. Summary of fare collection technologies tion display at the outside of the station. Again,
this allows customers to make best use of their
This section has provided an overview of each of
time as well as helps reduce stress and rushing.
the major fare collection technologies. Table 41
summarises the major decision factors for each
technology.

3.7.3 Intelligent transportation systems

(ITS)
Information technology is changing all aspects
of daily life. Public transport has likewise
benefited from the reach of information tech-
nologies as well as the continuing reduction in
technology costs. “Intelligent transportation
systems” (ITS) refer to a range of information
technologies that provide more choices and
better quality for the customer.
Real-time information displays are one applica-
tion of ITS that can alleviate concerns over the
reliability of a service. Information on the tran-
sit vehicle’s location can be relayed via several
technologies to displays at stations informing
waiting passengers of the next available vehicle Fig. 177
(Figure 177). Real-time information helps to Real-time information
reduce customer “waiting stress”, which affects display in Berlin
passengers who do not know when or if a par- (Germany).
Photo by Lloyd Wright

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Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

In high-frequency systems where headways are the approaching bus. In the case of Los Angeles,
three minutes or less, real-time information the prioritisation is only given every other signal
displays may be of less value. However, even in cycle so as to not disrupt all traffic flows. Signal
these circumstances, customers can be aided prioritisation works best when separation times
in making travel route decisions. For example, between buses are over 4-5 minutes. In systems
passengers may be in a position to decide be- like Bogotá’s TransMilenio, the high flow
tween taking a local or express route. With the rates mean that buses are separated by as little
expected arrival times of both options posted, as 30 seconds. In such circumstances, signal
the passenger can determine which route is prioritisation probably has relatively little useful
optimum from a travel time perspective. Also, application.
in cases of a vehicle being quite full, a passenger Overall, though, ITS can deliver substantive
may decide to wait for the next vehicle if it is improvements to system efficiencies. With the
only a few minutes away. In this sense, real-time cost of such systems falling each day, even
information can help balance passenger loads developing nation cities should conduct a full
naturally, and thus mitigate the system delays review of the options and potential implications.
when vehicles are overly loaded.
This type of information can also be useful 3.7.4 Equipment procurement process
inside the vehicle as well. A video or digital The appropriate structuring of the procurement
display inside the vehicle can list the next sta- process can create a competitive environment
tion (or even the next three stations) as well as that will drive cost reduction and efficiency.
the final destination of the route. In conjunc- Additionally, a well-designed procurement plan
tion with a recorded audio announcement of will promote an open and transparent process
the next station, customers can enjoy a more that will help to eliminate corruption and graft.
relaxed ride without having to repeatedly check System developers should seek a wide range of
their position. Passengers can undertake other bidders for each piece of equipment needed. To
value-added activities, such as reading, without achieve this environment of competitiveness,
worrying about missing their destination. Fur- the procurement specifications should be suf-
ther, in crowded vehicles, consulting the posted ficiently rigorous to meet system requirements
system or route map can be difficult. The video while also permitting bidding firms the ability
and audio information helps persons easily gain to innovate. Prior to issuing tenders, an explicit
information without jostling about the vehicle. set of criteria should be created that sets forth
the determining parameters for selecting a bid
Similar types of technology can also be inte- and the relative weight given to each factor (cost,
grated with transit security efforts. Security experience, quality, etc.). The determination of
cameras both inside stations and vehicles are winning bids ultimately should be decided by
increasingly cost-effective approach to system an objective, independent body whose members
policing. The mere presence of the cameras have no commercial interest with the overall
themselves is often associated with a reduction project and have no relationship in any form to
in criminal activity. The cameras are also a vis- the bidding firms.
ible sign to the customer of system security and
can help reduce anxieties, particularly amongst
vulnerable groups.
Signal prioritisation techniques give preference
to system buses at intersections where the
system must cross mixed traffic. Los Angeles’
Rapid Bus system utilises signal prioritisa-
tion with great success. As a bus approaches a
signalled intersection, a transponder on the bus
communicates with an induction loop located
in the lane. A message is then sent to the inter-
section’s signal controller to give a green light to

176 3.7 Planning Stage VII: Technology

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3.8 Planning Stage VIII: The development of dedicated pedestrian zones

Modal Integration around a BRT station can be mutually synergis-
BRT systems like all public transport systems tic for both the pedestrian and public transport
cannot be designed and implemented in systems. The BRT system helps alleviate the
isolation. Instead, such systems are just one necessity of costly car-based infrastructure in
element in a city’s overall urban framework and the city core. The dedicated pedestrian zones
set of mobility options. To be effective, BRT provide a concentration of customers that can
should be fully integrated with all options and feed directly into the BRT system. Curitiba,
modes. In truth, other transport options such Brazil is a leading example of integrating
as walking, cycling, driving, taxis, and other dedicated pedestrian zones with its BRT system
public transport systems should not be seen as (Figure 178).
competitors with the BRT system. Rather, such
complementary services should interact with
BRT as a seamless set of options serving all
aspects of customer needs. Additionally, BRT
systems are often implemented simultaneously
with restriction measures on private vehicles.
Auto restrictions, as well as Travel Demand
Management (TDM) techniques, provide an
appropriate set of incentives for residents to
switch to more sustainable options.
By maximising the BRT system’s interface with
other options, system designers are helping to
optimise the potential customer base. The BRT
system does not end at the entry or exit door of A well-designed pedestrian access plan will Fig. 178
the station, but rather encompasses the entire provide a natural flow of walking customers In Curitiba, pedestrian
from the surrounding area. Pedestrian access zones connect directly to
client capture area. If customers cannot reach BRT stations, and thus
a station comfortably and safely, then they will routes should be planned over a radius of at provides good customer
cease to become customers. least 500 metres around each station. System access.
planners should ask a few basic questions re- Photo by Lloyd Wright

garding the quality of the pedestrian access. Are

3.8.1 Pedestrians the pedestrian walkways leading to the station
3.8.2 Bicycles well maintained? Are they sufficiently broad
to comfortably handle the expected pedestrian
3.8.3 Other public transport systems traffic? Are they safe and well lit? Is there
3.8.4 Taxis adequate signage to lead individuals easily to
the stations? Are there logical pedestrian con-
3.8.5 Park and ride nections between major origins and destinations
3.8.6 Auto restriction measures
such as shops, schools and work places?
3.8.1.1 Qualities of pedestrian
3.8.7 Integration with land-use planning
infrastructure
In designing pedestrian infrastructure, a few
3.8.1 Pedestrians characteristics are paramount in providing ease
If it is not convenient or easy to travel to a BRT of access to the BRT system:
station, then the other qualities of the system Safety
become somewhat irrelevant. Without adequate Security
access to stations, customers will simply not Directness
utilise the system. The walking environment is a Ease of entry
key determinant in whether the transit system is Comfort
of use to the customer. Aesthetics

3.8 Planning Stage VIII: Modal Integration 177

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

A “safe” pedestrian pathway implies that pedes- 3.8.1.2 Pedestrian modelling

trians are well protected from road hazards such Mapping pedestrian movements in the area of
as vehicles. “Security” refers to providing an the proposed BRT station provides the baseline
environment where pedestrians are not suscep- data that will help shape the optimum design
tible to robberies or other crimes. “Directness” of the supporting pedestrian infrastructure. Just
involves a pedestrian path that minimises the as traffic counts were an important element
distance travelled. “Ease of entry” means that input to the BRT modelling process, pedes-
the walk to the station does not involve oner- trian counts and pedestrian movements are
ous actions, such as walking up steep inclines. important parts of understanding issues around
“Comfort” refers to the quality of the pathway station access.
and provisions for protection from inclement
Figure 179 shows a mapping of pedestrian
weather, such as strong sun, wind and rain.
movements near a BRT station in Jakarta (In-
donesia). In this case, the pedestrian flows are
fairly unfocussed in terms of destinations and
origins. Thus, a single pedestrian bridge would
likely be insufficient to satisfy the intended
pedestrian movements. Figure 180 is an illustra-
tion of a potential solution for the situation
described in Figure 179.
Another type of pedestrian mapping exercise
involves recording travel distances from the
station based on walking travel times. Maps
showing areas covered in such intervals as one
minute, five minutes, ten minutes, twenty min-
utes, and thirty minutes not only indicate the
potential catchment area for the station, but this
analysis may also highlight potential barriers to
Fig. 179 pedestrian access. For example, a busy roadway
A mapping of pedestrian near the station may create severance issues for
movements near a BRT
station in Jakarta. “Aesthetics” imply that
Image courtesy of Michael King
the walking environ-
ment is pleasing to
the eye and inspires a
person to use public
transport.
These qualities are
not necessarily always
mutually compatible.
For example, the most
direct path may mean
reduced safety from
conflicts with vehicles,
or the safest route may
imply climbing over
a difficult set of stairs.
The design challenge
Fig. 180
is to find a balance that optimises the total
A possible solution to accommodate the
package of characteristics. pedestrian movements mapped in Fig. 179.
Image courtesy of Michael King

178 3.8 Planning Stage VIII: Modal Integration

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

approaching pedestrians. Other impediments

such as blocked pavements or the lack of pedes-
trian pavements will also become evident in a
time-based mapping. Also, long signal cycles for
pedestrian crossings will increase walking travel
times. This type of analysis can often show
areas where distances are relatively short but
pedestrian travel times are lengthy.
3.8.1.3 Types of pedestrian infrastructure
Pedestrian access infrastructure can take the
form of at-grade entry (e.g., crosswalks) or
grade-separated entry (e.g., overpasses and tun-
nels). Customers typically prefer the most direct There are many solutions to providing safer and Fig. 182
routing, and thus at-grade entry options usually more effective pedestrian crossings at transit Level surfaces can
deliver the most rapid approach. stations. The design of the crossing itself will greatly increase
However, at-grade entry by way of crosswalks the accessibility of
play a role. The areas on the pedestrian sidewalk transit stations for the
can involve greater safety risks if not designed should provide clear visibility, so that both physically disabled.
properly. Transit station areas can be prone to pedestrians and vehicle users can see the space Photo courtesy of Queensland
Transport
higher pedestrian accidents for several reasons. without visual restrictions from signage or
First, as customers approach a station and see vegetation. Signage and advertisements can also
their route vehicle nearing, there is a tendency create an area of visual clutter that will distract
to run to catch the vehicle without paying close motorists from seeing traffic signals and pedes-
attention to signals (Figure 181). While fre- trians properly. The crossing’s painted surface
quent services mitigate this tendency, customer should be highly visible and well maintained.
care in crossings can be compromised when per- Luminescent paints or reflectors can provide ad-
sons are in a hurry. Second, vehicles in mixed ditional visibility for evening hours. Addition-
ally, well-illuminated and well-maintained street
lighting should be placed over the crossing area.
Curbs along the pedestrian route to the transit
stations should all be ramped to provide access
to customers on wheelchairs and to those carry-
ing wheeled objects such as bicycles or trolleys
(Figure 182). There is little value in making
station platforms and transit vehicles friendly
to the physically disabled if it is impossible for
Fig. 181 those individuals to reach the stations in the
Customers rushing to catch their bus can be put first place.
at risk from unsafe crossings. At-grade crossings should be placed as closely to
Photo by Lloyd Wright
the station point of entry as possible. Otherwise,
traffic lanes may also be less prepared for transit customers may simply cross at an uncontrolled
pedestrian crossings. In some instances, transit point closer to their intended destination. Fig-
pedestrian crossings will be placed at mid-block ure 183 illustrates a poorly placed crossing in
(non-intersection) locations. Inattentive drivers Leon (Mexico) that forces some passengers to
may thus not realise a crossing exists and will walk nearly 200 metres farther than is neces-
fail to properly yield to pedestrians or to obey sary. In this location, a person working in front
traffic lights at mid-block locations. Thus, the of the station must walk 100 metres down the
combination of rushing transit customers and roadway and then 100 metres toward the sta-
inattentive drivers can produce lethal conse- tion to access a point that is actually less than
quences. 12 metres away from their starting point.

3.8 Planning Stage VIII: Modal Integration 179

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 183 Low to medium traffic levels

Transit passengers Controlled traffic speeds
with offices in front
of this station in Leon Relatively few lanes to be crossed
(Mexico) must walk Appropriate supporting infrastructure (sig-
200 metres out of their nals, marked crossings, etc.)
way to enter the station.
Creating a direct There may be instances when traffic levels,
routing to stations is speeds, and the number of lanes to be crossed
important in avoiding present an unacceptable danger to transit pas-
unsafe pedestrian sengers. In such instances, grade-separated
crossings.
Photo by Lloyd Wright
infrastructure (overpasses and underpasses)
may be an option to consider. The challenge
in designing grade-separated infrastructure is
creating a walking environment that persons
will actually use. If passengers ignore the over-
pass and instead run across uncontrolled road
space, then the situation has only been made
worse (Figure 184). While informal pedestrian
crossings can be controlled through the imposi-
tion of barriers along the pedestrian pavement,
it is better to also encourage overpass usage by
way of good design.
Several different types of signalling options may Overpasses are often avoided by pedestrians
be employed at crossings. In some countries, a for very rational reasons. Steep stairways make
flashing yellow signal indicates that pedestri-
ans have priority at all times. In this case, if
a pedestrian appears on the sidewalk near a
crossing, then motorists have the obligation
of stopping, even if the pedestrian has not yet
entered the crossing area. The effectiveness of
this approach will depend on the local culture
and the level of enforcement. Another option is
a standard phased signal that alternates green
signals between pedestrians and motorists.
The cycle should be frequent enough so that
pedestrians do not become impatient to the
point of crossing on red. The cycle can also be
controlled by a request button on the sidewalk.
In these instances, the cycle for vehicles will
be shortened when a pedestrian activates the
button. The request button, though, should not
become a substitute for maintaining a regular
phase cycle between motorists and pedestrians.
If the burden is always placed on the pedestrian
to signal his or her intent, then motorists will
interpret this as indicative of their greater rights
to the road space. In all cases, traffic signals
Fig. 184
should be properly maintained and functioning
A poorly-designed pedestrian overpass in
at all times. Jakarta acts to worsen pedestrian safety when
Well designed at-grade crossings can be the right persons choose to cross illegally at the street level.
Photo courtesy of the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy
choice under the appropriate conditions: (ITDP).

180 3.8 Planning Stage VIII: Modal Integration

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

options for escape or help, criminals may view

such spaces as easy targets. The overpasses may
also become inundated with vendors selling
goods (Figure 186). Since informal vendors see
such constrained spaces as a profitable density
of potential customers, the overpass space can
become filled with a variety of informal goods.
In turn, the tight space and aggressive selling
will dissuade persons from using the transit
system. Overpasses may also force transit cus-
tomers to walk considerably longer distances to
access the station. The location of the overpass
may be constrained by other overhead struc-
tures, and thus may be placed many metres
away from the intended destination.
Underpasses share virtually all the same
drawbacks as overpasses but also face some
additional challenges. While overpasses gain
outdoor light to improve safety, underpasses
depend upon installed lighting. Too often
poorly designed or poorly maintained lighting
Fig. 185 make entering a pedestrian underpass appear to
A steep, narrow stairway in Beijing (China) be a step into a dark void. Crime, graffiti, and
makes for poor accessibility to the transit unclean surfaces frequently plague poorly-de-
station. signed underpasses. Additionally, underpasses
Photo by Lloyd Wright
can be susceptible to flooding during storm
overpasses a physical challenge for many, espe- periods, and thus require a well-engineered
cially the young, the elderly, and the physically drainage plan.
disabled (Figure 185). Overpasses may cultivate However, with a well-designed plan, both
an environment inducing criminal activities overpasses and underpasses can be success-
such as theft and violence. Since pedestrians are fully implemented as access infrastructure for
contained in a relatively tight space with few transit systems. Bogotá’s modern pedestrian
ramps serve as a good example of providing a
functional and aesthetically pleasing overpass
(Figures 187 and 188). To enter the overpass,
Bogotá provides a ramped entry with a suf-
ficiently gradual slope to ease the climb. In
some instances, Bogotá also provides a stairway
in conjunction with the ramps so that persons
wishing to access the station more rapidly can
do so. The overpasses themselves are signifi-
cantly wider than the typical overpasses found
in developing cities. Utilising a 2.5 metre-wide
pedestrian space and an open design, Bogotá’s
pedestrian bridges alleviate many of the security
concerns normally associated with overpasses.
Fig. 186 3.8.1.4 Pedestrian corridors
A pedestrian overpass in Dhaka (Bangladesh) The planning of station access extends beyond
is crowded with vendors and thus acts to
discourage some from using it. the immediate transit corridor and into the
Photo by Lloyd Wright origin communities themselves. Since custom-

3.8 Planning Stage VIII: Modal Integration 181

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Some of the design factors to consider within

these corridors include:
Quality of pavement materials;
Aesthetic value of walking environment;
Number of trees, vegetation, verandas, etc.
providing climate protection;
Quality of street lighting;
Pedestrian priority at intersections;
Absence of major barriers / severance issues.
Some cities now are providing low-cost, covered
pedestrian walkways in order to eliminate
Fig. 187 and 188
the disincentive that the weather can bring to
Wide, modern
pedestrian bridges walking and cycling (Figure 189). In cities with
in Bogotá are highly extreme heat, covered walkways can reduce
accessible and have temperatures by 5-8 ºC, and thus make the
succeeded achieving difference in the viability of comfortably reach-
user acceptability. ing a BRT station.
Photo above by Lloyd Wright
Photo on right courtesy of
TransMilenio SA. Addressing these details is a relatively small in-
vestment in comparison to the total investment
for the BRT system. However, providing a safe,
attractive, and convenient pedestrian environ-
ers may be walking to stations from distances of ment can deliver significant benefits in terms of
one kilometre or more, analysing the quality of customer satisfaction and total ridership.
the pedestrian infrastructure over this distance
can be important to achieving ridership goals. 3.8.2 Bicycles
By mapping concentric circles of varying dis- The provision of bicycle infrastructure serves
tances from the station, the planner can exam- a purpose similar to that of pedestrian access
ine key corridors for improving pedestrian facili- infrastructure. Namely, bicycles are an impor-
Fig. 189
ties. Greater investment is likely to be made on tant feeder service providing customer access to
A covered pedestrian pedestrian linkages within 250 metres and 500 the transit system.
walkway in Panama metres since these distances tend to represent
City (Panama) helps the greatest share of pedestrians attracted to a Most customers will consider the public
to dramatically reduce station. However, if major origin/destination transport system a viable option if it is within a
pavement temperature sites are farther than these distances, it may still certain time budget of their home. For instance,
and thus encourage individuals may consider a time travel budget of
walking. be worthwhile to invest in a few quality pedes-
Photo by Lloyd Wright trian corridors. 20 minutes acceptable in reaching a BRT station.
Bicycles are capable of covering a distance five to
ten times greater than walking in the same time
period. Thus, bicycles present the opportunity
to increase one’s effective customer catchment
area by 25 to 100 times (since area is the related
to the square of the distance travelled). Unfortu-
nately, the lack of adequate cycleways and bicy-
cle parking at stations means that many systems
forgo this profitable opportunity.
3.8.2.1 Bicycle parking facilities
At the station, the provision of secure bicycle
parking infrastructure is essential for cyclists to
feel comfortable in leaving their bicycles prior to

182 3.8 Planning Stage VIII: Modal Integration

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

boarding the system. Another option is to allow

the cyclist to enter the BRT vehicles with the
bicycle, so that the person may use the bicycle
to access his or her destination on the other end
of the trip (Figure 190). The viability of permit-
ting bicycles to be brought on board the transit
vehicle is discussed in further detail in Section
3.7. This section will review options for bicycle
parking at the station area.
The challenge with bicycle parking facilities for
BRT systems usually relates to the space avail-
able. For stations located in the median of the
roadway, space may be available in front of or
behind the station structure. Underneath the en-
try ramp may also be a possibility. Alternatively,
bicycle parking could be provided on the curb
Fig. 190
side of the street. In all cases, the security of the
The Copenhagen metro system permits cyclists bicycle becomes an over-riding consideration.
to enter the system with their bicycles. The use An area being in view of security staff or transit
of one’s bicycle on both sides of the journey is a staff is preferred since a watchful presence can
significant benefit to the customer.
Photo by Lloyd Wright
be a significant deterrent to theft. Security
camera coverage of the bicycle parking area is
also quite helpful. At the TransMilenio Ameri-
cas Terminal, bicycle parking is provided inside
the terminal, at a point after a person has paid
to enter the system and in clear view of the fare
collection agent.
The type of bicycle parking can also affect
security and usability. The upright storage facil-
ity shown in Figure 191 provides secure parking,
but it is quite difficult for children, women, and
the elderly to lift their bicycle into position.
TransMilenio selected this design to minimise
the space required per bicycle, but the end result
clearly has disadvantages in terms of usability
for some individuals. Another option is known
as the bicycle locker (Figure 192). The locker is
easy to use and provides a highly secure space
which controls entry by a key. However, the dis-

Fig. 192

Fig. 191
Bicycle lockers provide
a highly secure
The hanging bicycle parking used in environment for the
TransMilenio is effective in reducing the bicycle, but the lockers
amount of space required, but it can be difficult can be somewhat costly
for some persons to place the bicycle in this relative to other options.
position. Photo courtesy of Cycle-Safe
Photo by Lloyd Wright Incorporated.

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 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Fig. 193 Fig. 194 Fig. 195

A self-locking U shaped post is a low-cost Provision of bicycle parking with only A formal bicycle parking facility with
and relatively secure option. the front wheel locked can be less secure. assigned staff is frequently employed in
Photo by Lloyd Wright Photo by Lloyd Wright cities such as Copenhagen, and provides
a highly secure and weather-protected
advantage of the locker is its relatively high cost environment for the bicycle.
(approximately US$ 300). Likewise, covered Photo by Lloyd Wright

bicycle sheds provide both protection from rain

also be possible for the attendant to charge a
and from theft, but can be costly to construct.
standard fee to each cyclist to cover the labour
One of the best options for a simple, self-locking cost. Cycling storage facilities are quite com-
device is a “U” shaped tube cemented to the base mon at European rail stations (Figure 195).
layer (Figure 193). The “U” shape permits secure
locking of both the front and rear wheels. Other 3.8.2.2 Cycleway infrastructure
self-locking devices that only permit the locking Of course, reaching the station by bicycle
of a single wheel are less secure (Figure 194). can be a challenge if quality cycleways are
not provided. It is no coincidence that cities
If a sufficient number of cyclists are utilising the
with world-class BRT systems also possess
station, it may be economically viable to offer
exceptional bicycle networks. Bogotá is home
a formal cycling storage area with a permanent
to Latin America’s largest bicycle network with
attendant. The attendant ensures a secure envi-
250 kilometres of dedicated cycleways (Figures
ronment through personal surveillance. Also, a
196 and 197). Likewise, Curitiba has done
system can be established in which the bicycle
can only be taken by providing the appropriate much to promote bicycle use as well. Merging
“claim ticket”. Financing the operating costs of BRT systems with bicycle networks requires
the storage area (principally the salary of the integrated planning that connects stations and
attendant) can be accomplished in several ways. terminals with the cycleways. The combination
Preferably the cost is seen as part of the overall of a BRT system with a cycleway network can
service provided to customers and thus included do much to provide city-wide mobility on a
as part of the system’s overall cost structure. In sustainable basis.
this sense, the cost is covered by the system The BRT system and the cycleway network
management organisation, which could be should ideally be planned jointly. The planning
the fare collection company, the bus operating process should aim to connect major cycleways
companies, the public agency, or even by way with BRT stations at strategic locations. The
of a separate concession. Alternatively, it would idea is not to force cyclists to transfer to the

184 3.8 Planning Stage VIII: Modal Integration

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

BRT system but rather to offer the option of a can integrate these options with BRT. Cities
combined public transport-bicycle commute. with water transport systems should also seek
Using concentric circles of two kilometres or to closely integrate these systems with the bus
more from the transit station, important cor- network.
ridors should be analysed for the quality of the Sao Paulo, for instance, uses BRT to connect
cycling environment. Key aspects to consider the end of its metro line with other communi-
are: ties. Some cities with existing metro systems are
Quality of road surface; unable to finance the completion of the metro.
Existence of segregated cycleways or bicycle In such instances, BRT has been an economi-
lanes; cal option that will help bring a public transit
connection to the entire city.
Provisions for bicycles at intersections;
Bicycle bridges or other grade separation at The key to a successful integration lies in the
key junctures; physical connection between the two systems,
the complementary marketing and promo-
Street lighting for cyclists;
tion of the two systems, and the unification
Tree cover along cycle route; of fare structures. In Sao Paulo, the physical
Signage for cyclists. connection is made simple by ramps departing
the metro system leading directly to the BRT
3.8.3 Other public transport systems
system. Clear signage also helps make this
BRT can also be complementary with other integration relatively seamless. Further, the two
urban and long-distance transit options. Cities systems can be marketed jointing under one
with existing metros and urban rail services name and logo, so that the systems are clearly
unified in the eyes of the customer. Finally, an
integrated fare structure permits customers to
leave one mass transit mode to another without
the need of purchasing an additional fare.
BRT should also be integrated with long-dis-
tance public transport infrastructure such as
long-distance bus stations and train stations.
Again, the physical planning of the interface
is key to making this option viable. Passengers
from such modes often are carrying luggage or
goods, and thus particularly need a convenient
transfer mechanism.

Fig. 196 and 197

It is no coincidence that Bogotá possesses both a
world-class BRT system and world-class bicycle
infrastructure. The two systems are mutually
complementary.
Photos by Lloyd Wright

3.8 Planning Stage VIII: Modal Integration 185

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.8.4 Taxis facility does not provide parking but rather

Another forgotten integration opportunity con- includes a passenger drop-off area for private
cerns the car taxi industry. In developing-nation vehicles. A park-and-ride facility should also
cities, taxi associations can be politically power- include space for the kiss-and-ride option.
ful and are often left relatively uncontrolled. Park-and-ride and kiss-and-ride facilities are
In such cities, the taxis also constitute a large effective options in suburban locations where
percentage of the vehicles creating congestion. population densities may be insufficient to cost
In many cases, this congestion is largely due justify feeder services. In developing cities, these
to taxis without passengers (i.e. taxis in search areas may include more affluent households
of passengers). Taxis in Shanghai, for instance, that have sufficient disposable income to own
are estimated to spend 80% of their travel time a private vehicle. Attracting this income group
without passengers. to the transit system can deliver several benefits.
The strategic location of taxi stands in close First, offsetting private vehicle use pays signifi-
integration with BRT stations can prove to be cant dividends in terms of emission reductions
a win for system designers, taxi drivers, city and congestion relief. Second, a public transport
officials, and the public (Figure 198). System system that is of sufficient quality to attract
designers win by adding another important even the highest income groups is a worthy
feeder service to their route structure. The objective. Third, a healthy mix of all a city’s
taxi owners and drivers win by dramatically income groups in the system means that all po-
reducing their operating costs. The BRT sta- litical interests will have an incentive to ensure
tions provide a concentration of customers for the system’s future. Finally, systems which serve
the taxis without the need to circulate the city all income groups also serve an important social
expending large quantities of petrol. City of- function since the public transport system may
ficials win by helping to reduce a major factor in be the one location where are segments of soci-
urban traffic congestion. And finally, the public ety come together.
wins by having a more flexible and convenient The park-and-ride and kiss-and-ride facilities
transit system that also reduces urban emissions are best situated at stations as close to the target
and promotes greater overall efficiency. customers as possible. Private vehicle owners
are less likely to use a park-and-ride facility
if they are driving a substantial distance into
Fig. 198
the city and then using the public transit only
In Quito, the provision
of taxi stations near for a small final portion. The time and cost of
BRT stations helps switching to public transport only for the final
provide customers few kilometres means that few customers will
with an additional utilise the system under such circumstances.
form of feeder services. The principal incentive to these customers will
The arrangement also
reduces unnecessary be the time savings achieved by the exclusive
travel by taxi drivers busways over the main portion of the commute.
looking for customers. In some areas, it will be necessary to include
Photo by Lloyd Wright
security measures at the parking facilities. Se-
3.8.5 Park-and-ride curity measures such as an attendant or security
Private vehicle owners can also be successfully cameras can be effective. If security is insuf-
integrated with the system through the devel- ficient, motorists will choose to use their private
opment of “park-and-ride” or “park-and-kiss” vehicle for the entire commute.
facilities. These facilities allow private vehicle Whether motorists should be charged for park-
users to access the transit system, and therefore ing at a park-and-ride facility depends on the
complete their total commute by way of public particular set of incentives in place. A parking
transport. A park-and-ride facility provides a charge is a disincentive to the use of the park-
parking garage or parking lot for vehicles to be and-ride facility, and thus may work against
kept securely during the day. A kiss-and-ride the objective of encouraging a mode shift from

186 3.8 Planning Stage VIII: Modal Integration

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private vehicles to public transport. However, Green travel plans;

a broader set of vehicle charges, such as petrol Traffic calming measures.
taxes and road pricing, can change the balance
3.8.6.1 Parking restrictions
to permit a parking charge. If the cost of com-
muting entirely by private vehicle is relatively Restrictions on parking can be an effective
expensive, then the advantage will remain with incentive to discouraging private vehicle use.
the transit system. The availability of subsidised low-cost or even
no-cost parking at office buildings has contrib-
Parking facilities can be quite costly to develop uted to rampant private vehicle use in many
and construct. Each at-grade parking bay may countries. A reduction of parking availability
cost US$ 3,000 to US$ 15,000 when land within the city will work to change the current
purchase costs are included. Each parking market dynamics that facilitate low-cost private
bay within a multi-level parking facility will vehicle usage.
likely cost in the range of US$ 20,000 to US$
At the same time as the development of Bogotá’s
35,000. Costs can be even greater in areas with
BRT system, the municipality eliminated on-
significant land costs. Thus, it is appropriate to
street parking from much of the central portion
establish a fee for parking facilities at transit sta-
of the city. Off-street, private parking facilities
tions. The challenge is to develop a fee structure
took up some of this demand. However, unlike
that still provides a strong incentive for using
on-street parking, the private parking facilities
the transit system.
charged a fee for the service. The end result was
3.8.6 Auto restriction measures the termination of free city parking and the
reclamation of public space. In many instances,
Part of the equation for transforming a city and
the previous parking spaces have been converted
its mobility structure is providing high-quality
to an attractive new environment for pedestri-
public transport, such as BRT. At the same time,
ans (Figure 199).
the strategic use of incentives to discourage
private vehicle use can provide multiple divi-
dends. The use of the appropriate incentives can
further bolster the ridership of the new transit
system, support the sustainable restructuring of
the city, lead to additional environmental and
economic gains, and create a greater sense of
equity through improved access and mobility.
Recent experiments with Travel Demand Man-
agement (TDM) techniques have demonstrated
the cost-effectiveness and ease with which the
right incentives can direct persons towards more
sustainable transport forms. The development of
a BRT system is an ideal time to investigate the
adoption of TDM measures.
Mechanisms that help discourage private vehi-
cle use and thus encourage public transport use
include the following: A mandatory parking fee throughout the city Fig. 199
Reduction in available parking areas; can be part of a financing strategy for the BRT Bogotá has eliminated
system. A parking fee at all commercial sites much of its previous
Increased parking fees; on-street parking in
and private parking facilities can provide a order to deter private
Increased parking enforcement;
double incentive for supporting public trans- vehicle use. The former
Parking cash-out programmes; port. First, the fee adds to the cost of private parking spaces are being
Day restrictions by license plate number; vehicle commuting, and thus provides a direct converted into more
Congestion charging and road pricing; economic incentive to use transit. Second, if the attractive public space.
Photo by Lloyd Wright
Travel Blending or TravelSmart™; revenues from the parking fee are then applied

3.8 Planning Stage VIII: Modal Integration 187

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

to improving the transit system, public trans- day by private vehicle. Further, since the second
port will become increasingly attractive. car was typically a lower-quality used vehicle,
The site of a vehicle parked on the pedestrian the end result meant that even more emissions
pavement is not uncommon in many developing were put into the air.
cities (Figure 200). Police are often unable or A well-designed programme, though, can avoid
unwilling to deter such practices. The result is a the problems experienced in Mexico City and
culture that permits private vehicles to consume Sao Paulo. Bogotá has developed a license plate
public space, which further weakens the social restriction programme that has succeeded in
position of walking and other sustainable forms removing 40 percent of the city’s private vehi-
of mobility. However, enforcement of traffic cles from the streets each workday during peak
and parking laws can immediately produce the periods. The Bogotá approach has succeeded
opposite effect. Applying fines and penalties for several reasons. First, Bogotá has chosen to
to illegally parked vehicles will discourage prohibit four license plate numbers each day
the practice as well as curb the overall park- from use instead of just two or three. Table 42
ing supply. Further, revenues from improved lists by the day of the week the licence plate
enforcement could potentially be dedicated to numbers that are restricted. The restriction of
improving the public transport system. four license plate numbers each day implies that
a person would have to purchase three vehicles
instead of two in order to cover every day of
the week. Second, Bogotá’s vehicle prohibition
only applies during peak hours. These hours are
from 06:00 to 09:00 in the morning and from
Fig. 200
16:30 to 17:30 in the afternoon. Thus, vehicles
Illegal parking on with the prohibited numbers for a given day
pedestrian sidewalks
discourages walking may still travel at non-peak hours. The net effect
and sends a message is to encourage a shift either to using public
that private vehicles are transport or to use a private vehicle at a non-
more important than peak time. This flexibility in conjunction with
persons.
Photo by Lloyd Wright
the restriction applying to four plate numbers
has meant that Bogotá has not experienced
3.8.6.2 Day restrictions by license plate
a problem with persons purchasing multiple
number
vehicles to overcome the restriction. The meas-
Severe traffic congestion and air contamination ure has contributed to an estimated 10 percent
in some developing cities has prompted officials of former private vehicle users to shift to public
to enforce vehicle bans based on license plate transport as their daily commuting mode.
numbers. The last digit in a vehicle’s license
plate number determines the day(s) during The problem of motorists purchasing a second
which the vehicle is permitted to operate in the vehicle to circumvent the license plate restric-
city. Travelling with a license plate that is not tion can also be controlled through the manner
valid for a particular day will result in a penalty of issuing plate numbers. If the purchase of
or fine. Table 42: License plate restrictions in
Bogotá
The success of licenses plate restriction pro-
grammes has been mixed. In cities such as Day License plates ending with these
Mexico City and Sao Paulo, the programmes of week numbers are restricted from use
have had some unintended consequences. Many Monday 1, 2, 3, 4
residents in these cities avoided the restrictions Tuesday 5, 6, 7, 8
by simply purchasing a second vehicle with a
Wednesday 9, 0, 1, 2
licence plate that ends with a different number.
Thursday 3, 4, 5, 6
Thus, by possessing two vehicles with different
numbers, the person is still able to travel each Friday 7, 8, 9, 0

188 3.8 Planning Stage VIII: Modal Integration

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

any vehicle, new or used, is accompanied by a

mandatory re-issuing of plate numbers, then
a person cannot choose an additional vehicle
based on its plate number. Further, if the regu-
latory agency purposefully gives owners a plate
number ending in the same number as their
other vehicle, then the practice of purchasing a
second vehicle would be effectively terminated.
3.8.6.3 Congestion charging and road
pricing
a. Defining congestion charging
A city’s road infrastructure has a finite ability
to accommodate ever increasing amounts of
private vehicles. The resulting congestion places
innumerable costs upon a city in the form of air
contaminants, noise, personal stress, unreliable
delivery services, and the inability of persons to
travel efficiently. One strategy to combat these
problems is through charging private vehicles up the value on the smart card can be done Fig. 201
to access urban roads in central districts. Such at petrol stations or automatic teller machines Singapore’s Electronic
schemes are known by different names, includ- (ATMs). If the communication between the Road Pricing (ERP)
ing congestion charging, road pricing, and system has been effective
in-vehicle unit and the gantry radio antennae in curbing vehicle use,
cordon pricing. indicates that the road charge is not being paid, especially during peak
Congestion charging places a monetary value a camera on the gantry will photograph violat- periods.
Photo courtesy of GTZ
on using the road space during peak travel ing vehicles.
times. Motorists who wish to enter a congestion The system software allows a different fee to
zone must pay a fee to gain legal access to the apply during different half-hour periods. The
use of the road. By charging for the use of the
highest peak rate is currently US$ 1.71 per half-
road resource, only those who value road access
hour spent in the Restricted Zone. The infra-
more than the congestion charge will travel
structure cost of the Singapore ERP system was
during the peak times.
approximately US$ 114 million. Each year the
London, Singapore, and three cities in Norway system generates US$ 46 million in revenues
have implemented pricing schemes. The results with operating costs of US$ 9 million. The ERP
have shown a marked reduction in congestion scheme is credited with reducing traffic levels by
as well as the generation of revenues for sup-
50 percent and increasing average traffic speeds
porting sustainable transport options.
from around 18kph to 30kph.
b. Electronic Road Pricing in Singapore
c. Congestion pricing in London
From 1975 until 1998, Singapore operated a
The introduction of the congestion charging
manually-controlled road pricing scheme. The
scheme requires motorists to pay for entry into a scheme in London has now helped to broaden
central Restricted Zone. Technological advances the appeal of congestion charging to transport
enabled the city to implement an Electronic planners worldwide. Over the past decades,
Road Pricing (ERP) scheme in 1998. The sys- London’s traffic congestion had worsened to the
tem utilises short-range radio signals between point that average traffic speeds were similar
in-vehicle electronic units and overhead gantries to speeds of the horse carts utilised in London
(Figures 201). There is also a control centre to during the nineteenth century. In response,
manage and coordinate the system. A smart London’s Mayor Ken Livingstone decided to
card is inserted into the in-vehicle unit to vali- implement a congestion charging scheme in the
date entrance into the Restricted Zone. Topping centre core of the city.

3.8 Planning Stage VIII: Modal Integration 189

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Beginning in 2003, a £ 5 (US$ 9) fee was In addition to exempting motorcycles, the

imposed for vehicles entering the central zone London congestion charge is also not applied to
from 07:00 to 18:30 (Monday through Friday). taxis, public transport, police and military vehi-
Motorists can pay through a variety of mecha- cles, physically disabled persons, certain alterna-
nisms including the internet, telephone, mobile tive-fuel vehicles, certain health care workers,
text messages, self-service machines, post, and and tow trucks. Also, persons who reside inside
retail outlets (Figure 202). Motorists have until the zone receive a 90 percent discount on the
midnight on the day of entry to pay the charge, congestion charge fee. The exempted vehicles
represent 23 percent (25,000 vehicles) of the
Fig. 202 total traffic in the zone.
London’s congestion
charging programme After one year of operation, London’s conges-
permits customers to tion charge has produced some impressive
pay by a variety of results. Congestion levels have been reduced
mechanisms. by 30 percent, and the total number of vehicles
Photo by Lloyd Wright
entering the zone has dropped by 18 percent.
Average speeds have increased from 13 kph to
18 kph. Perhaps the most unexpected benefit
was the impact on the London bus system.
With less congestion bus journey speeds in-
creased by 7 percent, prompting a dramatic 37
percent increase in bus patronage.
The start-up costs of the scheme (excluding
although payments after 22:00 increase to £ traffic management costs) totalled £ 180 million
10 (US$ 18). Subsequently, an £ 80 (US$ 144) (US$ 324 million). The annual operating costs
fine is applied to motorists who fail to pay by are currently £ 97 million (US$ 175 million).
midnight. With total annual revenues of £ 165 million
(US$ 297 million), the system nets the city £
London’s technology is somewhat different than 68 million (US$ 122 million) each year. These
the short-wave radio frequencies and overhead revenues are then applied to supporting bus
gantries utilised in Singapore. London chose priority schemes and cycleway projects. London
to use a camera-based system in which license is currently planning an extension of the con-
plates entering the zone are photographed gestion charging zone.
(Figure 203). At the end of each day, the list of
d. Developing city applications for congestion
vehicles entering the zone is compared to the
charging
list of vehicles that have had payments sent to
the scheme operators. Any unpaid owners are The success of the London and Singapore pric-
referred for enforcement actions. ing schemes has attracted interest for similar
projects in developing cities. However, the
London chose the camera-based technology due applicability of congestion charging depends
to aesthetic concerns over the large overhead very much on local circumstances. The com-
gantries employed in Singapore. Additionally, plexity of such schemes in conjunction with
officials were also concerned over the limita- the relatively high initial costs may mean that
tions of GPS-based systems to operate without other auto-restriction measures, such as parking
interference in narrow urban roads lined by tall charges, could be more appropriate for develop-
buildings. However, London’s technology does ing cities. For example, the combination of
have its disadvantages as well. Some license day restrictions by license plate numbers and
Fig. 203 plates can be difficult to read due to glare or parking restrictions in Bogotá have been highly
London preferred more other sight restrictions. Further, while the successful in reducing private vehicle use with-
discreet camera-based system currently exempts motorcycles from the out the difficulty of implementing a road pric-
technology instead of charge, the current technology would not be ing scheme. Likewise, parking fee schemes can
the overhead gantries
employed in Singapore. capable of fully capturing the smaller motorcy- produce as many or more revenues (due to lower
Photo by Lloyd Wright cle license plates. operating costs) than road pricing schemes.

190 3.8 Planning Stage VIII: Modal Integration

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

The attraction of road pricing is the political ditional one percent decrease after 12 months.
advantages of dealing with a relatively sophis- Public transport trips rose from six percent
ticated technology (as opposed to parking fees). of all trips to seven percent, and cycling trips
Thus, if the high-technology nature of road doubled from two percent to four percent. The
pricing helps propel its implementation, then results have been maintained even two years
it may be an option to consider. Further, auto- later. The technique is now being applied
restriction measures are not mutually exclusive. throughout Australia and in some cities in
Road pricing schemes can be implemented in Europe. Similarly impressive results are being
conjunction with parking reform and other achieved at extremely low costs.
TDM measures. A trial of travel blending in Santiago produced a
3.8.6.4 Travel blending 17 percent reduction in private vehicle trips (as a
proportion of participating and non-participat-
Several cities in Australia and Europe have
ing households combined). This experiment also
developed a new technique for achieving dra-
reduced kilometres travelled by 23 percent and
matic changes in mode shares at very low costs.
The technique, known as “travel blending”, is a travel times by 17 percent.
form of social marketing. The idea is to simply The social marketing techniques utilised in
give people more information on their commut- travel blending can help achieve reductions in
ing options through a completely personalised private vehicle use as well as provide an infor-
process, and then facilitating changes in travel mation platform for promoting a BRT system.
behaviour. While the focus to date has been in The low-cost and voluntary nature of the pro-
developed countries, a recent success in San- gramme should make it attractive to most cities.
tiago (Chile) indicates that it may be applicable
to developing cities as well. 3.8.7 Integration with land use planning
The technique involves phone contact with all Public transport planning and land-use plan-
households in the area, and then identifying ning should be undertaken in an integrated
the proportion of respondents who would be fashion to capture mutually-beneficial synergies.
interested in making some changes in travel Land-use patterns that promote commercial and
behaviour. These households are then supplied residential densification around transit stations
with pertinent information (e.g., public trans- will both promote public transport and add to
port timetables, maps of cycling routes, etc.). customer convenience. This type of development
For a proportion of respondents there are follow- strategy, known as transit-oriented development
ups with household visits. In some cases, the (TOD), is increasingly being undertaken in
interpersonal exchange with customers will alert conjunction with new transit systems.
transport planners to potential changes in the Development around BRT stations in Curitiba
transport system. For example, feedback from represents one of the best-known examples of
customers can highlight the need for better ac- TOD. The tubed stations in Curitiba have acted
cess to public transport stations, new bus stops, as development nodes for commercial shops,
provision of new timetables, and the extension housing, and public service centres. The five
of service hours. exclusive busways in Curitiba are lined with
The information programme may also involve high-rise development, reflecting the higher
residents completing seven-day travel diaries. land values near the BRT system. Zoning
The assisting facilitators will then analyse the regulations in Curitiba supported this type of
diaries to devise suggestions on alternatives for development by restricting high-rise construc-
the participant. tion to areas near the busways.
In the first trial in Perth (Australia), approxi- The end result in Curitiba has been a land-use
mately US$ 61,500 was expended in consulting planning scheme and a BRT system that have
costs to conduct the surveys and information worked to be mutually supportive. The munici-
provision activities. Of the 380 households pality has also benefited in another way, as the
targeted, the program produced a six percent cost of public service delivery has been reduced
decrease in auto use immediately and an ad- along the corridors.

3.8 Planning Stage VIII: Modal Integration 191

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192
 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.9 Planning Stage IX: Impacts

The true impact of BRT is not simply the physi-
cal system but rather the improvements that it
creates in people’s lives. Evaluating the expected
impacts on traffic levels, economic development,
environmental quality, social interactions, and Fig. 204
urban form all help determine whether the A well-planned BRT
BRT system will add real value. The projec- system should ensure
tion of system impacts is thus a crucial step in that the congestion from
existing uncontrolled
cost justifying the final development and the operations is reduced
cost of construction. Further, by examining considerably. Transport
the system’s expected impacts, it is possible modelling can help
to determine what types of improvements or predict the amount of
modifications are required from the design. the congestion reduction.
Photo by Lloyd Wright

3.9.2 Economic impacts

3.9.1 Traffic impacts An efficient public transport system can be an
effective catalyst for stimulating local economic
3.9.2 Economic impacts
development. The provision of access and mo-
3.9.3 Environmental impacts bility is closely tied to development objectives.
This relationship is especially the case in devel-
3.9.4 Social impacts
oping cities where private vehicle ownership is
3.9.5 Urban impacts relatively low. A BRT system can affect the local
economy through the following impacts:
Employment generation;
3.9.1 Traffic impacts
Economic efficiency in moving people and
At the outset of the project, the initial model- goods;
ling work helped to select the appropriate
Property values; and,
corridors and the likely ridership numbers.
Technology transfer.
Once the initial design and planning work has
been completed, it is appropriate to re-examine 3.9.2.1 Employment generation
how the new system will function in the city’s a. System construction
transport matrix. Motorists, taxi operators, and The new BRT system will likely represent a
others currently using the road network will dramatic transformation of the proposed corri-
likely want to be reassured that the development dors. As with any project of this magnitude, the
of the BRT system will not lead to gridlock. A system will generate a considerable amount of
traffic impact analysis can help provide the employment through the construction process.
political reassurance that the system will deliver Based upon similar projects from the past, it is
its promise (Figure 204).
Thus, at this stage, a traffic modelling exercise
should be conducted to project how the de-
signed system will affect traffic levels as well
as improve conditions for current transit pas-
sengers. The design information from the opera- Fig. 205
tions and infrastructure plans (Sections 3.4 Documenting the
and 3.6) can provide the input into the model. amount of employment
A similar modelling process as outlined at the generated from system
outset (Section 3.2) can be followed. However, construction can help
at this stage, the planning team will have more make the economic case
for the system.
precise and focussed data to input. Photo by Lloyd Wright

3.9 Planning Stage IX: Impacts 193

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

possible to project the amount of employment likely produce a beneficial comparison for the
and the duration of the employment from the new BRT system. Additionally, since the exist-
construction phase (Figure 205). An additional ing operators will have the opportunity to bid on
measure of interest, particularly in the develop- serving the new system, the spectre of maintain-
ing city context, can be the number of persons ing existing employment while also expanding
being supported by each construction job. new opportunities can be quite strong.
Further, construction jobs can sometimes be c. Other employment
an important area of employment for unskilled
Additional employment is also likely to be
labour groups. Employment generated for these
generated due to indirect impacts from the BRT
individuals can be especially important since system. The boost in shop turnovers near transit
there may otherwise be limited opportunities. stations can lead to additional employment.
b. Operations Likewise, the construction of new commercial
The consolidation of informal transport services centres next to stations and terminals will have
into a coherent BRT system brings with it significant employment benefits. Also, if the
concerns over the loss of employment. The small new system encourages local manufacturing of
mini-buses that normally precede the introduc- buses, then more employment can be expected.
tion of the BRT system typically employ a Of course, employment generated in one loca-
driver and a conductor. By contrast, a single tion could mean the loss of employment in
articulated BRT vehicle may replace four to another part of the city. If transit customers are
five small buses. Thus, it would appear that a now purchasing their groceries near a transit
single driver is replacing as many as ten persons station, then these same customers may not
employed by the mini-buses. be frequenting their previous shops. However,
However, the reality is actually quite different. consumption of this type is not always a
The standard mini-bus will generally operate zero-sum game. The economic efficiencies of
with its single set of employees for as much the new transit system can have an economic
as 16 hours in a day. The BRT vehicle will upliftment effect that increases overall incomes
actually involve three to four different shifts of and consumption. Further, the access gained
employees operating the same vehicle. Thus, the by the transit system may open up the reach of
number of drivers will not appreciably change. customers to new products and services.
When the feeder service drivers are included, 3.9.2.2 Economic efficiency
BRT may actually increase the number of driv- Traffic congestion can be a significant drain on
Fig. 206 and 207 ers (Figure 206). However, the big employment a developing city economy. As goods and people
Despite one articulated boost from operations stems from the myriad of
vehicle replacing many are held in gridlock, little production (other
positions created from fare collection, security, than petrol consumption) is being achieved.
smaller buses, the
overall amount of information services, and management and op- The World Bank estimates that traffic conges-
employment in public erations (Figure 207). Most of these functions tion in Bangkok reduces the Gross Domestic
transport operation did not exist in the previous informal sector. Product (GDP) of Thailand by six percent
will likely increase with
BRT. The development of an employment matrix com- (Willoughby, 2000).
Photos by Lloyd Wright paring jobs in the before and after scenarios will

194 3.9 Planning Stage IX: Impacts

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

The smooth movement of goods and people is

indicative of a more efficient economy. The time
saved from both more rapid public transport
and from the related reduction in private vehicle
congestion can be quite substantial. A baseline
economic analysis of the current costs of conges-
tion in the city along with projections of reduced
congestion following the BRT system can help
derive estimations of the efficiency increases.
3.9.2.3 Property values
BRT busways and the associated stations and
terminals will tend to provide a new economies-
of-scale along a particular corridor. A concentra-
tion of passengers and development will tend
to increase the value of being located near the
transit corridor. Property values, shop turnovers,
and property vacancy rates will all be positively
affected by the introduction of the system. 3.9.3 Environmental impacts Fig. 208
Public transport projects typically bring positive Areas around stations
As noted in Section 2.2.4.1, property values and terminals will
have been shown to increase on busways in environmental impacts through the reduction
likely see dramatic
Brisbane (Australia) and Bogotá. This evidence of private vehicle use and subsequent associated increases in property
emissions. Quantifying the expected environ- values since such sites
is also supported by previous research on
mental benefits of the BRT project can help to are prime locations for
property value increases near urban rail stations. businesses, commercial
justify the project as well as strengthen the im-
Bogotá has already seen considerable activity in shopping centres, and
age of the initiative with the public. As a major
the development of commercial centres along residences.
project, an Environmental Impact Assessment Photo by Lloyd Wright
the BRT corridor (Figure 208). The increase in (EIA) is likely to be required.
property values mirrors the expected increases
in customer numbers at stations and terminals. The expected reduction in vehicle emissions will
For this reason, there is evidence to suggest that likely be the principal benefit. However, the
system will also likely reduce overall noise levels
shop vacancies decrease in the area, leading to
as well as the release of both liquid and solid
employment opportunities.
waste products. The construction process itself
3.9.2.4 Technology transfer can be disruptive and lead temporarily to some
As noted in Section 3.7, the new BRT system increases in emissions. However, by calculating
will bring with it the introduction of many new emission reduction benefits across the life of
technologies to the city’s transport sector. These the BRT project, the overwhelming evidence to
technologies include advanced transit vehicles, date suggests that BRT can markedly improve
fare collection and fare verification devices, the state of the urban environment.
and intelligent transportation systems (ITS). 3.9.3.1 Environmental Impact Assessments
The introduction of new technologies presents (EIAs)
several opportunities for overall economic Impact analyses are often mandatory by law
benefits. First, as noted with bus manufacturing, in terms of measuring the expected economic,
there is the potential for new investment and environmental and social ramifications of the
job creation through local production. Second, project. Completing an Environmental Impact
technology transfer can lead to establishing a Assessment (EIA) is typically required by
local advantage in a particular technology that international lending agencies. The form of the
can lead to export opportunities. Third, the new EIA is generally well known but the practice of
technology can lead to spin-off opportunities such assessments is still in its infancy in some
with other applications for new businesses. nations.

3.9 Planning Stage IX: Impacts 195

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While mass transit does bring with it many ambient carbon monoxide (CO) and 70 percent
environmental benefits, the design and specifi- of nitrogen oxides (NOx) (WHO, 2000). The
cations of the system will determine expected poor air quality in most developing cities limits
emission and noise levels. Also, the construction economic growth and dramatically curtails
process can entail some environmental impacts quality of life.
that must be mitigated to the greatest degree
The principal impacts from motorised vehicle
possible.
emissions are:
An EIA analysis will typically involve compar-
Health impacts, including respiratory illness,
ing the baseline scenario (city without the
cardiovascular illness, and cancer;
transit project) and the project scenario (city
with project). Additionally, the EIA process may Economic impacts, including absenteeism
require the consideration of alternative options, and reduced productivity;
such as road widening or other types of mass Impacts on the built environment (e.g., dam-
transit systems. age to buildings);
The EIA should be completed by an independ- Impacts on the natural environment (e.g.,
ent organisation with no relationship to the harm to trees and vegetation).
project or other input services to the project. Emission levels are set by national and interna-
Specialist consultants are thus frequently tional environmental agencies such as the US
utilised to give an objective and independent Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA),
analysis as well as to lend experience to the the European Commission, and the World
effort. An effective EIA can greatly aid the BRT Health Organisation (WHO). Emission stand-
development process by highlighting possible ards include both ambient emission levels and
areas of concern and by suggesting design tailpipe emission levels.
alternatives that will mitigate environmental
impacts. b. Types of emissions
“Local” or “criteria” pollutants refer to the types
3.9.3.2 Local air emissions
of air emissions that are most directly linked
a. Emission impacts to impacts on human health. These pollutants
Fig. 209 Vehicle emissions are the predominant source include nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides
The older, existing buses of pollutants in urban centres and are directly (SOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate
in developing cities linked to severe health and environmental prob- matter (PM). Additionally, vehicles emit air
create significant air lems (Figure 209). In city centres, motorised
quality problems. toxics, including benzene, formaldehyde, acetal-
Photo by Lloyd Wright
vehicle emissions account for 95 percent of the dehyde, 1,3-butadiene, and acrolein. While
emitted in relatively small concentrations, air
toxics are highly dangerous carcinogens. Also,
the combination of NOx and volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) from vehicle emissions
will combine in the atmosphere to form ground-
level ozone (O3). Ground level ozone is also
commonly known as photochemical “smog”
and is associated with a host of pulmonary ill-
nesses and the brown haze that permeates cities
with excessive automobile emissions. Further,
many developing countries still permit leaded
fuels. Lead emissions are closely associated with
several diseases including cancer and inhibiting
the mental development of children. Although
international efforts are under way to eliminate
the use of lead, the majority African nations still
utilise leaded fuels.

196 3.9 Planning Stage IX: Impacts

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

While cleaner engine technologies have some- single trip to replace what was previously sev-
what mitigated these emissions in developed eral separate journeys;
nations, the age and maintenance of develop- 2. System design - The routing structure and
ing-nation vehicles means that even relatively the location of stations and terminals will di-
low vehicle numbers can create health and air rectly affect the distance travelled;
quality problems.
3. System management – Efficiently managing
c. Emissions model the number of vehicles operating at peak and
Equation 5 is the general equation for determin- non-peak times will produce savings.
ing overall emission levels. Each of the three The “fuel efficiency” is affected by at least three
principal elements, behaviour, land-use, and component categories:
technology, has a basic role to play in minimis-
1. Operational efficiency – The “smoothness”
ing emissions. In reality, the emission profile
of the vehicle operations (number of stops,
of each pollutant type is fairly complex. The
ambient emission levels will likely vary by time amount time idling, use of dedicated bus-
of day, day of the week, and the season of the ways, etc.) will impact the fuel usage;
year. Climate, topography, vehicle use patterns, 2. Fuel type – The type of fuel utilised to propel
maintenance practices, and driving behaviour the vehicle will have inherent characteristics
will all play a role. Additionally, interactions that determine likely emissions; and,
between different pollutants will also change 3. Vehicle efficiency – The type of propulsion
the composition and level of pollutants. technology, the materials and design of the
Equation 5: Calculation of transport emissions for an individual mode
Mode share Distance travelled Fuel efficiency
(behaviour) (land-use/design) (technology)
Transport Emissions per
emissions = Number of vehicles x Distance travelled x vehicle distance
per mode travelled

These three broadly-defined variables each vehicle, and the quality of the vehicle mainte-
consist of several different components. For the nance all directly impact the fuel usage rate.
case of public transport, the “mode share” or It is worth noting that “fuel type” is just one
the “number of vehicles” is affected by at least of many constituent parts in this emissions
three component categories: framework. However, too often this category
1. Customer utility – This component includes is the only one pursued by both local and in-
system attributes such as cost, comfort, con- ternational groups seeking to reduce emissions
venience, travel time, and security that en- and improve efficiency. Table 43 provides an
courage people to use a particular mode; overview of each of the component categories to
2. Load factor – The number of occupants per public transport emissions.
vehicle as a percentage of the total maximum d. Emission reduction potential of mode shifting
capacity; and,
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has
3. System capacity – The total capacity of the sys-
conducted research to determine the relative im-
tem effectively acts as the ceiling to the amount
pacts of mode share in comparison to different
of mode share that is possible to achieve.
fuel and propulsion options. The IEA examined
The “distance travelled” is affected by at least the emission impacts of shifting mode share by
three component categories: the capacity equivalent of one bus with a total
1. Land use changes – Transit-oriented-develop- capacity of 120 passengers. Even with the rather
ment (TOD) and complementary land-use modest assumption of only a 50 per cent load
policies can ultimately produce changes in factor for the bus and only eight per cent of the
travel distances by bringing destinations passengers having switched from private vehicles,
closer to trip origins and by allowing for a the resulting emission reductions were substan-

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Table 43: Overview of components affecting public transport emissions

Equation variable Component Category Components

Customer service attributes that affect

customer satisfaction including: affordability,
appearance, awareness, clarity, comfort,
convenience, integration with other modes,
1.1 Customer utility reliability, safety and security, vehicle type
Operational efficiencies that affect travel time
(dedicated busways, route structure, service
1. Mode Share
frequency, dwell times, station location)
Vehicle occupancy as a percentage of the
1.2 Load factor
maximum capacity
Vehicle capacity
1.3 Total system capacity Infrastructure capacity (stations, terminals, fare
collection systems)
Transit-oriented development
2.1 Land use
Reinforcing land-use policies
Dedicated busways
2. Distance Travelled 2.2 System design Route structure
Terminal and depot locations
Management of number of vehicles at peak
2.3 System management
and non-peak times
Dedicated busways (impact on both transit
vehicles and mixed traffic vehicles)
Route structure
3.1 Operational efficiency Dwell times
Distance between stops
Driver behaviour
Vehicle control systems
3. Fuel Efficiency
Carbon, sulpur, particulate content of fuel
3.2 Fuel type Purity of fuel
Energy intensity of fuel
Propulsion system efficiency
Vehicle design and materials (weight,
3.3 Vehicle efficiency
aerodynamics, etc.)
Vehicle mechanical maintenance

tial. The projected reductions in hydrocarbon pipe standard (and thus the fuel and propulsion
and carbon monoxide emissions per kilometre choice) was overwhelmed by the impact from
were over ten times the emissions of a single bus mode switching. The IEA study notes that:
(IEA, 2002). The reduction per kilometre of
“Regardless of whether a bus is ‘clean’ or ‘dirty’,
particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and carbon
if it is reasonably full it can displace anywhere
dioxide (fuel use) ranged from two times to four
times the emissions of a single bus (Figure 210). from 5 to 50 other motorised vehicles...” (IEA,
2002, p. 12).
Remarkably, the level of emissions reduced did
not change significantly with buses of strikingly “Certainly, a cleaner bus will yield lower emis-
different emission standards. Buses with Euro 0, sions, but in this scenario the emission reduc-
Euro II, Euro IV, and fuel-cell technology all tions from technology choice are overshadowed
produced roughly the same results. This result by reductions from mode switching (and
occurred because the relative impact of the tail- the resulting ‘subtraction’ of other vehicles)...

198 3.9 Planning Stage IX: Impacts

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Figure 210: Impacts of mode shifting to public transport

Dramatic reductions in road space, fuel use, GPS controlled management of the fleet al-
and most emissions can be achieved through lowing the optimisation of demand and sup-
displacing other vehicles with any bus, even the ply during peak and non-peak periods;
‘Euro 0’ buses typically sold in the developing Encouraging transit-oriented development
world.” (IEA, 2002, p. 48) around stations and along corridors; and,
The IEA results do not imply that fuel and Emission standards currently requiring a
propulsion technology should be ignored in minimum of Euro II emission levels with a
achieving lower emissions. However, the results future schedule requiring eventual Euro III
do suggest that these technologies alone only and Euro IV compliance.
address a relatively small portion of the total
Bogotá is one of the few cities in the world that
emission reduction potential. Improving the
is registering a significant increase in public
efficiency of the transport sector and reducing
transport ridership. According to a study by
emissions revolves around a full set of fac-
Steer Davies Gleave (2003), ten per cent of
tors, including the many factors that are most
ridership on Bogotá’s BRT system comes from
important to customers such as cost, comfort,
persons who previously drove a private vehicle
convenience, and security.
to work. The quality of TransMilenio is such
e. The example of Bogotá’s TransMilenio that even middle- and higher-income travellers
As a system-based approach to public transport, are utilising the system. The older mini-buses
the TransMilenio system is able to address that dominated Bogotá prior to TransMilenio
virtually all the possible components in an were largely not an option that discretionary
emissions reduction effort, as outlined earlier in transit users would frequent.
Table 37. Specifically, TransMilenio is achiev- Prior to TransMilenio, as many as 35,000
ing emission reductions through the following
public transport vehicles of various shapes and
mechanisms:
sizes plied the streets of Bogotá. In order to
Increasing the share of public transport rider- rationalise the system, companies bidding to
ship by dramatically improving the quality participate in TransMilenio were required to
of service (in terms of travel time, comfort, scrap older transit vehicles. During the first
security, cleanliness, etc.); phase of TransMilenio, the winning bids agreed
Replacing 4 to 5 smaller buses with a larger to scrap approximately four older vehicles for
articulated vehicle; each articulated vehicle introduced. In the
Requiring the destruction of 4 to 8 older second phase, the successful bids committed to
buses for every new articulated vehicle intro- scrapping between 7.0 and 8.9 older buses for
duced into the system; each new articulated vehicle. The destruction

3.9 Planning Stage IX: Impacts 199

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

of older vehicles prevents the “leakage” of these motorised vehicles are predominantly carbon
vehicles to other cities. dioxide (CO2) but also include some emissions
of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O).
Each articulated vehicle in TransMilenio has
From 1995 to 2030, worldwide vehicle owner-
a capacity of 160 passengers. The vehicles are
ship is expected to grow by 228% to over 1.6
currently achieving a load factor of approximately billion vehicles (OECD and EMCT, 1995). The
80 to 90 per cent. The older public transport bulk of this growth is projected to take place
vehicles in Bogotá come in a variety of sizes, from in the developing world. Growth in motorised
micro-buses to full-sized conventional buses. vehicle ownership is due to several factors with
Table 44 summarises recent data collected on per capita income being a decisive influence.
Vehicle purchases tend to jump sharply as per
characteristics of public transit vehicles in Bogotá.
Table 44: Characteristics of public transit vehicles in Bogotá
Fuel Passengers per
Passenger
Vehicle type consumption vehicle-kilometre
capacity
(km / litre) travelled (IPK)
TransMilenio articulated bus, Euro II diesel 160 1.56 5.20
Conventional bus, diesel 70 – 80 2.14 1.00 – 2.27
Conventional bus, Gasoline 70 – 80 1.53 1.00 – 2.27
Medium-sized bus, diesel, models 1995-2004 27 – 45 5.02 0.90 – 2.24
Medium-sized bus, diesel, 1980 model 27 – 45 3.96 0.90 – 2.24
Medium-sized bus, gasoline, 1980 model 27 – 45 2.64 0.90 – 2.24
Micro-bus, diesel 13 – 19 5.54 0.60 – 1.44
Micro-bus, gasoline 13 – 19 3.43 0.60 – 1.44
Source: Martínez, 2004

The differences in “passengers per vehicle-kilo- capita incomes enter a range of US$ 2,000 to
metre travelled” are quite telling. The relative US$ 5,000 (Dargaya and Gately, 1999). Other
efficiency of operating a coordinated system in factors affecting vehicle ownership growth are
larger vehicles translates into economic advan- population growth, urbanisation levels, impor-
tages for the operators. By closely controlling tation regulations, and the quality of alternative
the supply of vehicles during peak and non-peak transport services.
periods, TransMilenio avoids wasteful trips. By b. Calculation of emission reduction potential
contrast, the existing informal operators drive Calculating the impact of the proposed BRT
as much as 16 hours each day regardless of pas- system on greenhouse gas emissions follows
senger flows. As long as the operator’s marginal from the same general emissions equation as
costs (mostly fuel costs) are covered, it makes outlined in Equation 6. Overall emissions are
sense to continue operating. However, this ap- calculated both for the baseline scenario (city
proach leads to the inefficiencies associated with with no new BRT system) and the project
congestion and an oversupply of vehicles. scenario (city with new BRT system). Key data
3.9.3.3 Greenhouse gas emissions inputs in this analysis will be the projections
a. Global trends for mode shares after the system is in place, the
Vehicle emissions are the fastest growing passenger capacity of the new BRT vehicles,
source of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. the load factor of the vehicles, projections for
Representing 24 percent of greenhouse gas land-use changes, and the relative fuel efficiency
emissions from fossil sources, vehicle emissions of the new BRT vehicles in comparison to the
have emerged as one of the most significant previous transit fleet and to private vehicles.
challenges in mitigating the effects of global As noted earlier, ten percent of Bogotá’s BRT
climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions from ridership previously utilised private vehicles for

200 3.9 Planning Stage IX: Impacts

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

commuting. This type of mode shift will have a c. Emissions calculations from Bogotá
substantial impact on greenhouse gas emissions. The Bogotá TransMilenio system is one of the
Likewise, mode shifts from less efficient mini- first transport initiatives to be brought forward
bus operations will also produce an emission for consideration of international emission cred-
benefit. However, the new BRT system will its. Under the Kyoto Protocol, several mecha-
also stimulate some mode shifting that actually nisms have been created to permit participation
produces higher emissions. For example, if per- by developing countries in climate change
sons who previously walked or rode a bicycle to mitigation projects. The Bogotá proposal has
work switch to the BRT system, then emissions been developed under the Clean Development
associated with those individuals will increase. Mechanism (CDM), which could ultimately
Thus, the calculation of the project’s greenhouse award the system developers with Certified
gas impacts necessitates a fairly wide collection Emission Credits (CERs).
of input data. The best solution is to integrate TransMilenio in conjunction with the Andean
the emissions calculation with the transport Development Corporation (a regional develop-
demand model being utilised to project other ment organisation) have estimated the system’s
characteristics of the system. projected greenhouse gas emission reductions.
Other sources of greenhouse gas emissions The emission analysis includes impacts from
include emissions that occur during the con- mode shifting and fuel efficiency improvements.
struction process. The production of cement is a The analysis also accounts for expected emission
fairly significant source of greenhouse gas emis- increases due to industrial emissions from the
sions. Thus, the emissions generated from the construction of concrete busways and the added
construction of concrete busways should also be energy process emissions from the scrapping of
considered in the analysis. older transit vehicles. However, the analysis has
Table 45: Projections for greenhouse gas emission reductions from Bogotá’s
TransMilenio system (tons of CO2-equivalents)

Baseline Project scenario (tons of CO2-equivalents) Total annual

scenario Cement Vehicle Project reductions
(tons of Private Trans- produc- scrap- scenario (tons of
Year CO2-eq.) buses Milenio tion ping total CO2-eq.)
2001 1,580,925 1,450,471 74,510 27,355 12,646 1,564,982 15,943
2002 1,567,044 1,440,392 85,256 0 11,476 1,537,124 29,920
2003 1,557,493 1,387,571 95,236 7,339 15,587 1,505,733 51,760
2004 1,558,716 1,357,836 99,840 20,683 17,792 1,496,150 62,566
2005 1,562,152 1,212,356 145,198 0 29,732 1,387,286 174,866
2006 1,556,963 1,199,327 147,550 0 30,864 1,377,741 179,222
2007 1,551,663 1,184,314 149,898 0 31,902 1,366,113 185,550
2008 1,552,519 1,173,484 152,260 0 33,060 1,358,804 193,715
2009 1,556,270 1,165,207 154,597 13,010 34,300 1,367,115 189,155
2010 1,586,795 1,034,346 177,373 12,543 45,606 1,269,868 316,927
2011 1,616,032 854,166 210,317 5,671 57,902 1,128,056 487,976
2012 1,612,589 823,534 217,029 0 63,387 1,103,950 508,639
2013 1,608,863 815,339 217,048 7,072 65,309 1,104,768 504,095
2014 1,662,188 713,824 249,013 0 76,639 1,039,476 622,712
2015 1,661,548 688,882 252,482 0 78,240 1,019,604 641,944
2016 1,666,696 639,111 253,477 0 76,203 968,791 697,905
Totals 25,458,456 17,140,160 2,681,084 93,673 680,645 20,595,562 4,862,894
Source: CAF, 2004

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 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

not developed any projections from emission in climate change mitigation. Integrating the
reductions stemming from land-use changes. demand modelling process with the emission
This omission is in part due to the difficulty in calculations will help ensure higher-quality
modelling land-use changes. emission estimations.
Table 45 summarises the study’s results for 3.9.3.4 Noise
the period of 2001 through 2016. The annual The existing older vehicles in most developing
reductions increase significantly over the period cities not only produce high levels of contami-
due to the continued expansion of the Trans-
nant emissions but also generate considerable
Milenio system.
noise pollution. The inefficient engine technolo-
Thus, for just the period of 2001 through 2016, gies in conjunction with poor noise dampening
the TransMilenio system is expected to reduce devices means that noise levels can exceed safe
greenhouse gas emissions by a total of 4.86 mil- levels. Further, the large number of smaller
lion metric tons of CO2 equivalents. The period transit vehicles means that existing systems have
of 2001 through 2016 represents the period high numbers of noise generating mini-buses.
over which the construction of the entire system BRT helps reduce vehicle noise by:
will take place. By 2016, there will be 388
Replacing 4 to 5 mini-buses with a larger
kilometres of exclusive busways constructed in
transit vehicle;
Bogotá. These projections are most likely to be
conservative values given that the impacts from Using quieter engine technologies;
land-use changes are not included. Further, the Managing the system to produce “smoother”
life of the project can be extended significantly vehicle operations;
as much of the infrastructure will have a dura- Employing noise dampening devices; and,
tion of 20 to 30 years before requiring complete Encouraging mode shifting from private ve-
renovation and/or reconstruction. Thus, the hicles to public transport.
relative amount of emission reductions realised Projecting the potential reduction in noise levels
in the year 2016 can be expected to continue for can be difficult since there may be no baseline
many additional years. Based on this assump- noise levels collected for the city. Thus, baseline
tion, an extrapolation of the project through the decibel measurements may be a recommended
year 2030 yields a total emission reduction of part of a pre-project evaluation of the existing
14.6 million metric tons of CO2 -equivalents.
environment. The projected external noise
The estimated emission reductions for Trans- levels of new vehicles are typically specified by
Fig. 211 Milenio show that BRT holds significant the vehicle manufacturers. This information in
A waste water potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. conjunction with the average noise level of an
recycling station at a This finding helps to open up additional op- existing transit vehicle can produce an initial
TransMilenio depot. portunities with international funders involved
Photo by Lloyd Wright.
estimation of the projected benefits.
3.9.3.5 Liquid and solid wastes
Transit operations will also generate a variety
of liquid and solid waste products. Waste oil,
other lubricants, and industrial solvents should
be recycled or disposed in an approved manner.
Liquid wastes that are not properly treated can
endanger water supplies. These wastes can be a
particular danger to residents living near transit
depots and other repair shops. Solid waste prod-
ucts such as worn tires and failed components
should also be disposed in a safe manner.
A formal transit system, such as a BRT system,
can help to reduce and control these emis-
sions by providing standard procedures and a

202 3.9 Planning Stage IX: Impacts

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

more controlled environment. While informal tion of 33 percent. The city also experienced a
operators may dispose of waste products in 32 percent reduction in personal assaults and
an uncontrolled fashion, concessioned BRT a 19 percent reduction in homicides over the
operators must follow procedures stipulated in same period. These impressive reductions were
the contractual agreements. The TransMilenio achieved through a combination of innovative
depots in Bogotá include infrastructure to measures, of which the BRT system and ac-
facilitate the recycling and proper disposal of companying improvements in public space were
wastes (Figure 211). just one component. Thus, the credit cannot be
directly given to the BRT system, but it is likely
3.9.4 Social impacts that the system has contributed to creating a
3.9.4.1 Types of social impacts safer and more pleasant environment in the city.
Social impacts are also generally positive as
3.9.4.2 Estimating social impacts
BRT systems give lower-income groups more
access to public services and economic oppor- Predicting some of these types of effects can be
tunities. Social impacts refer to the ability of a quite difficult. The affordability of the system
new transit system to help create more social and the expected patronage from lower-income
equity within a city. Thus, this factor is related groups can be predicted from the demand
to previous discussions on affordability and modelling process. The expected impact on
employment creation, as well as social changes social class interactions is probably not possible
due to the new urban environment. to determine with any significant accuracy.

The lower unsubsidised fare levels of BRT in

developing cities can help make the transit
system accessible to a wider social audience. Of
course, with subsidisation, fares on LRT and
metro systems can likewise be made affordable
to the majority of the population. The metro
systems in Mexico City and Delhi, for example,
employ significant fare subsidies in order to
ensure accessibility.
Transit systems can also provide one of the
few places in a city where all social groups are
able to meet and interact. An affordable and
high-quality system can attract customers from
low-income, middle-income, and high-income
sectors (Figure 212). This role as a common
However, if the demand modelling process Fig. 212
public good can be quite healthy in creating
produces estimates of the amount of middle and A high-quality
understanding and easing tensions between transit system serves
social groups. higher-income ridership, then some conclusions
an important social
can perhaps be made. Projecting the impacts function by bringing
The regeneration of an urban area due to public
on crime levels is probably not feasible, but together persons from
transit improvements can have multiple social all parts of society.
establishing a baseline of crime levels near the
benefits. As noted, the upliftment of an area Photo by Lloyd Wright
creates employment and economic growth. Ad- BRT corridor can be useful for future evalua-
ditionally, evidence suggests that public transit tion exercises.
improvements can also reduce crime.
3.9.5 Urban impacts
The development of the Bogotá BRT system
3.9.5.1 Types of urban impacts
contributed to an environment that experienced
dramatic reductions in crime. In 1999, the The relationship between BRT and land use can
year prior to the introduction of TransMilenio, have long-lasting impacts on the form of the
2,058 robberies were recorded in the city. By city. Busways can play a catalysing role towards
2002, this figure had dropped to 1,370, a reduc- sustained economic development. For example,

3.9 Planning Stage IX: Impacts 203

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

the BRT stations in Curitiba are development

nodes, which act to attract commercial and
residential development. In fact, the busways
and development nodes are mutually beneficial.
The strategic siting of BRT stations improves
customer access to shopping, employment,
and services while the high-density centres
ensure sufficient passenger traffic to maintain
cost-effective busway operations. Curitiba has
also coordinated new residential construction
around bus arteries. The end result is that the
municipality can deliver basic infrastructure
such as water, sewage, and electricity at a sig-
nificant cost savings to areas with concentrated
development. While mixed use, high density
planning does not always guarantee a sustain-
able urban environment, integrated planning
efforts between land use and transport can pro-
vide a win-win situation for municipal officials,
commercial developers, and residents.
3.9.5.2 Predicting changes in urban form
To estimate the projected changes in urban
form, a land-use model can be useful. However,
such models are not yet entirely well-established.
Thus, a city may also wish to base projections
on the experiences to date in cities such as
Bogotá and Curitiba. Qualitative projections of
likely commercial and residential developments
may be possible with the assistance of property
professionals. Further, if the BRT project has
already been announced, then some land-use
changes may be occurring even before the sys-
tem is developed. For example, property values
along mass transit corridors will likely change
as soon as the project is announced.

204 3.9 Planning Stage IX: Impacts

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

3.10 Planning Stage X: plexity of the initial corridors, the availability of

Implementation Plan financing, and the legal clearance to proceed.
The production of a BRT plan is not the end In the implementation phase, events can be more
objective of this process. Without implementa- difficult to control than during the planning
tion, the planning process is a rather meaning- process. Accidents, strikes, legal challenges, and
less exercise. And yet, too often significant technical problems are just a few occurrences
municipal efforts and expenditures on plans that can delay the construction process. Thus,
end in idle reports lining office walls, with little additional contingency time for unforeseen
more to show for the investment. However, the events should be factored into any timeline. A
planning process can provide a confidence boost conservative timeline should be particularly
to leaders and ensure that sufficient considera- considered when announcing expected start dates
tions have been taken to ensure a successful to the press and public. A missed launch date can
implementation. Thus, this final stage of the create a negative image of the system even before
BRT planning process is the critical point to the public has had an opportunity to experience
ensure that the spirit and form of the plans can the system for themselves. By contrast, an earlier
be brought to completion in an efficient and than expected start will be heralded as a sign of a
economic manner. highly-efficient development process.
Some of the elements in the implementation
3.10.1 Timeline and workplan timeline and workplan include:
Finalisation of financing;
3.10.2 Financing plan
Finalisation of construction contracts;
3.10.3 Staffing plan
Ground-breaking ceremony;
3.10.4 Contracting plan Finalisation of operating company bidding
and awarding of concessions;
3.10.5 Construction plan
Hiring of all public company staff;
3.10.6 Maintenance plan Continued expansion of pre-launch market-
3.10.7 Monitoring and evaluation ing programme and public education pro-
gramme;
3.10.1 Timeline and workplan Periodic reviews of construction progress and
completion of contract milestones;
A BRT project entails the management of a
disparate group of activities to deliver a coor- Construction completion;
dinated final product. The timing and order Testing phase;
of each piece must be carefully scheduled and System launch.
delivered. A full set of construction and imple- Each of these elements should be included in
mentation plans with timelines can be a useful the implementation timeline and workplan.
managerial tool to oversee and control the
progress and direction of the overall project. 3.10.2 Financing plan
Just as a strict timeline and workplan was de- Financing does not need to represent an insur-
veloped for the BRT planning process, similar mountable barrier to BRT implementation. In
management tools will be required for the im- comparison to other mass transit options, BRT’s
plementation plan. Construction of an initial set relatively low capital and operational costs puts
of corridors can be reasonably completed within the systems within the reach of most cities, even
12 months to 18 months after the BRT plan is relatively low-income developing cities. Some
developed, provided financing is available and developing-nation cities have actually found
contractual agreements with construction firms that loans and outside financing are unneces-
and suppliers are readily achievable. However, sary. Internal municipal and national funding
the actual construction time depends upon may be sufficient to fully finance all construc-
many local factors, including the size and com- tion costs. Further, since most BRT systems

3.10 Planning Stage X: Implementation Plan 205

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operate without operational subsidies, no public Sustainability refers to whether the proposed
financing will likely be necessary beyond the financing package places an undue amount
provision of infrastructure. of pressure on future administrations. If the
However, developing a complete financing financing stream is based on tenuous assump-
package will require much effort and persis- tions about certain future revenues, then the
tence. Ideally, an effort on financing should long-term viability of the system will be placed
begin at the earliest stages of the planning proc- in doubt. In such cases, the quality of all public
ess. The financing plan should also be developed services can be compromised if future admin-
on an iterative basis with the operational and istrations and future generations are burdened
infrastructure design process since the available with an unrealistic debt level. For this reason,
financing will be a determinant factor in the the financing process and the financing obliga-
design possibilities. The expected financing that tions should be discussed in a wholly transpar-
will be available to private operators should ent manner to allow all parties (including civil
also be a consideration as the technology plan society) to provide input. Finally, the total
is developed. If the cost of the specified transit financing package must be cost-effective. The
vehicle exceeds the likely financing reach of the package should strive to achieve an optimum
private operators, then the implementation of interest rate and a reasonable debt level.
the envisioned plan will be compromised. The long-term vision of the financing strategy
The planning team, though, must be careful not will likely vary from the financing applied to
to be overly pessimistic on the finance possibili- the system’s initial corridors. Bogotá relied
upon local funding sources in its first phase,
ties and subsequently under-design the system.
but is now able to tap a greater amount of in-
BRT’s success in cities such as Bogotá and
ternational financing sources for its subsequent
Curitiba has raised the profile of this mass transit
phases. Table 46 outlines the funding sources
option with many public, private, and interna-
for TransMilenio’s Phase I.
tional financing organisations. Finance should
not become an obstacle to delivering a high-qual- Table 46: Financing for Phase I
ity system that meets the city’s mobility needs. of TransMilenio
3.10.2.1 Financing strategy Percent of
At the outset, the planning team should develop Source contribution to
an overall strategy and approach to system infrastructure costs
financing. Some common characteristics of a Municipality* 48%
successful financing strategy are: Revenue from petrol tax 23%
Diversity National government 19%
Competition World Bank loan 10%
Sustainability * Revenues from the sale of the municipal electricity company

Clarity and transparency Source: Sustainable Transport, 2003

Realism If an initial project phase is successful, as was

Cost-effectiveness. the case with TransMilenio, then the number
A diverse portfolio of financing options can be a of financing sources for subsequent phases will
healthy strategy to hedge against difficulties with tend to increase. This tendency is largely due to
a single financing organisation. All relevant local, financial organisations gaining confidence in a
regional, and international financing sources project once the city successfully delivers initial
should be investigated as options. Ideally, the phases.
planning team will create such a strong financial
case for the new system that a degree of com- 3.10.2.2 Financing options
petition will occur between potential financing Financing for BRT can be divided into three
groups. When multiple lenders are competing groups of activities: planning, infrastructure
to participate in a project, the city will likely be and equipment (such as buses). Each of these
able to negotiate more favourable terms. activity areas typically involves different sorts of

206 3.10 Planning Stage X: Implementation Plan

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financing organisations. Table 47 summarises Table 47: Potential Financing Sources for BRT
the potential financing sources for these activ-
Activity Area Financing Source
ity areas. Section 3.1.5 has already discussed
financing options for planning activities. System Planning Local and national Sources
Bi-Lateral assistance agencies (e.g. GTZ, USAID)
For the most part, the financing plan will United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
concentrate on financing infrastructure. The Global Environment Facility (GEF)
business model developed in Section 3.5 should Private foundations
have ensured that the equipment costs (e.g., Infrastructure Local and national general tax revenues
buses) will be financed by the private sector. Petrol taxes
Road pricing / congestion charging
The private operators themselves will need to
Parking fees
develop their own financing plans so that the Improved enforcement of traffic regulations
focus of the public financing will likely remain Land value taxation
on infrastructure. Sales or leasing of commercial space near stations
Advertising
3.10.2.3 Local and national sources Merchandising
The most stable and low-cost financing options Commercial banks
Municipal bonds
are likely to found quite close to home. Local World Bank
revenue sources are generally the base financing Regional Development Banks (e.g., ADB, IDB)
source for realising BRT initiatives, especially Emissions trading
during the initial project phases. As was the Equipment (e.g. buses) Private sector bus operators
case for Bogotá, local and national sources may Bus manufacturers
well be sufficient to finance much of the sys- Bi-Lateral export banks
International Finance Corporation
tem’s initial infrastructure. Cities and national Commercial banks
governments also exert more control over their
own resources, and thus in many instances, can Petrol taxes
ascertain the long-term reliability of the revenue Road or congestion pricing
flow. Further, many potential local sources Parking fees
for BRT also carry the benefit of discouraging Enforcement of traffic regulations
private vehicle use, which will only further
Land-valuation taxation
strengthen the soundness of the BRT system.
Most of these fees and taxes will also act as
a. Existing transport budgets disincentives to private vehicle use. Petrol taxes,
The logical starting point for any financing parking fees, and congestion pricing will all
plan is to examine existing budgets for public help to encourage public transport use.
transport and roadway development. Often the
Bogotá made use of a dedicated tax stream from
price of a single flyover project is equivalent to
the taxation of petrol. Twenty eight percent of
launching much of the BRT system. Re-direct-
Colombia’s petrol tax is hypothecated directly
ing local and national roadway projects to
to eligible public transport projects such as
transit priority projects can be justified on both
TransMilenio. In a similar manner, the State
cost and equity grounds. In many instances, the
of North Carolina in the United States has
BRT investments will serve the dual purpose
delivered an innovative scheme to ensure public
of improving both public transport and private
transit projects receive the necessary funding.
vehicle infrastructure. The construction of the
One-half of one percent of the State sales tax
TransMilenio corridors in Bogotá also included is set aside for municipal transit projects. This
upgrades to the nearby mixed traffic lanes. revenue source generates approximately US$
b. Fees and taxes 50 million each year. The State then uses these
Dedicated revenue streams from special fees funds to provide a 50 percent match for munici-
and taxes can help establish a long-term sustain- pal transit projects.
able basis for financing BRT development and As noted previously, congestion charging and
expansion. Such fees and taxes include: electronic road pricing has served as a highly
Local and national general tax revenues effective revenue stream for public transport

3.10 Planning Stage X: Implementation Plan 207

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

projects in London and Singapore (Figure 213). As with a lack of parking regulations, traffic
These measures have also been credited with enforcement in general is an area that many
substantially reducing vehicle congestion levels. developing cities have not entirely controlled.
However, road pricing schemes can be complex The development of the BRT system provides
to implement. Further, given the technology in- a reason to improve overall traffic control and
volved and significant start-up costs, a separate enforcement. Enforcement of laws on speeding,
initial financing plan may be necessary just to stopping, and obeying lane markings will help
implement a road pricing scheme. The munici- ensure smoother traffic patterns as the new
pality may have to wait several years before the street configurations are introduced. Improved
initial investment delivers a net return. traffic enforcement can also generate revenues
Parking fees can be equally as effective in dis- from fines and penalties. While enforcement of
couraging vehicle use as road pricing, but the previously ignored traffic laws requires a tre-
relative ease of implementation of parking restric- mendous change of street culture, the promise
tions makes parking control a more viable short- of the new transit system can help mitigate
and medium-term option (Figure 214). However, some of the public criticism. If the fines and
changes in parking fees and regulations will penalties are dedicated towards the new public
likely require local council approval. In the case transit system, then there may be greater public
of applying fees to parking at commercial sites, acceptance of tighter enforcement of traffic
special legislation is also a likely requirement. regulations. Clearly, though, coordination with
the local and national police agencies will be
Many developing cities may currently have few
Fig. 213 required to implement a new enforcement ethic
parking restrictions and poor parking enforce-
The congestion charging (Figures 216 and 217).
scheme in London ment. While a parking fee regime will produce a
provides significant dramatic increase in city revenues in such cases, Land-value taxation is a new financing oppor-
funding for the city’s the political challenge of introducing an entirely tunity that holds much promise to revolutionise
bus system. new charging scheme can be difficult. the manner in which mass transit projects are
Photo by Lloyd Wright
financed. The arrival of a high-quality transit
However, the operating cost of a parking fee
Fig. 214 and 215 system along a corridor can dramatically in-
programme will be significantly less than a road
Parking fees can also crease the value of properties in the area. The
be an appropriate pricing programme. Relatively little physical set-
proximity to the transit network means greater
revenue stream to up is required and the administrative structure
finance a BRT system. may already be in place through existing park-
Parking fees in Cuenca, ing regulations. Thus, a parking fee programme
Ecuador (right photo) can begin providing BRT revenues relatively
have helped to finance
bus priority measures in quickly. The city of Cuenca (Ecuador) has
the city. utilised a parking control initiative as a highly-
Photo on left by Lloyd Wright effective mechanism for helping to finance new
Photo on right courtesy of the
Municipality of Cuenca bus priority measures (Figure 215).

208 3.10 Planning Stage X: Implementation Plan

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

was only £ 3.5 billion (US$ 6.3 billion). Unfor- Fig. 216 and 217
tunately, none of the windfall increases in prop- Enforcing traffic and
erty values were captured by the government. A parking regulations can
send the right message
tax on the property value increases could have about public priorities
paid for the Jubilee Line extension. Thus, many as well as provide an
groups are devising property valuation mecha- effective municipal
convenience for residents and greater customer revenue source.
flows for commercial enterprises. The idea is nisms to help capture revenues to pay for the
Photos by Lloyd Wright

being pursued in the United Kingdom where transit infrastructure (Figure 218).
land values around several high-profile transit While these fees and taxes have considerable
projects have increased significantly. Property appeal as a basis for BRT financing, there is one
values within one kilometre of stations on the significant barrier. Each requires a great deal of
Jubilee Line extension (London Underground political will to implement. Fees and taxes are
system) increased by approximately £ 13 billion never politically easy to introduce, especially for
(US$ 23.4 billion) as the project developed political officials viewing re-election. However,
(Riley, 2001). The cost of the entire extension the political benefits of delivering a high-quality

Fig. 218
Land-value taxation is
a mechanism to capture
the windfall property
value gains from
properties near new
transit systems.
Photo by Carlos Pardo.

3.10 Planning Stage X: Implementation Plan 209

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

public transit system can be a strong counter- to distinguish signage relating to system use.
force to these concerns. Ultimately, the viability The general despoiling of the aesthetic quality
of the entire BRT projects rests on the will of the system can lower the image of the system,
of elected officials to create a markedly better which is directly related to customer satisfaction
transit system for the city. and usage. Visual degradation can also lead to
c. Commercial revenue opportunities increased incidences of graffiti, vandalism and
other criminal activities.
The inherent attractiveness of the new transit
system can open up new commercial op- Some BRT systems have achieved such a
portunities that will produce positive revenue positive status within their communities that
streams. Commercial development of stations, revenue opportunities exist with system mer-
advertising, and merchandising are just a few chandising. The sale of system t-shirts, model
the creative mechanisms that the city can take stations and buses, and other souvenirs can
advantage of to generate additional revenues. in fact provide a reliable revenue stream. The
marketability of the system relates back to the
As strategic nodes for development and com-
quality of the initial marketing impression
mercial enterprise, BRT systems also present
(system name, logo, etc.) as well as the degree of
many opportunities for commercialisation. The
social pride attained through the delivery of a
space inside and around stations and terminals
high-quality product.
holds particular value given the high volumes
of persons passing through the system. Land d. Local lending institutions
values often skyrocket upon the announcement Local commercial banks and national develop-
of a public transit corridor. System developers ment banks are both logical targets for financ-
can take advantage of this situation by control- ing requests. If the municipality has maintained
ling and selling commercial space. Mass transit an acceptable credit rating with lending institu-
systems in cities such as Manila and Bangkok tions, then access to these institutions should be
have used the leasing of commercial space to reasonably straight forward. National develop-
help fund infrastructure costs (Figure 219). ment banks typically have a stated mandate to
Likewise, the selling on advertising space at support major infrastructure initiatives at the
stations and within buses can be an option local level, and thus these institutions should
Fig. 219 and 220 be particularly targeted for support. Further,
to consider (Figure 220). However, the com-
Commercial property development banks may also offer interest rates
development and mercialisation of the system must be done with
a great deal of caution. Commercial signage below the commercially available rates.
advertising within
the system, if done in should be discretely done, if at all, or it will risk The local commercial banks may be particularly
an appropriate and degrading the visual and aesthetic quality of the relevant to providing capital for the acquisition
subtle manner, can be a system. When commercial signage overwhelms of transit vehicles by the concessioned private
lucrative revenue source.
Photos by Lloyd Wright
stations and buses, then customers are less able operators. In many instances, the private opera-

210 3.10 Planning Stage X: Implementation Plan

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

tors may already have an established relation- While a PPP offers the highly attractive notion
ship with the commercial lending institutions. of providing a city with a mass transit system
However, in both the cases of commercial lend- at no public cost, the viability and terms of
ers and national development banks, the relative such agreements have a relatively poor history.
PPPs with rail-based systems in cities such as
unfamiliarity with BRT as a concept may create
Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok have undergone
hesitancies. If lenders are unsure of BRT’s vi-
bankruptcy proceedings. The expectation is
ability as a successful mass transit option, then
often that the public sector will intercede with
they may not be enthusiastic about financing
investment if the private system becomes finan-
the project. In Phase I of Bogotá’s TransMilenio cially unstable. Unfortunately, failed PPPs occur
project, the private operators largely were not all too often. The demands of recovering both
able to access loans from the commercial banks. capital and operating costs through the fare
The lending institutions were unfamiliar with system create tensions in terms of tariff levels
BRT and did not have confidence in the overall and service quality. In some cases, the required
scheme. However, following the great success tariff levels are well outside of the affordable
of Phase I, there is significant competition range of the city’s lowest income groups. Ad-
amongst the commercial lenders to provide ditionally, to recover their full investment, the
capital to the subsequent phases. private company typically receives a relatively
e. Municipal bonds long concession, perhaps as long as 20 to 30
Municipal bond issues are quite frequently uti- years. With such a long contractual period, the
municipality is tied to an agreement that gives
lised in North America and Europe to finance
little flexibility in addressing future changes in
major municipal infrastructure projects. This
the urban environment.
funding mechanism is less widely used in devel-
oping cities. However, in some cases, municipal Further, the resulting system will likely only
bonds may be an appropriate mechanism to operate in the most lucrative corridors. Since
minimise financing costs. The viability of this the PPP will be unrelated to other transport
approach will depend on whether a legal struc- services in the city, there is typically no fare
ture exists to issue the bonds and whether there integration with these other services. For exam-
ple, although different private sector rail systems
is sufficient market confidence in the municipal-
cross one another in both Bangkok and Manila,
ity’s financial record. In some cases, guarantees
passengers have to pay twice to go from one
from the national or provincial government may
corridor to another. In many instances, physical
be required to bolster market confidence. Such
integration is not provided either, meaning that
guarantees will also act to reduce the required
just walking from one line to another is difficult.
interest rate of the bond issue.
Funding infrastructure through revenues also
f. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) brings up issues of fairness and equity. Urban
A notable omission from the list of infrastruc- road infrastructure for private vehicles is typi-
ture financing options in Table 47 is private cally financed through the general tax base.
developers. Both private operators and private Thus, why should public transport users have
development firms are sometimes used in what to pay for their infrastructure by themselves
is known as public-private partnerships (PPPs) when private vehicle owners do not? A public
for infrastructure. A typical PPP arrangement transport user ends up paying for both the
implies that a private firm will construct a infrastructure of the transit system and the
mass transit system’s infrastructure in return infrastructure of the private vehicle users.
for a concession on operating the network. The In summary, the expected fare levels and service
infrastructure investment is then recovered by needs of developing cities are quite difficult to
the firm through system revenues (i.e., fares). achieve with PPPs. Further, requiring public
Thus, in a PPP, both capital and operating costs transport users to exclusively finance their own
are recovered through system revenues. PPPs infrastructure raises serious questions over fair-
are often used successfully in building toll roads. ness and equity.

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3.10.2.4 International sources United States Overseas Private Investment

a. Combining local and international sources Corporation (OPIC);
In some cases, international financing and fund- United States Trade & Development Admin-
ing may be an appropriate addition to a locally- istration (TDA).
and nationally-based financing plan. If outside While some developed-nation export banks
financing proves to be necessary, commercial, will potentially provide finance, this support
bi-lateral and multi-lateral institutions are in- is tied to using a particular developed-nation
creasingly supportive of assisting BRT projects. company. This restriction may compromise the
Unlike other costly mass transit options, BRT intended direction and quality of the project as
presents sufficiently low capital requirements well as increase the overall capital cost. Further,
and historically positive operational returns to promoting developed-nation companies at the
be considered commercially bankable projects. expense of local suppliers will likely be counter
Likewise, international organisations also tend to local development objectives.
to support BRT for similar reasons. c. International development banks
If international financing is pursued as an op- Thus, the principal international financing
tion, such financing should only be considered sources will be the World Bank and regional
an augmentation to existing locally- and nation- development banks. The World Bank Group
ally-based financing. International resources actually consists of five different organisations,
will most likely never fully finance the system. each with a different mandate in supporting
A lack of local and national financing support development. Most loans for BRT will be
sends the message that the governmental enti- managed through the International Bank for
ties are not really supportive of the project. The Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
lack of financial contributions will also imply However, for the lowest-income countries, the
that the local and national entities may not take International Development Association (IDA)
full political ownership of the initiative and will may be the appropriate lending organisation.
do little to support the future development of Additionally, the International Finance Cor-
the full system. poration (IFC) focuses on supporting private
b. Bi-lateral support sector initiatives in developing countries, and
Section 3.1.5 outlined the various international thus the IFC could be an appropriate source of
organisations that would potentially provide finance for concessioned operators.
some support to a developing city’s BRT plan- Regional development banks operate in a
ning process. The list of international or- similar manner as the World Bank but with a
ganisations that would potentially help finance more focused geographical mandate. The list of
infrastructure development is more limited. regional development banks include:
Most overseas development agencies will not African Development Bank (AfDB);
directly fund infrastructure. Likewise, private Andean Development Corporation (CAF);
foundations more typically lend support to Asia Development Bank (ADB);
technical capacity and not directly to financing Central American Bank for Economic
infrastructure. Integration (CABEI);
Developed-nations do offer export-promotion Council of Europe Development Bank
financing that can be utilised within a develop- (CEDB);
ing-city mass transit initiative. Some examples Development Bank of Southern Africa
of these types of banks include: (DBSA);
German Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau Eastern and Southern African Trade and
(Kf W); Development Bank (PTA);
Japanese Bank for International Cooperation European Bank for Reconstruction and
(JBIC); Development (EBRD);
United States Export-Import Bank Inter-American Development Bank (IDB);
(EX-IM Bank); Islamic Development Bank (ISDB).

212 3.10 Planning Stage X: Implementation Plan

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d. Emissions trading in a phased manner with certain key positions

While the global market for emissions trading being filled initially.
is still in a very nascent stage, there is future The formal establishment of the public manage-
potential for financing mass transit initiatives ment company for the BRT system should
through emission reduction credits. The most follow from the structures detailed in Section
prominent opportunities are related to reduc- 3.5 (Business and Regulatory Structure). This
tions in greenhouse gas emissions. In 1997, structure has the BRT management entity
under the auspices of the United Nations, mem- reporting to the mayor’s office either directly or
ber nations drafted the Kyoto Protocol. The through a representative board of directors. The
protocol calls for developed nations to reduce legal process to form the management entity
emissions by an average of 5.2 per cent from a should be completed well before the system is
1990 baseline. launched. TransMilenio SA was legally formed
While ratification of the Kyoto Protocol re- in October 1999, over a year prior to the system
launch in December 2000.
mains stalled, several nations and organisations
are proceeding with mechanisms that involve The organisational structure of the management
projects in developing nations as well as in entity should promote clear lines of responsibil-
economies-in-transition. The initiatives inspired ity and should provide logical sub-units pertain-
by the Kyoto mechanisms are being developed ing to the major functions of the organisation.
under the framework of the “Clean Develop- Such units may include administration, finan-
ment Mechanism” (CDM) and “Joint Imple- cial control, legal affairs, operations, and plan-
mentation” (JI). These new mechanisms permit ning. Figure 221 outlines the internal organisa-
investors to gain Certified Emission Reductions tional structure utilised by TransMilenio SA.
(CERs) by investing in emission reducing Figure 221: Organisational structure of TransMilenio SA
projects in developing nations and economies-
in-transition. The following programmes are
��������
underway:
���������
ERUPT Programme (Netherlands);
Finnish CDM/JI Programme (Finland);
Japanese CDM Programme (Japan); �������
Prototype Carbon Fund (World Bank). �������
TransMilenio SA of Bogotá and the Andean
Development Corporation have submitted a ������������� ����������������
������ ������
calculation methodology for BRT to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate ���������
Change (UNFCCC). With approval of this �������
methodology, Bogotá hopes to claim “Certified �������
Emission Reduction” credits to help finance
future extensions to the system.

3.10.3 Staffing and management plans �������������� ��������� ���������� ���������

As the project moves closer to implementation, �������� ����������������� �������� ��������
the full establishment and staffing of the BRT
management agency will be required. Section The General Manager position has overall
3.1.3 outlined some of the positions required to responsibility for developing and implementing
develop the BRT plan. While a staff of three to the organisation’s strategy. The General Man-
ten persons may be sufficient at the planning ager reports directly to the Board of Directors,
stage, to develop the full management organisa- and is the organisation’s principal interface
tion a wider range of positions and skills will be with other governmental agencies and with
needed. The build-up of staff will likely occur private entities. The Assistant General Manager

3.10 Planning Stage X: Implementation Plan 213

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

directly manages the day-to-day activities of tariffs. This division also oversees the private
TransMilenio’s four divisions: Administration, operator with the fare collection concession.
Planning, Operations, and Finance. The Inter- Figure 224 gives the structure for the Financial
nal Control Officer ensures that TransMilenio’s Division.
internal financial operations are conducted in a Figure 224:
proper manner in accordance with the regula- Financial Division of TransMilenio SA
tions established by the Board of Directors and
the municipality. This position also oversees the ���������
fulfilment of the internal financial audit. The ��������
Legal Affairs Officer ensures that legal docu-
ments and contracts are in compliance with all
local and national laws.
��������������
The Planning Division of TransMilenio is ��������
������������
��������������
focused upon the planning activities required
for the expansion of the system. The Planning The Administrative Division provides support
Division thus takes the lead on new corridor services to TransMilenio SA in terms of human
projects. Figure 222 indicates the structure of resources, budgeting, and general services. The
the Planning Division. structure of the Administrative Division is
Figure 222: given in Figure 225.
Planning Division of TransMilenio SA
Figure 225:
Administrative Division of TransMilenio SA
��������
��������
��������������
��������

����� ������������� �������

��������� ���������� ��������
����� ������������� �������
��������� ���������� ��������
The Operations Division of TransMilenio
ensures that the system functions in an efficient TransMilenio manages to fulfil its mandate
manner. The Operations team monitors the with a staff of approximately 80 persons. The
performance of the private bus operators, the simplicity of BRT systems along with the in-
functioning of the control centre, and the creasing prominence of information technology
overall service quality of the system. Figure have permitted large transit systems to be ad-
223 provides an outline of the structure of the ministered by relatively lean management agen-
Operations Division. cies. Table 48 lists the number of employees at
Figure 223: TransMilenio SA by functional area.
Operations Division of TransMilenio SA Each position should be competitively adver-
tised and processed through a formal interview
���������� process. The long-term success of the system
��������
will very much depend on the skills and creativ-
ity of the management agency’s staff.

3.10.4 Contracting plan

������� ������� ����������� Leveraging the competitiveness and efficiency
�����������
��������� �������������� �������
of the private sector allows cities to deliver
The Financial Division of TransMilenio moni- more cost-effective transit systems. However, to
tors the system’s cost structure to ensure the ensure that the private sector performs in the
proper levels of technical tariffs and customer manner intended, clear and precise contractual

214 3.10 Planning Stage X: Implementation Plan

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

arrangements must be established. These system development remains strong. Financial

contracts will specify the activities to be under- incentives should be built into contracts in order
taken, the expected final products, the duration to encourage superior performance. The timely
of the activity, and the means for receiving delivery of each product should be well-speci-
compensation. As noted in Section 3.5, “quality fied with defined penalties for failure to perform.
incentive contracts” are an effective mechanism
3.10.4.2 Construction contracts
for linking contractual performance to the
amount of the eventual payment. A set of fines Previous sections have outlined issues related
and penalties may also be appropriate in order to the concession agreements with private
to discourage underperformance and errors. operators. The construction work will likely be
awarded by way of traditional contracts rather
3.10.4.1 Types and characteristics of than through concession agreements. However,
contracts well-designed construction contracts will also
This BRT Planning Guide has already outlined encompass many of the same long-term incen-
many of the types of contracts that will be re- tives found in concession agreements.
quired to plan and implement the BRT system. Specifically, incentives are required to ensure
These contracts include: that construction companies provide a high-
Consultant contracts quality and long-lasting product. If construc-
Trunk-line operator concession tion firms have no responsibilities beyond the
Feeder concession initial delivery of their assigned infrastructure
Fare collection concession component (e.g., busway, stations, terminals,
depots, etc.), then the financial reward will only
Fiduciary contract
be based upon the initial product rather than
Construction contracts long-term quality and durability. Thus, contrac-
While the terms and nature of each contract tors will have an incentive to only worry about a
will vary by the intent and circumstances, each rapid and low-cost delivery and not whether the
will share some general characteristics. The product is still functional in a few years.
awarding of contracts should all be based
The best mechanism to ensure a higher-quality
upon a competitive framework in which firms
and more durable product is to encompass long-
bid to pre-determined criteria. A well-defined
term maintenance responsibilities within the
scoring system is then utilised to select the
construction contract. The firm that builds the
bidding firm offering the greatest potential to
busway or station will be contractually required
deliver a high-quality and cost-effective product.
to maintain it to specific standards. If the firm
The entire process will need to be open and
has a five to ten year maintenance contract, then
transparent so that the public’s confidence in
automatically the company will want to build
Table 48: Employees by functional area the infrastructure to endure. If the construction
in TransMilenio SA is delivered in poor quality, then the firm will
Number have higher costs maintaining the infrastructure
Functional area over the entire period of the contract.
of employees
General Manager’s Office 5 In Phase I of TransMilenio, the construction
Assistant Manager’s Office 5 firms were not responsible for long-term main-
Legal Affairs Office 5 tenance. Thus, when severe road construction
Internal Control Office 3 faults occurred after only three years of opera-
tion, the city had no legal recourse to hold the
Administrative Division 17
private companies as the responsible party.
Planning Division 11
Instead, the costly, crumbling concrete busway
Operations Division 27 became an exercise in finger-pointing in which
Financial Division 7 no entity wished to admit fault. With this
Total 80 lesson in mind, TransMilenio restructured the
Source: TransMilenio SA Phase II contracts in order to link construction

3.10 Planning Stage X: Implementation Plan 215

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

and maintenance together. If a construction tion noise, and the blowing dust can all give
problem appears in the future, it will clearly be the new system a negative first impression to
the responsibility of the construction firm to the population (Figure 226). Thus, organising
correct it. the construction work in a city-friendly manner
A sense of competition can also be achieved should be a top consideration.
within the construction contracting by de- A construction plan should be delivered in con-
veloping many different tender opportunities. junction with the contracted firms. Each step of
Rather than rely upon a single firm to construct the process should be mapped out to minimise
all corridors, stations, terminals, and depots, the negative impacts. In some cases, construc-
contracting distinct elements to different firms tion at nights, weekends, and holidays may be
can be quite advantageous. The municipality the best options for avoiding the prolonged
will be able to judge the performance of each closure of key connecting roads. A public educa-
company, and thus make decisions about the tion plan can also help to warn residents of the
best performing firms for future contracts. This work and to offer suggestions on commuting
comparative analysis will likely spur a better alternatives. It may also be best to work on a
performance from each of the participating segment by segment basis rather than closing
firms. Further, dividing distinct elements the entire length of a particular corridor. How-
between different competitors will avoid over- ever, the particular strategy will depend much
burdening the capacity of a few firms. If the upon local circumstances. The management of
construction process only uses one or two firms, traffic re-routing and traffic control during the
then there may be a greater risk of serious delays construction should be coordinated between
or problems since a problem with a single firm the construction firm, the police, and the public
will affect the entire project. transit agency.
3.10.4.3 Legal structure of contracts The manner of the construction process should
All contractual agreements should be rigorously also be noted in the construction contract. It is
vetted by legal staff to ensure compliance with also possible to include financial incentives to
Fig. 226
relevant laws and regulations. The exact struc- construction firms that successfully minimise
The construction
process can cause many ture of a contract will vary according to each negative impacts of road closings and construc-
problems including country’s own legal system. tion dust and noise.
congestion, noise, and
dust. A construction 3.10.5 Construction plan 3.10.6 Maintenance plan
plan should seek to Start-up problems aside, most systems operate
minimise these types of The construction process represents a great
inconveniences. risk to the image and future of the new transit well and project a highly-positive image through
Photo courtesy of TransMilenio SA system. The closing of roadways, the construc- its initial years. As systems age, though, the
question arises as to whether it will maintain
its initial quality and performance. Bus systems
are notoriously left with little investment and
civic care over the long term. Thus, developing
a maintenance plan and dedicated funding
stream to upkeep the system is fundamental to
its long-term performance.
The maintenance of some equipment items such
as buses will be the responsibility of private sec-
tor operators (Figure 227). Thus, maintenance
and quality standards must be explicitly stated
in the original contractual agreements. The
maintenance of system infrastructure compo-
nents (busways, stations, terminals, depots, and
control centre) will depend on the nature of
the original construction contracts. As noted in

216 3.10 Planning Stage X: Implementation Plan

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

expected lifetimes of roadways, stations and

other infrastructure will depend upon such
factors as use patterns, topography, and climate.
Roadways may require reconstruction every five
to ten years, depending on the materials utilised
in the original construction. Stations, terminals,
and depots should last for several decades before
major reconstruction is required. Estimating
the lifespan of the infrastructure components
will also allow financial planners to determine
later re-capitalisation needs of the system.

3.10.7 Monitoring and evaluation plan

Fig. 227
The maintenance of vehicles will likely be the 3.10.7.1 Fundamentals of monitoring and
responsibility of the private operators, but the evaluation
concession agreement should include incentives In many respects, the success or failure of a
to encourage good maintenance practices. system can be apparent from public reactions to
Photo courtesy of TransMilenio SA
the system. The customer’s opinion is perhaps
Section 3.10.4, linking the original construction the single most important measure. However, to
contracts to maintenance responsibilities can obtain an objective and quantifiable indication
produce the right incentives for quality con- of a system’s overall performance, a defined
struction. However, there are trade-offs between monitoring and evaluation plan is fundamental.
this approach and the cost of the construction The feedback from such a plan can help identify
contract. Thus, responsibility for maintenance system strengths as well as weaknesses requiring
may be held by either private firms or the muni- corrective action.
cipality.
The identification of a full set of system targets
Maintenance practices should ensure that any and indicators is a first basic step in the develop-
problems are addressed as they occur. A dam- ment of a monitoring and evaluation plan. A
aged roadbed will not only create discomfort for baseline value should be created for the relevant
passengers but also increase maintenance costs indicators. Thus, the evaluation work will begin
for transit vehicles. Maintenance teams should prior to the development of the system. By
be constantly on the watch for graffiti and other noting such factors as average vehicle speeds,
types of system vandalism. If vandalism is not travel times, and public transport usage prior to
repaired immediately, it can create an impres- the system’s development, it will be possible to
sion that such actions are tolerated and will thus quantify the benefits gained by the new system.
encourage even more acts of vandalism. Most indicators will be quantitative in nature,
If certain infrastructure components are but qualitative assessments can also be accom-
requiring frequent maintenance actions, then modated through survey work.
this information should be incorporated into A strict monitoring and evaluation schedule
decisions on future extensions of the system. A should be established. Many of the system
maintenance logbook should thus be kept by all performance indicators, such as passenger num-
maintenance contractors with copies submitted bers, will be collected automatically through the
to the transit agency or the public works depart- management control system and the fare collec-
ment. Vehicle doorways and station doorways tion data system. Other indicators will require
are particularly prone to degradation over time. direct periodic measurement. The initial period
Analysing maintenance actions and the nature of system operation will likely be a period of
of the problems can possibly help in devising more frequent measurement since there will be
future solutions. great interest to evaluate the original design and
At a certain point, each infrastructure compo- operational assumptions. Feedback from the
nent will likely require a major overhaul. The initial monitoring may shape the design and

3.10 Planning Stage X: Implementation Plan 217

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

operational adjustments that frequently occur Peak capacity of public transport system;
in the first year of operation. After the initial Average wait times;
months of operation, though, a regular pattern
Total travel cost;
of data collection should be established.
Transit subsidy levels;
Baseline data may also need to be collected
across several different points of time. Some Number of positive media reports on system /
baseline factors will likely vary by time of day, number of negative media reports on system;
day of the week, and months of the year. The Customer satisfaction.
original modelling process is another rich
source of potential baseline data. Evaluating the 3.10.7.3 Economic indicators
projections from the demand modelling process The potential indicators for evaluating economic
will also be helpful in determining the accuracy impacts include:
of the model for future applications.
Employment created during the construction
3.10.7.2 System performance indicators phase;
The potential indicators for evaluating system Employment created in the operational phase;
performance include:
Economic value of travel time savings;
Mode shares (public transport, private ve-
Economic value from the reduction of con-
hicles, walking, cycling, taxis, motorcycles,
etc.); gestion;
Average travel times; Property values near stations and corridor;
Average public transport vehicle speeds; Shop sales near stations and corridor;
Average private vehicle speeds; Vacancy rates of properties near stations and
Passenger capacity of roadway; corridor;

Fig. 228
Perhaps the most
important indicator of
a transit system’s success
is the opinion of the
customers.
Photo courtesy of TransMilenio SA.

218 3.10 Planning Stage X: Implementation Plan

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

Creation of private firms producing BRT

technologies (e.g., vehicles, fare collection
technology, etc.);
Employment generated from local production
of BRT techologies.
3.10.7.4 Environmental indicators
The potential indicators for evaluating the
environmental impact of the system include:
Levels of local air pollutants (CO, NOx, SOx,
PM, toxics, O3);
Emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4,
N2O);
Noise levels;
Number of older buses retired from service.
3.10.7.5 Social indicators
The potential social indicators for evaluating the
system include:
Percentage of public transport passengers
from each socio-economic grouping;
Percentage of household incomes required for
transport;
Crime levels along corridor;
Crime levels within public transport vehicles.
3.10.7.6 Urban indicators
The potential indicators for evaluating impacts
on urban form include:
Number of new property developments along
corridor;
Opinion surveys on quality of public space
along corridor.
3.10.7.7 Political indicators
The potential indicators for evaluating political
impacts include:
Change in number of political officials sup-
porting project over time;
Re-election success rate of officials supporting
system.

3.10 Planning Stage X: Implementation Plan 219

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

220
 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

4. GTZ Sustainable Urban Transport

4. BRT Resources
Programme (SUTP)
The groundswell of interest in BRT in the last The German Overseas Technical Assistance
few years has meant that new resources are now Agency (GTZ) has developed an information
available to assist interested cities. Governmen- source on a wide range of sustainable transport
tal and non-governmental organisations have topics. The SUTP web site hosts this BRT
dedicated substantial resources to share knowl- module and other documents on sustainable
edge on BRT. This section notes some of these transport. GTZ also supports sustainable trans-
key organisations and technical resources: port projects in a variety of developing-nation
cities.
http://www.sutp.org
4.1 BRT support organisations

4.2 Technical resources 5. Institute for Transportation &

Development Policy (ITDP)
4.3 Links to BRT cities
ITDP is an international non-governmental
organisation that provides supports to BRT ini-
4.1 BRT support organisations
tiatives and other sustainable transport projects
in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. ITDP has
1. American Public Transportation
Association (APTA) assisted BRT projects in such countries as Brazil,
Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Ghana, Senegal,
APTA is a national trade association represent- South Africa, Tanzania, Bangladesh, India, and
ing transit agencies and operators in the United Indonesia. ITDP also publishes a regular news-
States. The APTA website includes useful back- letter, e-Sustainable Transport, that features
ground documentation on BRT concepts. frequent articles on BRT projects worldwide.
http://www.apta.com/info/briefings/brief2.pdf http://www.itdp.org

2. Breakthrough Technologies Institute 6. International Energy Agency (IEA)

The Breakthrough Technologies Institute is a The IEA has compared the environmental
US-based organization that seeks to provide key performance of different fuel and propulsion
background information on the BRT option. options for buses in its publication entitled Bus
The web site provides news on BRT develop- Systems for the Future: Achieving Sustainable
ments, links to key BRT reports, and informa- Transport Worldwide. This research has also
tion on different vehicle technologies. compared the emission impacts of tailpipe
http://www.gobrt.org
technologies to the benefits of mode-shifting
strategies.
3. Bus Rapid Transit Central http://www.iea.org
This site is a hub for articles on BRT and links
to technical information on various systems. 7. National Bus Rapid Transit Institute
Additionally, the site is home to a BRT discus- Based at the University of South Florida in the
sion board that allows practioners an opportu- United States, the National BRT Institute is an
nity to get answers from their peers. information clearinghouse on BRT. The work of
http://www.busrapidtransit.net the institute receives support from the US FTA.
The site includes BRT publications and pres-
entations from US officials, local governments,
and consultants.
http://www.nbrti.org

4. BRT Resources 221

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

8. Transit Cooperative Research Program

(TCRP)
TCRP is a component of the US Transportation
Research Board (TRB). TCRP has produced
several key studies on topics related to BRT,
including a compendium of BRT case studies
and planning guidances.
http://www4.trb.org/trb/crp.nsf

9. Transportation Research Board (TRB)

TRB is a division of the US National Research
Council which acts as an independent advisor
to the US government. TRB seeks to promote
innovation and progress in transport through
research. Each year in January, TRB hosts its
annual review conference which includes many
useful sessions on BRT related themes.
http://gulliver.trb.org

10. Transport Roundtable Australia

This site provides useful information and arti-
cles both on general BRT issues as well as spe-
cific links to Australian systems in cities such as
Brisbane and Adelaide. In October 2000, the
Transport Roundtable sponsored a conference
related to BRT in Brisbane.
http://www.transportroundtable.com.au

11. US Federal Transit Administration

(USFTA)
This site provides an overview of the USFTA’s
national BRT programme as well as informa-
tion on the activities underway in each of the
participating cities. The site also provides a
number of useful links to technical documents.
http://www.fta.dot.gov/brt

12. World Bank

The World Bank completed its Urban Transport
Strategy Review in 2001. This document, Cities
on the Move, presents the World Bank’s strat-
egy for supporting sustainable urban transport
options, and also provides a wealth of informa-
tion on public transit systems, including BRT.
http://www.worldbank.com/transport

222 4. BRT Resources

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

4.2 Technical resources Robelo, J. (2003), Basic busway data in Latin

This document has sought to provide an over- America, Washington: World Bank.
view of the BRT concept as well as provide in- (Web document: http://www.worldbank.org/
transport/urbtrans/pubtrans.htm).
sights into the BRT planning process. However,
there are several other publications that also Robelo, J. (1999), Automated ticketing systems:
provide additional perspectives and information The state of the art and case studies, Washington:
on the topic of BRT. This section lists some of World Bank.
these documents. (Web document: http://www.worldbank.org/
transport/urbtrans/pubtrans.htm)
Allsop, R. (2000), Mass rapid transit in develop-
ing countries, London: Halcrow Fox. TCRP (2002), A toolkit for self-service, barrier-
Friberg, L. (2000), Innovative solutions for free fare collection, TCRP Report 80. Washing-
public transport: Curitiba, Sustainable Develop- ton: National Academy Press.
ment International, 3: 153-157. TCRP (2002), Estimating the benefits and costs of
Gwilliam, K., Meakin, R. and Kumar, A. public transit projects: A guidebook for practition-
(2000), Designing competition in urban bus pas- ers, TCRP Report 78. Washington: National
senger transport: Lessons from Uzbekistan, World Academy Press.
Bank Discussion Paper TWU-41. Washington: TCRP (1999), The role of transit amenities and
World Bank. vehicle characteristics in building transit rider-
Hardy, M., Stevens, W., and Roberts, D. (2001), ship, TCRP Report 46. Washington: National
Bus rapid transit vehicle characteristics, USFTA Academy Press.
report number FTA-DC-26-7075-2001.1. TCRP (1997), The role of transit in creating
Washington: Federal Transit Administration. livable metropolitan communities, TCRP Report
Litman, Todd (2004), Evaluating public transit 22. Washington: National Academy Press.
benefits and costs, Victoria: Victoria Transport TransMilenio (2003), Plan marco sistema: Trans-
Policy Institute (http://www.vtpi.org). Milenio. Bogotá: TransMilenio SA.
Meakin, R. (2002a), Bus regulation and planning.
Transportation Research Laboratory (TRL)
Eschborn: GTZ.
(2004), The Demand for Public Transit: A Practi-
Meakin, R. (2002b), Urban transport institutions. cal Guide. Report TRL 593, Wokingham, UK:
Eschborn: GTZ. TRL.
Meakin, R. (2001), Technical guidelines on bus US FTA (2001), Proceedings of the bus rapid
route tendering. Eschborn: GTZ. transit vehicle design meeting. Washington:
Meirelles, A. (2000), A review of bus priority Federal Transit Administration.
systems in Brazil: From bus lanes to busway US FTA (2001), Proceedings of the FTA /
transit. Presented at the Smart Urban Transport PRHTA bus rapid transit fare collection workshop.
Conference, 17-20 October, 2000, Brisbane, Washington: Federal Transit Administration.
Australia.
US GAO (United States General Accounting
Menckhoff, G. and Zegras, C. (1999), Experi- Office) (2001), Bus rapid transit shows promise.
ences and issues in urban transport infrastructure. Washington: US GAO.
Presented at the International Road Federation
Symposium, Hanoi, Vietnam. VTPI (2004), Online TDM encyclopedia,
(Web document: http://www.worldbank.org/ Victoria: Victoria Transport Policy Institute
transport/publicat/twu-38/twu-38.pdf) (http://www.vtpi.org/tdm).
Ortúzar, J. and Willumsen, L. (2002), Model- Wright, L. and Fjellstrom, K. (2003), Mass
ling transport. Chichester (UK): John Wiley & transit options. Eschborn, Germany: GTZ.
Sons Ltd.

4. BRT Resources 223

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

4.3 Links to BRT cities San Pablo, USA

http://www.actransit.org/onthehorizon/sanpa-
Adelaide, Australia blo.wu
http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/guides/
Santa Clara, USA
obahn.htm
http://www.vta.org/projects/line22brt.html
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.nscc.govt.nz/brt Sydney, Australia
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/initiatives/e6_c.htm
http://www.busway.co.nz/brt.html

Bogotá, Colombia
http://www.transmilenio.gov.co

Boston, USA
http://www.allaboutsilverline.com

Brisbane, Australia
http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/busways

Cleveland, USA
http://www.euclidtransit.org

Curitiba, Brazil
http://www.curitiba.pr.gov.br/pmc/ingles/solu-
coes/transporte/index.html

Eugene, USA
http://www.ltd.org/brt1.html

Hartford, USA
http://www.ctbusway.com/nbh

Leeds, UK
http://www.firstleeds.co.uk/superbus/html/

Los Angeles, USA

http://www.mta.net/metro_transit/rapid_bus/
metro_rapid.htm

Miami, USA
http://www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/transit/future/
info.htm

Orlando, USA
http://www.golynx.com/services/lymmo/index.
htm

Phoenix, USA
http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/brt

Pittsburgh, USA
http://www.portauthority.com

Quito, Ecuador
http://www.quito.gov.ec/trole/trole_1.htm

San Francisco, USA

http://www.projectexpress.org

224 4. BRT Resources

 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide

References Ortúzar, J. and Willumsen, L. (2002), Model-

ling transport. Chichester (UK): John Wiley &
Allport, R. (2000), Urban mass transit in devel- Sons Ltd.
oping countries. London: Halcrow Fox. Rodriguez and Targa (forthcoming) (2004), The
Bruton, M. (1985), Introduction to Transporta- value of accessibility to Bogotá’s bus rapid transit
tion Planning. London: Hutchinson. system, Transport Reviews, 24(5).
Como Vamos Bogotá, Boletín números 6 y 7, Steer Davies Gleave (2003), Estimation of pri-
diciembre de 2001. vate vehicle trips replaced by TransMilenio: Phase
II report, SDG: Bogotá.
Doganis, R. (2001), The airline business in the
21st century. New York: Routledge. Thomson, I. (2001), UN Economic Commis-
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Flyvbjerg, B., Bruzelius, N., and Rothengatter,
(UNECLAC), “The Impact of Social, Economic
W. (2003), Megaprojects and risk: An anatomy
and Environmental Factors on Public Transport
of ambition. Cambridge: Cambridge University
in Latin American Cities”, International Seminar
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on Urban Transport, November 2001, Bogota,
Garb, Y. (2003), Transit terror: The view from Colombia.
Jerusalem, Sustainable Transport, Fall 2003, 15:
US GAO (United States General Accounting
12-13, 17.
Office) (2001), Bus rapid transit shows promise.
Goodwin, P., Hass-Klau, C., and Cairns, S. Washington: US GAO.
(1998), Evidence on the effects of road capacity
Vasconcellos, E. (2001), Urban transport, en-
reduction on traffic levels, Traffic Engineering
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Hazel, G. and Parry, R. (2003), Making cities
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IplanRio (Prefeitura da Cidade do Rio de Ja- zerland: Atar Roto Presse.
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Perfil do usuáio na área metropolitana, Rio de
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Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische
Levinson, H., Zimmerman, S., Clinger, J.,
Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH
Rutherford, S., Smith, R., Cracknell, J., and So-
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90. Washington, DC, USA: TCRP (Transit D - 65726 Eschborn
Cooperative Research Program). Germany
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for bus regulation and planning. Presentation at Telefax +49-6196- 79-7194
the Sustainable Urban Transport Development Internet: http://www.gtz.de
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References 225
Dag-Hammarskjøld-Weg 1-5
P. O. Box 5180
D - 65726 Eschborn
Germany
Telefon +49-6196-79-1357
Telefax +49-6196-79-7194
Internet: http://www.gtz.de