Latin American busways: Moving people not cars

The rapid growth of Latin America urban centres beginning in the 1970s placed a heavy strain upon urban transport service providers. Facing high population growth from a citizenry dependent upon public transport and having limited financial resources to develop car-based infrastructure, Latin American municipal planners were challenged to create a new transport paradigm. One ingenious response to this dilemma was the busway, a surface metro system that utilizes exclusive right-of-way bus lanes. The developers of the Latin American busways astutely observed that the ultimate objective was to swiftly, efficiently, and cost-effectively move people rather than cars. Examples of innovative busway systems are presented from Curitiba, Bogota, Porto Alegre, Quito, and Sao Paulo. The low cost, flexibility, and speed of the exclusive busways all contribute to extremely high levels of customer satisfaction. Innovative approaches to the design of busway loading stations and simplified ticketing have also helped to reduce operating costs and improve customer flows. Additionally, clear system maps, colour-coded routing, system safety and cleanliness, and superior customer service have helped direct consumer preference towards the busway. The success of busways has also proved that costly subway systems or uncontrolled sprawl are not the only options available to municipal planners. The Latin American busway corridors provide high peak capacities that permit busway corridors to serve the transit requirements of most medium to large-sized cities. When integrated with progressive land-use policies, busways can also form the basis of more sustainable urban design by encouraging development corridors with high-density, mixed-use land use. The environmental benefits and calming influences afforded cities by busway systems have translated into dramatically improved levels of quality of life indicators, including improvements in health, crime reduction, and poverty alleviation. The user-friendliness and cost-effectiveness of busway systems have convinced municipal leaders in North America, Europe, and Australia to develop similar systems of their own. Latin American busways thus provide a unique example of South to North technology transfer

Development of sustainable transportation systems : lessons from Curitiba, Brazil

textCuritiba’s Integrated Transportation Network (ITN), in Brazil, has been highly regarded as a model of sustainable transportation for several years. Since its inception, the system has not only been molded to address the three core dimensions of sustainability –environmental, social and economic- but has also successfully brought together the government, the private sector and the general public. The purpose of this study is to describe the case of Curitiba’s planning process and transportation system. More specifically, this report first examines the conditions that led to a system to be well-regarded as sustainable and then determines some lessons learned that can guide the implementation of similar systems in other cities.Community and Regional Plannin

Coordinated transportation and land use planning in the developing world : the case of Mexico City

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2002.Includes bibliographical references (p. 134-139).Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2002.Transportation, land use and the environment are inextricably linked. In recent decades there have been efforts, primarily in the developed world, to coordinate transportation and land use planning so as to use land resources more efficiently and promote the use of transit and non-motorized transport (walking and biking) at the expense of the automobile. This is done in order to reduce congestion and pollution and to provide more equitable access to jobs. This thesis examines the applicability of coordinated transportation and land use planning methods such as transit-oriented development (TOD) in the developing world, and more specifically, in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA). TOD is a policy that promotes dense, mixed land uses near transit stations. Essential to its success are an extensive transit system, government incentives to developers and zoning regulations, and a strong real estate market. In the developing world, where cities are growing fast and most people still do not own cars, TOD provides an opportunity to design the urban form of the growing cities to be transit-oriented. Low-income people can thus be served by cheaper high capacity transit, and can thus spend less of their meager income on transportation and have better access to jobs. They will make fewer and shorter trips by low capacity transit such as informal modes, reducing congestion and pollution. In the long term, TOD may slow down motorization and mitigate its effects. Mexico City faces a crisis of mobility, environment and equity. It needs coordinated transportation and land use planning to curb further sprawl, which would worsen these problems. It has many of the prerequisites for TOD. It has the densities, an extensive Metro system (although not extensive enough), and embryonic (and still weak) metropolitan planning organizations. Opportunities for coordinated transportation and land use planning there include station area development, downtown redevelopment, real estate development along the proposed suburban rail line, and a policy of building new affordable housing within walking distance of high capacity transit. The greater the geographical scope of each option, the more government involvement it requires, and the larger its potential positive impact is.by Michael Gilat.M.C.P

Transit oriented development

Although urban development around transit stations doesnt lead to a direct financial contribution for the Transit Agency (or other infrastructure or planning body) it is absolutely essential to the long term viability of the transit investment (SKMG 1996, p. 4). The transit accessible area around the stations is generally far larger than the Transit Companys real estate can reach. Many studies have been undertaken to define the influence zone of transit stations, i.e. the probability that at a certain distance from the station an employee or resident is ready to use transit as a transportation alternative for commuting or other travel purposes. Walking distance is the general qualification, that means five to fifteen minutes walking time, depending on the travel purpose, the travel alternatives and the system performance. It is obvious that the attraction is more important at stations of highly performing transit systems. Frequent Rapid Transit service has potentially more impact then Light Rail Service, especially when the Light Rail line is short and/or when the station is less frequented. Document type: Boo

Transit planning in Curitiba and Bogotá : roles in interaction, risk, and change

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2004."September 2004."Includes bibliographical references (p. 425-454).What is the role of planners in the planning process for new transit modes? By documenting transit-planning processes in Curitiba and Bogota from 1955-95 and 1986-2001, respectively, this work demonstrates that in both cities planners had important roles in system design, the inventive adaptation of new technologies to local conditions, the integration of newly proposed systems with existing service and, above all, mediation between political leadership and strong vested interests. Both cities put planners' roles in special context, however. First, the mayors had a firm appreciation of planning services and understood that planners needed to interact with stakeholders and politicians. Second, the mayors were strong leaders who offered planners a benchmark from which to understand the implications of stakeholders' demands. Third, these cases were framed by new technologies such as Bus Rapid Transit, which competed against rail alternatives. Fourth, because of the novelty of BRT planners had difficulty producing credible forecasts. This uncertainty forced planners to interact more with stakeholders and politicians to build credibility. Fifth, BRT offered the advantage of being highly flexible, particularly when compared to rail proposals. This flexibility allowed planners to adjust the plans in response to the feedback produced by the interaction with stakeholders and politicians. Adjusting the plans often forced planners to innovate. Within this context, planners' main role was to interact with politicians and stakeholders. The interaction was above all a source of feedback for all parties involved. Planners used this feedback, first, to mediate between politicians and stakeholders by reducing power differentials. If either actor(cont.) were too powerful the planning process could not advance. Second, planners developed incremental adaptations to the original plan in light of the political reality unveiled by the interaction. The gradual adjustments to the original plan lowered risk for all parties. The adaptations and the reduced risk helped assemble coalitions of support. Planning teams with high levels of political capacity were able to interact with politicians and stakeholders. Planning teams also needed a high level of technical capacity to prevent stakeholders from capturing/co-opting the planning team.by Arturo Ardila-Gómez.Ph.D

A case study of sustainable urban planning principles in Curitiba (Brazil) and their applicability in Shiraz (Iran)

This paper investigates sustainability principles in the city of Curitiba, in Brazil, as a pioneer which has commenced its sustainability journey since the 1960s. Analyzing sustainability principles in Curitiba, the paper aims to study their applicability in the case of Shiraz in Iran. Considering the complexity of physical, social, cultural and environmental systems in urban planning, the research underlines the vitality of contextual studies, integration and implementation strategies in sustainability achievement in urban scale. It shows how and to what extent sustainability principles in a city can be adapted to other contexts. This comparative study benefits from interpretive methods of data collection and analysis based on primary and secondary resources. A theoretical framework of planning based on equity, economy and ecology is being utilized in data collection and analysis. The investigation indicates that Curitiba’s sustainability agenda is based on a set of integration and implementation strategies which combine decision making, education, transportation, public welfare, heritage conservation and waste management. It is argued that although every urban environment has its specific opportunities and constraints, still there are many things to learn from others.Ali Soltani, Ehsan Sharif

On the Potential of Social Media Data in Urban Planning: Findings from the Beer Street in Curitiba, Brazil

Social media makes available vast amounts of data for various types of analyses. Cities have the opportunity to explore this new data source to study urban dynamics and complement traditional data used for urban planning. We investigate Untappd social media data in the context of urban planning in Curitiba, Brazil. We analyze the project to create a Craft Beer Street, recently announced by the municipality to promote local beers in Curitiba, in order to study the potential of exploring social media data to support the planning of this project. Our results indicate that social media data could have helped to guide the decision of the Beer Street creation and can potentially become a strategic urban planning tool

Sustainable urban transport approaches for Brazilian megacities – the examples of Rio de Janeiro and Curitiba

In Brazil, the use of private motorized vehicles has dramatically increased in recent decades, while public transportation is marked by a weak performance, and pedestrians and cyclists cope with a poor infrastructure design. Thus, suitable approaches are required to tackle current transport problems of Brazilian megacities. In view of the World Cup 2014 and the Olympic Games 2016, the megacity Rio de Janeiro is undergoing significant changes which offers a unique opportunity to ease the current situation and achieve an integrated sustainable urban transport concept. Therefore, this Diploma thesis creates an overview on the current transport situation in large Brazilian cities, in particular for Rio de Janeiro; provides integrated and sustainable approaches to tackle transport problems of Rio de Janeiro; analyzes the transferability of infrastructure measures between Curitiba and Rio de Janeiro; and examines the impact of the upcoming sports events. First, a literature review focuses on the transport situation in Brazil and Rio de Janei ro and explains Curitiba's unique approaches. Second, an audio-based qualitative content analysis of seven expert interviews with stakeholders in urban- and transportation planning gives a concise insight into the current transport situation. Third, a synthesis of both the literature review and the output of the expert interviews provide recommendations for decision makers, researchers and international organizations. In order to initiate a sustainable development of the megacity Rio de Janeiro, urban- and transportation planning must be interconnected with each other, a transport association has to be created to design and manage a metropolitan public transport network, and it is imperative to reorganize the local bus system. Furthermore, non-motorized transportation modes should be promoted by designing streets based on sidewalk policies and building a bicycle network in regard to the local demands. In addition, Curitiba's most important lesson for Rio de Janeiro is the interconnection of high density areas with mobility corridors. However, the megacity will not be able to achieve an integrated sustainable urban transport concept by the sports events. In conclusion, future transport measures have to focus on the middle class, while ensuring a needs-oriented mobility for all social classes. Decision makers should concentrate on the three "I's" – Information, Integration and Inclusion – to enable real transport mode choices, facilitate sound and seamless travel, and attract more people towards ecomobile transportation modes. Eventually, a paradigm shift towards ecomobility is needed in order to enable a sustainable urban transportation concept for today's and future generations.:TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES VII LIST OF TABLES IX LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS X 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 3 2.1 BRAZIL 3 2.1.1 GENERAL STRUCTURE 3 2.1.2 INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES 6 2.1.3 SUSTAINABLE URBAN TRANSPORT 7 2.1.4 TRANSPORT STRUCTURE 10 2.1.5 TRANSPORT PROBLEMS OF BRAZILIAN CITIES 15 2.2 RIO DE JANEIRO 21 2.2.1 GENERAL STRUCTURE 21 2.2.2 TRANSPORT STRUCTURE 24 2.2.3 FUTURE MOBILITY ISSUES 32 2.3 THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM OF CURITIBA 40 2.4 SUMMARY 44 3 EXPERT INTERVIEWS 46 3.1 METHODOLOGY 46 3.1.1 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERVIEWS 46 3.1.2 AUDIO - BASED QUALITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS 49 3.2 OUTPUT 53 3.2.1 TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS 53 3.2.2 TRACKLING TRANSPORT PROBLEMS 58 3.2.3 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 64 3.3 SUMMARY 68 4 RECOMMENDATIONS 69 4.1 TACKLING TRANSPORT PROBLEMS 69 4.1.1 BACKGROUND 69 4.1.2 ADAPT URBAN PLANNING PROCESSES 70 4.1.3 RATIONALIZE CAR USAGE 71 4.1.4 REFORM THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM 72 4.1.5 PROMOTE NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION 73 4.2 TRANSFERABLITY OF CURITIBIAN MEASURES 75 4.3 IMPACT OF SPORTS EVENTS IN RIO DE JANEIRO 76 5 CONCLUSIONS 79 REFERENCES 81 APPENDICE

Transit preferential treatment : a public policy-making perspective

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2003.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Includes bibliographical references.Buses and in general at-grade public transportation remain the most important component of transit services in all the urban areas, whether they are feeder to a heavy rail system or an independent network. However, the steady increase in travel demand, essentially private automobile, has results in a growing level of congestion, affecting both cars and public transportation. In response, cities like Curitiba and Zurich moved in the late 70's towards the implementation of preferential treatment. To do that, they introduced innovative policies in order to give the full priority to transit. Preferential treatment is a broad definition that combines all the means to insure that priority is given to transit (queue jump, traffic signal priority, exclusive lane, tramways ...). The main concerns about Zurich and Curitiba are that they both achieved their implementation through particular policymaking processes; moreover the generalization of these types of policies has been very limited. The objectives of this thesis are to apply the three models from the agenda-building theory (Mobilization, Inside Access and Outside Initiative) to the context of public transportation to understand how innovative policy-making can be introduced and if the presence of a policy entrepreneur is necessary and sufficient. Using 11 cities in Europe and America that have implemented preferential treatment as case studies, the thesis identified elements necessary to address the public reaction, the institutional fragmentation and the decision-makers' positions. The research shows the necessity of public consultations and comprehensive planning exercises to convince the different stakeholders. Moreover, it points out the benefits of initiatives such as benchmarking or national legislation. Eventually, the thesis concludes that the policy-making theory can be expanded in acknowledging a combination of models to describe the preferential treatment's implementation process. On the other hand, the context of public transportation has evolved enough (concentration of decision powers and increasing public support) so that transit agencies can move towards implementation in focusing on stakeholder management strategies instead of relying on a policy entrepreneur.by Michael Pulichino.S.M