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In several cities, bus rapid transit (BRT) systems have begun to experience problems of capacity. Various solutions have been proposed to address these problems, from simple operational modifications to improvements that require modification of the existing infrastructure. Decisions about modification are a challenging undertaking for policy makers; proposals need to be evaluated on the basis of costs (monetary and qualitative or unconventional) and expected returns. For this paper, seven scenarios for Line 1 of the BRT system in Mexico City, Mexico, were structured and modeled to evaluate how operational and level of service improve as a result of (a) operational modifications, (b) investments in infrastructure, and (c) technology acquisitions. Scenarios were modeled by using the simulation tool EMBARQ SimBRT and were ranked by the relative complexity of their execution. Three criteria were used for determining the level of complexity: the cost of implementation, the required time, and the administrative process. Results of the scenarios show positive impacts on operation and level-of-service indicators. The paper also reveals that better results are obtained for implementations requiring infrastructure investment than for those involving operational modifications. However, the impact of the proposed implementation is limited; few implementations show progress on the analyzed indicators in a range of 10% variation, giving evidence of the difficulties of improving service. Finally, the paper provides important insights in the decision-making process for transport upgrading, as it describes a methodology to select a proposed improvement on the basis of tradeoff between expected benefits and required administrative process and financial costs.

Gender-based violence on public transportation in Mexico City, Mexico, is a growing concern. Current efforts to counteract the violence have focused on transit vehicles for exclusive use by women and children and campaigns to promote the report of offenses. To characterize the problem, this study conducted a transit user survey, workshops with transit users, interviews with operators, and interviews with experts in the field. The study found that, even though transit users believed that the gender-exclusive transport service reduced problematic encounters, they did not view the service as a solution to the problem of gender-based violence. Transit users would prefer to see the problem addressed through a combination of interventions including social marketing, mobile phone reporting systems, and transit service upgrades. Government agencies acknowledged that gender segregation and current reporting systems were only partially successful, and nongovernmental organizations and private operators agreed. Those agencies added that they were ready to contribute to the effort to find solutions to the problem. Study recommendations included (a) a communication campaign to foster better social behavior by passengers; (b) the use of technology, such as cell phone applications, to enable users to report offenses; and (c) the further investigation of the potential for new technology-based niche transportation services to address particular markets that were unsafe.

This paper discusses appropriate evaluation techniques for assessing transit proposals in developing countries. With the shift of ownership models in past decades from fully public to fully private and eventually to consolidated franchising models, successful transit projects require the analysis of several indirect costs associated with changing ownership. These indirect costs include (a) the potential loss of personal income for local bus operators if the new investment precludes their continued operation, (b) negative personal impacts on self-worth and changing business dynamics, and (c) long-term impacts on the ability of the government to implement future projects as a result of obstacles that may result from the first two costs. In the proposed methodology these costs are explicitly considered in the evaluation process. The way that various ownership models in current use influence—either positively or negatively—such indirect costs is assessed. The paper concludes that full involvement of local bus operators typically minimizes these indirect costs but may be difficult to achieve, depending on the number and characteristics of the operators in the corridor for which the development is proposed. The paper presents a detailed assessment of the conditions under which full involvement is possible and suggests alternative techniques to advance the idea of local operator involvement.

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