BRT in Brazil: Designing services in function of given infrastructure projects or designing infrastructure in function of established service quality patterns?

BRT omnibus : how bus rapid transit enhances mobility

“…The most recent wave of investment in mass transit in Brazil came in the wake of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games (Kassens-Noor, Gaffney, Messina, & Phillips, 2016). A major investment program to fund rail, bus, and cycling corridors and systems across the country was established in 2013, with a preference for schemes that would ensure a timely conclusion for the games (de Aragão, Yamashita, & Orrico Filho, 2016). As such, over 28 BRT projects were commenced across the country in the past decade, including several in the former capital city and host of the 2016 Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro (de Aragão, Yamashita, & Orrico Filho, 2016).…”

“…These investments were motivated with a desire to provide shorter travel times, improve transit and employment access to low-income neighbourhoods, and to improve air quality (ITDP, 2013). In addition, there was a major desire to reduce the number of bus vehicles and routes in operation (de Aragão, Yamashita, & Orrico Filho, 2016).…”

“…The centre of Rio de Janeiro (the Centro, Copacabana, and Ipanema districts) benefits from access to the three subway lines of the MetrôRio system, but were in need of a more efficient surface public transit network to feed into and compliment the underground service (de Aragão, Yamashita, & Orrico Filho, 2016). There was also a desire to expand transit access and reduce commute times for lower-income neighbourhoods, in a bid to aid the city in overcoming its socially fragmented urban development patterns (Pereira, 2019).…”

“…The existing bus network in the city was largely operated by private bus companies who competed for service, resulting in an oversupply of both vehicles and service lines. The excess congestion and noise and air pollution produced from the oversupply of vehicles resulted in the degradation of vibrant street commerce areas (de Aragão, Yamashita, & Orrico Filho, 2016). In the face of growing congestion, pollution, and cost of motorized mobility, the city of Rio de Janeiro looked towards these sporting mega-events as an opportunity to invest in the city's transportation system.…”

“…BRTs emerged as the dominant urban mass transit solution for Rio de Janeiro in order to meet the transportation demands of the Olympic Games and due to their relatively low cost, speed of implementation, Brazilian best-practice knowledge, ease of land acquisition, and planning flexibility (Kassens-Noor, Gaffney, Messina, & Phillips, 2016). The preference for BRT investment in Rio de Janeiro also involved political considerations, including heavy lobbying from the bus industry and political expediency to deliver transit in-time for the Olympic Games (de Aragão, Yamashita, & Orrico Filho, 2016). The four BRT corridors were planned as physically separated bus lanes, platform-level boarding, off-board fare collection at all stations, by-pass lanes at stations, and wheelchair accessibility (ITDP, 2017).…”