Bus rapid transit

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TransJakarta in Jakarta, Indonesia. With a length of 210 km (2015), it has the longest BRT system in the world

Bus rapid transit (BRT, BRTS, busway, transitway) is a bus-based public transport system designed to improve capacity and reliability relative to a conventional bus system.[1] Typically, a BRT system includes roadway that is dedicated to buses, and gives priority to buses at intersections where buses may interact with other traffic; alongside design features to reduce delays caused by passengers boarding or leaving buses, or purchasing fares. BRT aims to combine the capacity and speed of a metro with the flexibility, lower cost and simplicity of a bus system.

The first BRT system was the Rede Integrada de Transporte ('Integrated Transportation Network') in Curitiba, Brazil, which entered service in 1974. This inspired many similar systems around Brazil and the world, such as TransMilenio in Bogotá, Colombia, which opened in 2000. As of November 2016, a total of 207 cities in six continents have implemented BRT systems, accounting for 5,468 km (3,398 mi) of BRT lanes.[2] As of November 2016, about 34.3 million passengers use BRT worldwide everyday, of which about 21.1 million passengers ride daily in Latin America, which has the most cities with BRT systems, with 69, led by Brazil with 34 cities.[2] The Latin American countries with the most daily ridership are Brazil (11.9M), Colombia (3.1M), and Mexico (2.4M). In the other regions, China (4.4M) and Iran (2.1M) also stand out.[2] Currently, TransJakarta considered as the longest BRT route in the world with approximately 210 kilometres (130 mi) length connecting the Indonesian capital city.



The expression "BRT" is mainly used in the Americas and China; in India, it is called "BRTS" (BRT System); in Europe and Indonesia, it is often called a "busway"; in Australia it is often called a "T-Way" (short for Transit Way); while in Ireland and elsewhere,[where?] it may be called a "quality bus".




The first BRT system in the world was the Rede Integrada de Transporte (RIT, "Integrated Transportation Network"), implemented in Curitiba, Brazil, in 1974.[3]:5[4] Most of the elements that have become associated with BRT were innovations first suggested by Curitiba Mayor Architect Jaime Lerner.[5][6] Initially just dedicated bus lanes in the center of major arterial roads, in 1980 the Curitiba system added a feeder bus network and inter-zone connections, and in 1992 introduced off-board fare collection, enclosed stations, and platform-level boarding. Other systems made further innovations, including platooning (three buses entering and leaving bus stops and traffic signals at once) in Porto Alegre, and passing lanes and express service in São Paulo.[7]

In the United States, BRT began in 1977, with Pittsburgh's South Busway,[8] operating on 4.3 miles (6.9 km) of exclusive lanes. Its success led to the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway in 1983, a fuller BRT deployment including a dedicated busway of 9.1 miles (14.6 km), traffic signal preemption, and peak service headway as low as two minutes. After the opening of the West Busway, 5.1 miles (8 km) in length in 1990, Pittsburgh’s Busway system is today over 18.5 miles long.

New Orleans ran buses on Canal Street in a dedicated right of way beginning in the 1960s. This style of service was maintained until 2004 when streetcar service was restored on this 4-mile (6.4 km) route segment.[9]


In January 2004 the first BRT in Asia, TransJakarta, opened in Jakarta, Indonesia. As of 2015, at 210 kilometres (130 mi), it is the longest BRT system in the world.[10]

Africa's first BRT system was opened in Lagos, Nigeria, in March 2008 but is considered as a light BRT system by many people. Johannesburg’s BRT, Rea Vaya, was the first true BRT in Africa, in August 2009, carrying 42,000 daily passengers.[citation needed] Rea Vaya and MIO (BRT in Cali, Colombia, opened 2009) were the first two systems to combine full BRT with some services that also operated in mixed traffic, then joined the BRT trunk infrastructure.[citation needed]

Main features[edit]

Main article: BRT Standard

BRT systems normally include most of the following features:

Dedicated lanes[edit]

TransJakarta buses use separate lanes to avoid congested roads.
Elevated BRT system in Xiamen.


Busway alignment[edit]


Off-board fare collection[edit]


Intersection treatment[edit]


Platform-level boarding[edit]





Additional features[edit]

High capacity vehicles[edit]

TransMilenio vehicles carry up to 270 people.

High-capacity vehicles such bi-articulated buses may be used, typically with multiple doors for fast entry and exit. Double-decker buses[citation needed] or guided buses may also be used. Advanced Powertrain control may be used for a smoother ride.

Quality stations[edit]

Ticket barriers at the entrance to a TransMilenio station in Bogotá


Prominent brand or identity[edit]

A unique and distinctive identity can contribute to BRT's attractiveness as an alternative to driving cars,[15] (such as Viva, Max, TransMilenio, Metropolitano, Select) marking stops and stations as well as the buses.[16]



See also: BRT Standard


City BRT System (Corridor Name)
China Guangzhou, China GBRT (Zhongshan Avenue)
Brazil Curitiba, Brazil Curitiba BRT (Linha Verde)
Peru Lima, Peru El Metropolitano
Mexico Guadalajara, Mexico Macrobús
Mexico Mexico City, Mexico Metrobús
Colombia Medellin, Colombia Metroplús

Other metrics used to evaluate BRT performance include:

  • The vehicle headway is the average time interval between vehicles on the same line. Buses can operate at headways of 10 seconds or less, but average headways on TransMilenio at busy intersections are 13 seconds,[19] 14 seconds for the busiest section of the Metrobus (Istanbul).


Ahmedabad Janmarg 132,000[20] 89[20]
Bogotá TransMilenio 35,000 – 40,000[21] 2,154,961[22] 106[23]
Guangzhou Guangzhou Bus Rapid Transit 26,900[24] 1,000,000 22
Curitiba, Brazil Rede Integrada de Transporte 13,900 – 24,100 508,000[25] (2,260,000 inc. feeder lines[26]) 81
Belo Horizonte, São Paulo 15,800 – 20,300[27] 24
Istanbul Metrobus (Istanbul) 7,300 – 19,500[27] 800,000 52
Lahore Metrobus (Lahore) 10,000[28] 180,000[29] 28
Tehran[30] Tehran Bus Rapid Transit 2,000,000[31] 150
Jakarta TransJakarta 320,000[32] 210.31[10]
New Jersey Lincoln Tunnel XBL 15,500[33] 62,000 (4 hour morning peak only)
Brisbane South-East Busway 15,000[34] 23

Comparison with light rail and metro systems[edit]


When TransMilenio opened in 2000, it changed the paradigm by giving buses a passing lane at each station stop and introducing express services within the BRT infrastructure. These innovations increased the maximum achieved capacity of a BRT system to 35,000 passengers per hour.[35] Light rail, by comparison, has reported passenger capacities between 3,500pph (mainly street running) to 19,000pph (fully Grade-separated). "From these findings … there is little evidence to support the view that [light rail] can carry more than busways.".[36] There are conditions that favor light over BRT, but they are fairly narrow. To meet these conditions you would need a corridor with only one available lane in each direction, more than 16,000 passengers per direction per hour but less than 20,000, and a long block length, because the train cannot block intersections. These conditions are rare, but in that specific instance, light rail would have a significant operational advantage. However, "... any perceived advantages of [light rail] over BRT are primarily aesthetic and political rather than technical … due to the perceived capacity constraint of BRT there are currently no cases in the US where [light rail] should be favored over BRT."[37]

Comparison with conventional bus services[edit]







The capital costs of implementing BRT are lower than for light rail. A study by the United States Government Accountability Office from 2000 found that the average capital cost per mile for busways was $13.5 million while light rail average costs were $34.8 million.[41] However, the total investment varies considerably due to factors such as cost of the roadway, amount of grade separation, station structures, traffic signal systems and vehicles.



Proponents of light rail argue that the operating costs of BRT are not necessarily lower than light rail. The typically larger light rail vehicles enjoy reduced labor costs per passenger, and the unit capital cost per passenger can be lower than BRT.[42] Furthermore, light rail vehicles have proven useful lifespans of forty years or more, as opposed to buses that often have to be replaced after less than twenty years.

An ambitious light rail system runs partly underground, which gives free right-of-way and much faster traffic compared to passing the traffic signals needed in a surface level system. Underground BRT is rare and expensive. As most buses run on diesel, air quality can become a significant concern in tunnels, but the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel is an example of using hybrid buses, which switch to overhead electric propulsion while they are underground, eliminating diesel emissions and reducing fuel usage. An alternative is an elevated busway, which is also costly. A desire for grade separation indicates that a rail alternative may be better.





The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus operates in the Rawalpindi-Islamabad metropolitan area in Pakistan and has length of 24 km and 24 stations. The buses run on segregated lanes in Islamabad, the capital and on an elevated track in Rawalpindi, the fourth most populous city of Pakistan. The daily ridership exceeds 150,000 people.


Lahore's Metrobus was the first BRT to be built in Pakistan. Metrobus currently operates a fleet of 86 buses,[44] which run on a single 28.7 km long corridor that includes Ferozepur Road, Model Town, Badshahi Mosque, Mozang Chungi, Gaddafi Stadium and other commercial parts of Lahore. Buses on the current route have an average speed of 26 km/h.[45] According to the Lahore Transport Company, the daily ridership of the Metrobus exceeds 180,000 with the peak hourly ridership being 10,000 ppdph.

sbX station in Downtown San Bernardino

An example of high-quality stations include those used on TransMilenio in Bogotá since December 2000,[46] the MIO in Cali since November, 2008,[47] Metrolinea in Bucaramanga since December, 2009,[48] Megabús in Pereira since May, 2009,[49] and most other Latin American BRT systems. This design is also used in Johannesburg's Rea Vaya.[50] The term "station" is more flexibly applied in North America and ranges from enclosed waiting areas (Ottawa and Cleveland) to large open-sided shelters (Los Angeles and San Bernardino).


Environmental issues[edit]

Prominent articulated "tram-like" Van Hool vehicles are used in Metz, France.[51]

The typical bus diesel engine causes noticeable levels of air pollution, noise and vibration.[52] It is noted however that BRT can still provide significant environmental benefits over private cars (and if the lower cost of BRT is to lead to a more extensive, and thus more utilized system, this must be accounted for).


BRT can use trolleybuses to lower gaseous and noise emissions.[56] The price penalty of installing overhead lines could be offset by the environmental benefits, potential for savings from centrally generated electricity, especially in cities where electricity is less expensive than other power sources. Trolleybus applications can be converted to light rail with the only extra expense being the laying and maintenance of tram tracks in the street.

In tunnels or tunnel systems[edit]







BRT systems have been widely promoted by non-governmental organizations such as the Shell-funded EMBARQ program, Rockefeller Foundation[59] and Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), whose consultant pool includes the former mayor of Bogota (Colombia), Enrique Penalosa (former president of ITPD).

Supported by contributions of bus-producing companies such as Volvo,[60] the ITPD not only established a proposed "standard" for BRT system implementation, but developed intensive lobby activities around the world to convince local governments to select BRT systems over rail-based transportation models (subways, light trains, etc.).[61]

Beside the potential conflict of interests, BRTs are being questioned worldwide because of their contaminating effects in the urban environment. Unlike electric-powered trains commonly used in MRT, light rail and subways, bus rapid transit often uses diesel- or gasoline-fueled engines. To reduce pollution some BRT systems, such as TransJakarta, use liquefied natural gas-fueled engines instead. Furthermore, the lifetime of individual buses is generally shorter than their rail-based counterparts, potentially making the BRT system more expensive to operate in the long term.

However, a principal criticism of BRT systems is that they may not accomplish their promise of an efficient, rapid flow of passengers along their dedicated bus lanes. The remarkable fiasco of Delhi's BRT[62] and the increasing riots and spontaneous user demonstrations in Bogota[63] raise doubts about the ability of BRTs to tackle issues such as the traffic jams induced by dedicated lanes. Overcrowded stations and BRT vehicles may fail to keep pace with increased ridership, and may eventually need to be replaced with high-capacity rail systems.

See also[edit]


  1. ^ "What is BRT?". Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. 
  2. ^ a b c EMBARQ - The WRI Center for Sustainable Transport (November 2016). "Global BRT Data — Worldwide and Key indicators per region". BRTdata.org. Retrieved 2016-11-27. 
  13. ^ "Tullave plus". www.tullaveplus.com. Retrieved 2015-08-20. 
  23. ^ "Global BRTData". brtdata.org. 
  28. ^ Metrobus (Lahore)#Operation
  29. ^ "Security Check Required". facebook.com. 
  30. ^ Tehran Bus Rapid Transit
  38. ^ "34th Street Select Bus Service". Bus service along 34th Street is among the slowest in the city. Buses travel at an average of 4.5 miles per hour (7.2 km/h), only slightly faster than walking. Despite these slow speeds, 34th Street is a major east-west bus corridor, carrying over 33,000 bus riders a day on local and express routes. 
  46. ^ "Historia". Transmilenio. Retrieved 20 August 2015. 
  50. ^ "Home". reavaya.org.za. 
  52. ^ http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/420f08026.pdf
  56. ^ "Edmonton Trolley Coalition". trolleycoalition.org. 
  59. ^ Ross, Benjamin. "Big Philanthropy Takes the Bus". Dissent. Dissent. Retrieved 30 November 2016. 

Further reading[edit]

General information
Country specific information