This post was originally published in Portuguese on EMBARQ Brasil

With growing international interest in Rio de Janeiro’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system, journalists from around the world are seeking to understand how the system is being implemented. On June 18, reporters Valerie Valcovici (Reuters), Diana Kinch (The Wall Street Journal), and Cynthia Castro (Revista CNT Transporte Atual) visited Rio’s first BRT corridor, the Transoeste.

The journalists were accompanied by the municipal secretary and deputy secretaries of transportation, Alexander Samson and Carlos Maiolino. Representatives from EMBARQ included Director Holger Dalkmann, EMBARQ Chief Operating Officer Clayton Lane, EMBARQ Brazil Director Luis Antonio Lindau, EMBARQ Brazil Strategic Relations and Development Director Rejane D. Fernandes, and World Resources Institute Media Relations Director Michael Oko. The visit was organized by WRI and EMBARQ Brazil, along with FETRANSPOR (Federated Passenger Transport Company of the State of Rio de Janeiro) and the Secretary of Transportation of Rio de Janeiro.

“The biggest benefit of BRT systems, or any mass transportation system, is increasing accessibility for the population and improving overall quality of life for the city,” Dalkmann said.

The Transoeste line was created.with the goal of integrating the West Zone neighborhoods with the rest of the city. While still in the early stages of implementation, the system extends more than 56 kilometers, connecting Barra de Tijuca to Santa Cruz.

According to Alexandre Castro, manager of operations for Transoeste, it is estimated that the corridor will serve 250,000 people each day and cut current travel time in half. Secretary of Transportation Alexander Samson said BRT is a paradigm shift for the city. "The BRT is a new concept of transport in Rio. It can carry twice as many people as the current system, besides being more sustainable, emitting less greenhouse gases," he said.

The modern fleet of articulated buses are monitored by staff at the Operational Control Center at Terminal Alvorada, the future connection point between the Transoeste and Transcarioca lines.

The control center monitors the performance of the lines, which rely on an adaptive system for traffic signal priority, i.e. giving preference to BRT vehicles at intersections.

"A bus lane carries 10 times more people than a car lane. Why, then, not prioritize public transportation?” Lindau said.

"The new system will attract more people to public transport by offering more comfort and speed. The city of Rio de Janeiro is made for public transportation. Rio will soon take ownership of BRT," Samson said. The secretary also noted that the priority of the city government is to integrate the bus systems, and discourage the use of private vehicles through measures such as tolls for cars.

"Along the Transolímpica corridor there will be a toll for those who choose to use the car while the BRT will operate freely," he said.

All four corridors - Transoeste, Transcarioca, Transolímpica and Transbrasil – are expected to be completed by 2016. The complete system will extend more than 150 kilometers, one of the largest public transit systems in the world, with a total investment of RS 5 billion from public and private partnerships. Learn more about Rio’s BRT system here.

EMBARQ Brazil and Rio, a partnership for sustainability

The inauguration of Transoeste is the result of hard work by the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro. Since 2010, EMBARQ has partnered with the city to develop and improve public transit. Other projects include:

BRT Simulator: The simulation of the transport system was decisive in the selection of Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 Olympics by the International Olympic Committee (10/2/09). LEARN MORE

Road Safety Audits: With funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, EMBARQ Brazil provided technical assistance through road safety audits for the Transoeste project, a key measure to reduce the risk of crashes and save lives. LEARN MORE

Marketing Workshop: On May 25-26 2011, EMBARQ Brazil convened about 100 participants from 10 Brazilian cities (Belo Horionte, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Goiania, Salvador, Florianopolis, Natal, Curitiba, Vitoria and Porto Alegre), as well as the United States, Peru and India, to discuss best practices of marketing and communications for BRT systems. LEARN MORE

Strategic Alignment: EMBARQ Brazil has met with the team responsible for the implementation of the BRT system in Rio de Janeiro. The goal was to bring together technicians, operators and managers of the project and help identify opportunities and difficulties to be faced by the teams. LEARN MORE