A Solution That Scales
Key pollutants that Istanbul's Metrobus removes from the air each year include
78.5 tons
of carbon monoxide.
282.7 tons
of nitrogen oxide, a compound that causes smog, acid rain, global warming, and a variety of health complications like emphysema and bronchitis.
7.3 tons
of fine particulate matter, known to cause asthma, chronic bronchitis, and lung disease.
25 tons
of hydrocarbons, which are associated with smog, cancer, and other health problems.
23,202 tons
of carbon dioxide a leading greenhouse gas.
Planting the Seeds of Success
EMBARQ began promoting Bus Rapid Transit in Istanbul in 2004. The Istanbul government ran with the idea, and happily the first corridor in the city has been a success.
The East-West line opened on the European side in 2007 and is now one of the most heavily traveled BRT lines in the world. However, there is still room for improvement. In March 2008, EMBARQ experts conducted a detailed review of the operations,and provided the city’s public bus agency with ideas for making the corridor even more successful. EMBARQ is now working with the agency to develop and implement these ideas.
Scaling Up the Project
In September, 2008 Istanbul expanded the project, opening up a new line which is expected to increase ridership by 130,000 passengers. The new line is just over 10 km and adds 10 new stops. Most significantly, the line has slashed commutes from 2 hours and 30 minutes to just under 40 minutes.
The opening of the new line happened the first day of school in order to improve traffic flow as eager students set out to attend classes.
Beginning construction in late June, the city government completed entire project in just 77 days to complete, exemplifying the speed at which successful bus rapid transit projects can be implemented.
Key Facts
minutes saved taking Metrobus from one end to the other
passengers moved per day
km of Istanbul's Metrobus
The Need for Change
Zeynep and Ziynet are sisters who live in Sultanbeyli, a neighborhood of 1 million residents on the Asian side of Istanbul. Their home is situated next to the Trans-European Motorway, one of the biggest expressways in the city.
The sisters commute an average of 5.5 hours each day—7 hours if the traffic is particularly bad. The bus they take is often so crowded that its doors break.
Generally happy with their lives, their biggest resentment is toward private cars owners who harass the buses in traffic. “It’s 200 people versus one,” they say. When asked what they would do to fix Istanbul’s traffic, Zeynep says without
hesitation, “It seems to me it would help if the buses could have their own lane.”
