Guadalajara - Macrobús
Mexico's Second Largest City Takes Lead on Sustainable Transport
macrobus.jpg

Photo courtesy of CTS-México.

"Macrobús is going to have a big impact on the city’s public transportation system because it’s going to be faster, cleaner and safer. It’s a real upgrade to the old network of minibuses, which were old, inefficient and polluting."
-- Adriana Lobo, Director, CTS-México

The first line of Guadalajara's Macrobús corridor, which opened in March 2009, spans 16 kilometers along Calzada Independencia, one of the city’s most iconic but congested avenues. The system’s fleet of 41 articulated buses operates on exclusive car-free lanes with frequent pick-ups from the 27 stations that integrate with the city’s existing bus routes and light rail lines. It is expected to serve 130,000 passengers per day.

Macrobus reduces the average travel time in the corridor by about 30 percent.

CTS-México Director Adriana Lobo says Macrobús will reduce travel times and prevent traffic accidents, two of the main concerns for the city’s residents. In addition, the system will help to fight global warming.

The new corridor is the first of three planned lines, totaling 81 kilometers, scheduled for completion by 2012.

The BRT system is the first of its kind in Jalisco, where Gov. Emilio Gonzalez Marquez has made it a priority to improve the quality of life for his constituents by building a better mass transit network. The governor tapped Diego Monraz Villaseñor, director of Mexico’s urban rail operator, SITEUR, with the ambitious task of planning and implementing the Macrobús system in just two years.

Macrobús is expected to inspire similar projects in the region, especially during the highly anticipated 2011 Pan-American Games, which Guadalajara is hosting.

Macrobús was made possible through technical and financial support from EMBARQ and CTS-México. CTS-México staff provided technical expertise during the planning and implementation stages, and will continue to support the start-up operations.

Key Facts

16
kilometers in length
130,000
projected number of daily passengers
27
stations

Faster, Cleaner, Safer

Photo by Jorge Alberto Mendoza.

The system features several design enhancements:

  • integration with light rail and 15 feeder routes;
  • wider stations with adequate space for internal circulation;
  • good pavements and segregation devices for bus lanes;
  • buses with advanced emissions control (Euro IV standard)
    and ultra-low sulfur diesel; and,
  • maps, signs and other information in every station to ease
    travel for all passengers.

"Tu ciudad se mueve en grande" (Your city moving forward)



Video via www.macrobus.gob.mx

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