Curitiba: The Poster Child of Bus Rapid Transit - Greendesignetc.net

Curitiba: The Poster Child of
Bus Rapid Transit
Source: http://citytransport.info

Curitiba: Stats
Capital of Paraná, southern Brazil
Pop. 1.78 million (city), 2.4 million (municipalities)
270 sq. miles
Between São Paulo and Florianopolis

Curitiba: Growth
Population boom
− 1890s: 50,000
− 1940s: Tripled!
− 1960: 430,000
− 2005: 1.78 million
Obviously, something had to be done

Master Plan
1964, city called for Master Plan proposals
Enthusiastic response from young, idealistic
architects from Fed. Univ. of Paraná
Introduced car-free streets, rapid transitways,
limits on development, green space, recycling
incentives, moratorium on polluting industry
Led by Jaime Lerner, approved in 1966
Brazil was under military dictatorship

Master Plan
Source: Vidisha Parasram, Horizon Solutions Site Intern

Pedestrian Street
Rua XV de
Novembro
Source:
http://www.curitiba.pr.gov.br

Green Space
XV de Novembro
Plaza garden
Source:
www.inepac.rj.gov.br

Trianary Streets
Buses run in the
middle, other
vehicles on the
sides
Source:
www.mariavazphoto.com

Components of BRT
Running ways
− Designated high speed lanes,
− Traffic signal priority to buses
Stations
− Reduce boarding time
− Route info
− Retail?
Vehicles
− Accessible
− Enjoyable
− Alternative fuels

Components of BRT
Service
− Integration with regional systems
− Frequency – don't need schedule
− Routes – easy to understand
− Stops – convenient but quick
Expedited fare collection
− SmartCards, etc
Intelligent Transportation Systems
− Remote tracking and coordination for efficiency and
safety

BRT: Design Innovations
Some advantages of subways/light rail at
less cost
Boarding tubes
− Elevated
− Payment before boarding
Accessibility
Frequency of Service
− peak hours, frequency

BRT: Advantages Over Light Rail
No digging
No laying electric lines
Implemented quickly
Did not take resources from current
generation to benefit future ones

RIT
Core of system is RIT
− Integrated Transportation Network /
Rede Integrada de Transporte
Five major corridors
Bi-articulated express buses
− Up to 270 passengers.
− Trinary roads
Express buses every 70 seconds - 2
minutes
Single Fare (+/- $.40)

Bi-articulated buses
Source: Institute for Research and Urban Planning of
Curitiba (IPPUC)

Outer Routes
Conventional lines
− Connect center with outlying
neighborhoods
Circular Center
− Downtown loop
Special Schools
− Special needs students
Inter-Hospital
Tourism

System Map
Source: pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curitiba

Boarding Tubes
Pre-pay
Accessible
Shelter
Speeds boarding
Source:
www.lightrailnow.org

Lerner on BRT's Needs
Dedicated lanes
Not just lines, physically separated and at center of the
street
Fast
Stops every1/3 mile, not every block
Transport 2 million people at 30-second to 1 min intervals
Capacity comparable to subway
“When we started out, we thought our system could hold
us until we could afford a subway. Now I'm sure we don't
need a subway.” - Source: Sierra Magazine

Administration and Operation
Public-Private Partnership
− City corporation determines routes, fares,
schedules, and money
− 10 private operators drive, provide vehicles,
etc
Operators paid by distance, not ridership
− Avoids key issue of underutilized routes

Results:
Development along corridors -> thriving
downtown
Serves over one million passengers per
workday
28% of the ridership used to drive
Relatively low 10% of income spent on
transportation
30% less fuel per capita than other
Brazilian cities

Results:
“Curitiba's population of 1.8 million
consumes 23% less fuel per capita than
the Brazilian national average. The city
has 16 parks, 14 forests, and over 1,000
green public areas shared by its
residents.”
− http://www.citymayors.com/environment/biodive
rsity.html

Portability
Economist: ported successfully to Quito,
Bogotá, Jakarta, Brisbane, Ottawa
But “Imperfections of democracy”
(lobbying) prevent full adoption
Lerner cites more that 60 cities using
some aspects of BRT

FTA BRT Initiative
Studying results in
− Eugene, OR
− Orlando, FL
− Cleveland, OH
− Ottawa, ON.

LA Orange Line
Strong opposition from Light Rail champions
− City not dense enough
− Americans would not tolerate crowding
Mixed response early on
− Happy passengers
− Concerned residents
First week, traffic accident caused early
discussions about gating bus lanes

Impediments to Portability
Differing tolerance of different riders
− Haven't read complaints about crowding?
Urban planning does not happen in
tandem
− Curitiba's system depends on a city planned
around it

Conclusion
Public-Private Partnerships on case-bycase
basis
Recommend that cities consider
implementing components
− Low cost
− Can be rolled back
− Could solve entrenched problems