Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a type of bus service designed to carry more people, operate more reliably, and offer better quality than regular buses. A BRT system usually includes special roads for buses only and gives buses priority at intersections where they share space with other vehicles. It also includes features that help reduce delays, such as areas where passengers can board and leave quickly and pay fares without slowing down the buses. BRT aims to provide the speed and carrying ability of systems like light rail or mass rapid transit while keeping the flexibility, lower cost, and simplicity of regular bus systems.

Some cities, like Lima, Liège, and Runcorn, were among the first to create bus systems with some BRT features. However, the first city to fully use all BRT features in one system was Curitiba, which started the Rede Integrada de Transporte in 1974. As of March 2018, 166 cities across six continents had BRT systems, covering 4,906 km (3,048 mi) of BRT lanes and serving about 32.2 million passengers daily. Most of these systems are in Latin America, where about 19.6 million passengers ride daily, and which has the most cities with BRT systems, totaling 54, led by Brazil with 21 cities. The Latin American countries with the most daily riders are Brazil (10.7 million), Colombia (3.0 million), and Mexico (2.5 million). In other regions, China (4.3 million) and Iran (2.1 million) have the highest ridership. Today, Transjakarta is the largest BRT network, with about 264.6 km (164.4 mi) of corridors connecting the Indonesian capital city.

Terminology

Bus rapid transit is a type of public transportation that moves many people quickly through cities. It uses its own special lanes, has buses that come often, allows passengers to board at the same level as the bus stop platform, and requires tickets before boarding.

The term "BRT" is mostly used in the Americas and China. In India, it is called "BRTS," and in Europe, it is often referred to as a "busway" or "BHLS" (which means Bus with a High Level of Service). The word "transitway" was first used in 1981 with the opening of the OC Transpo transitway in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Some people say the term "bus rapid transit" has been used incorrectly for systems that do not have most of the features that make BRT different from regular bus services. The phrase "bus rapid transit creep" describes situations where bus services become much worse than the high standards set by groups like the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and other organizations.

Reasons for use

Compared to other common transit options like light rail transit (LRT), bus rapid transit (BRT) is preferred by transit agencies because it costs less to set up and run. No tracks are needed for BRT, bus drivers usually require less training and earn less than rail operators, and bus maintenance is simpler than rail maintenance.

Buses are also more flexible than trains because bus routes can be changed temporarily or permanently to meet changing needs or deal with bad road conditions without needing a lot of resources.

History

The first protected busway was the East Side Trolley Tunnel in Providence, Rhode Island. It changed from trolley use to bus use in 1948. Another early bus system with some rapid transit features is the Runcorn Busway in Runcorn, England. This system was first planned in the Runcorn New Town Masterplan in 1966. It opened for services in October 1971, and all 22 kilometers (14 miles) were fully operational by 1980. The central station is at Runcorn Shopping City, where buses use raised, dedicated lanes to reach two enclosed stations. Arthur Ling, the master planner for the Runcorn Development Corporation, said he created the idea while drawing on the back of an envelope. The town was designed around the transport system, with most residents living no more than five minutes’ walk or 500 yards (460 meters) from the Busway.

The first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in the world was the Rede Integrada de Transporte (RIT) in Curitiba, Brazil, in 1974. This system was inspired by the transport system of Peru’s National Urban Transport Company, which only had quick access to downtown Lima but was not considered BRT. Many features now associated with BRT were first suggested by Carlos Ceneviva, who worked with Curitiba Mayor Jaime Lerner. The system started with dedicated bus lanes on major roads. In 1980, it added a network of feeder buses and connections between zones. In 1992, it introduced off-board fare collection, enclosed stations, and platform-level boarding. Other systems later added innovations, such as platooning (three buses moving together at stops and traffic signals) in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and passing lanes and express service in São Paulo, Brazil.

In the United States, an early BRT prototype was the El Monte Busway, which opened in 1973. This 11-mile (18-kilometer) project used unused railroad space on the San Bernardino Freeway to create an exclusive bus lane. This helped commuters save 20–30 minutes each way. However, the bus lane was later opened to high-occupancy vehicles in 1976. The El Monte Station terminal was called the “first bus rapid transit station in the world.” Another early BRT pioneer was the Pittsburgh South Busway, which operated on 4.3 miles (6.9 kilometers) of exclusive lanes. Its success led to the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway in 1983, a more complete BRT system with a 9.1-mile (14.6-kilometer) dedicated busway, traffic signal preemption, and peak service intervals as short as two minutes. After the 2000 opening of the West Busway (5.1 miles or 8.2 kilometers), Pittsburgh’s Busway system now covers over 18.5 miles (30 kilometers).

The OC Transpo BRT system in Ottawa, Canada, started in 1983. Its first part included dedicated bus lanes through the city center with platformed stops. The introduction of separate busways, called “Transitway,” began in 1983. By 1996, the full 31-kilometer (19-mile) Transitway system was operational. Additional expansions opened in 2009, 2011, and 2014. As of 2019, the central part of the Transitway was converted to light rail transit because the downtown section became too crowded for its original design.

In 1995, Quito, Ecuador, opened MetrobusQ, its first BRT trolleybuses. The TransMilenio in Bogotá, Colombia, started in 2000. It combined the best features of Curitiba’s BRT with other advances, becoming the world’s highest-capacity and fastest BRT system.

In January 2004, the first BRT in Southeast Asia, Transjakarta, opened in Jakarta, Indonesia. As of 2015, it was the longest BRT system in the world, covering 210 kilometers (130 miles).

Africa’s first BRT system opened in Lagos, Nigeria, in March 2008, but it is considered a light BRT by many. Johannesburg, South Africa’s BRT Rea Vaya, opened in August 2009 and carried 16,000 daily passengers. Rea Vaya and MIO (BRT in Cali, Colombia, opened in 2009) were the first systems in Africa to combine full BRT with some mixed-traffic services connected to the BRT trunk infrastructure.

In 2017, Marrakesh, Morocco, opened its first BRT trolleybus system (BHNS De Marrakesh). The system includes 8 kilometers (5 miles) of trolleybus corridors, with 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) of overhead wiring for operation.

Main features

BRT systems usually have several important features:

Bus-only lanes help buses move faster and avoid delays from traffic jams. These lanes can be in the middle of the road, keeping buses away from busy areas where cars and trucks park, stop, or turn. Some systems use separate paths, like the elevated Xiamen BRT. In city centers, special areas called transit malls or "bus streets" may be created for buses only.

Passengers pay for their rides at stations before getting on the bus, which saves time. Machines at stations let riders buy cards that can be used for multiple trips and offer different ways to pay. Paying ahead also lets riders board through any door, making stops quicker.

Stopping traffic from turning across bus lanes reduces delays for buses. At traffic lights, buses may get extra time to move through intersections by making the green light longer or the red light shorter in their direction. Preventing turns is often the most effective way to help buses move through intersections quickly.

BRT stations should have platforms that are level with the bus floor to make boarding faster and easier. This design works well for wheelchairs, people with disabilities, and baby strollers, with little waiting time.

High-level platforms are used for buses with high floors, making it hard for regular buses or stops outside dedicated areas to use them. These stops are different from regular street-level bus stops. Like trains, there is a risk of a dangerous gap between the bus and platform, which is bigger because of how buses operate. Solutions like Kassel curbs can help align buses safely with platforms.

A common solution is using low-floor buses with small steps at the doors. These buses can board easily at low-platform stops that work with other buses. This design is often used in BRT systems with smaller or medium passenger capacity.

The MIO system in Santiago de Cali, Colombia, first used dual buses in 2009. These buses have doors on the left side at the height of high-level platforms and doors on the right side at curb height. They can use main routes with exclusive lanes and high-level platforms in the center of the street, letting passengers board and exit on the left side. These buses can leave the main route and use regular lanes with other vehicles, stopping at regular stations on sidewalks on the right side of the street.

Additional features

Groups of rules form the BRT Standard 2016, which is updated by the Technical Committee of the BRT Standard.

High-capacity vehicles, such as long buses or buses with two sections, may be used. These buses often have multiple doors for quick entry and exit. Double-decker buses or buses that follow tracks may also be used. Advanced systems to control the power of the buses may help make the ride smoother.

Bottleneck BRT stations usually have areas where buses can load and unload passengers at the same time through multiple doors. These areas use signs and loudspeakers to coordinate the process.

An example of high-quality stations includes those used on TransMilenio in Bogotá since December 2000, MIO in Cali since November 2008, Metrolinea in Bucaramanga since December 2009, and Megabús in Pereira since May 2009. This design is also used in Johannesburg’s Rea Vaya.

In North America, the term “station” can refer to different types of places. These include enclosed waiting areas in cities like Ottawa and Cleveland, or large open shelters in cities like Los Angeles and San Bernardino.

A unique and distinctive identity can make BRT more attractive as an alternative to driving cars. Examples include systems like Viva, Max, TransMilenio, Metropolitano, Metronit, and Select, which mark stops, stations, and buses.

Large cities usually have big bus networks. A map showing all bus lines might be hard to understand, causing people to wait for buses that are not running when needed. By highlighting main bus lines with frequent service using a special brand and separate maps, it is easier to understand the entire network.

Public transit apps are more convenient than static maps. They offer features like trip planning, live arrival and departure times, up-to-date schedules, local station maps, service alerts, and advisories that might affect a trip. Examples include Transit and Moovit, which are available in many cities worldwide. Some BRT operators have created their own apps, like Transmilenio. These apps include all schedules, live arrival times, and station information for buses that feed into the BRT, such as the SITP in Bogotá.

A special issue comes up when using buses in metro transit structures. In busy downtown areas, where above-ground structures might not be acceptable due to historical, logistical, or environmental reasons, using BRT in tunnels might be necessary.

Buses are typically powered by internal combustion engines, which can cause ventilation problems similar to those in motor vehicle tunnels. Strong fans are used to exchange air through ventilation shafts, usually placed far from occupied areas to reduce noise and pollution.

A simple way to reduce air quality issues

Performance

A BRT system can be measured using several factors. The BRT Standard, created by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), evaluates BRT corridors and lists those that meet the basic BRT requirements. The highest-rated systems receive a "gold" ranking. The most recent version of the standard was published in 2016.

Other ways to measure BRT performance include:

• Headway is the average time between buses on the same route. Buses can run as close as 10 seconds apart, but in some systems, the time is longer. For example, TransMilenio buses have an average time of 13 seconds between buses at busy intersections, Metrobus (Istanbul) buses have 14 seconds at the busiest section, and buses in Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro have times of 7 and 6 seconds, respectively.
• Vehicle capacity refers to how many passengers a bus can carry. A regular bus holds about 50 passengers, while larger buses, like bi-articulated or 500-passenger vehicles, can carry many more.
• Station effectiveness depends on how well stations handle large numbers of passengers. High passenger volumes require larger stations and more boarding areas at busy stops. This is a common challenge for BRT and heavy rail systems.
• Feeder systems are important for bringing passengers to BRT stations quickly. If these systems are not efficient, they may slow down the overall BRT performance.
• Local passenger demand is crucial. If not enough people need to travel in a certain area, the BRT system may not be used fully.

Based on data, the fastest possible BRT system could move up to 150,000 passengers per hour in one traffic lane. In real conditions, the BRT system in Rio de Janeiro (BRS Presidente Vargas) moves about 65,000 passengers per hour, which is the highest recorded. TransMilenio in Bogotá and Metrobus in Istanbul move about 49,000 and 45,000 passengers per hour, respectively. Most other busy BRT systems move between 15,000 and 25,000 passengers per hour.

Research by ITDP compared the capacity of 56 BRT systems, 14 light rail systems, and 14 heavy rail systems. The study found that TransMilenio’s capacity is higher than most heavy rail systems and much higher than light rail systems.

Performance data shows:
1. The best BRT system moves 37,700 passengers per hour in one direction.
2. The best heavy rail system with one track moves 36,000 passengers per hour.
3. The best light rail system moves 13,400 passengers per hour.

Other BRT examples include:
• A system in Istanbul (2020) using articulated buses moves 45,000 passengers per hour in one lane.
• In Rio de Janeiro (2014), 320 buses pass through the Nossa Senhora de Copacabana corridor each hour, one every 11 seconds.
• In Rio de Janeiro (2012–2014), 600 buses move 65,400 passengers per hour on the Presidente Vargas corridor, one every 6 seconds.

The first BRT system opened in 1971, but cities were slow to adopt it because they believed BRT could only move about 12,000 passengers per hour during peak times. This limit was rarely needed in the United States but was a concern in developing countries, leading some to prefer heavy rail.

When TransMilenio opened in 2000, it improved BRT by adding passing lanes at stations and introducing express services. These changes increased BRT capacity to 35,000 passengers per hour. Light rail systems typically move between 3,500 and 19,000 passengers per hour, depending on their design.

Light rail may be better than BRT in rare cases, such as when only one lane is available in each direction, passenger demand is between 16,000 and 20,000 per hour, and train lengths are long enough to avoid blocking intersections. These conditions are uncommon.

A U.S. government report noted that in 2000, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funded heavy rail and light rail but not BRT. However, BRT systems often had lower costs and similar performance to light rail. The report also found that riders usually prefer BRT over light rail when services are equal.

In Bogotá, a plan to expand TransMilenio aims to ensure 85% of the city’s 7 million residents live within 500 meters of a BRT line. This expansion would be difficult for a rail system, according to the city’s mayor.

BRT systems are sometimes used to replace damaged rail lines when ridership is low. For example, in Japan, parts of the JR East Kesennuma and Ōfunato Lines were rebuilt as bus lanes after being damaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. This reduced costs and improved service. A similar project is planned for the JR Kyushu Hitahikosan Line, damaged by heavy rain in 2017.

Conventional buses use regular traffic lanes, which can be slow due to traffic. Long stops at bus stops also reduce speed. In New York City, buses on 34th Street traveled at about 4.5 miles per hour (7.2 km/h) in 2013, even after improvements like dedicated bus lanes.

In the 1960s, Reuben Smeed predicted that traffic in central London would average 9 miles per hour (14 km/h) without road pricing. After London introduced a congestion charge in 2003, traffic speeds reached 14 km/h (8.7 mph), the highest since the 1970s. BRT systems typically move faster, with speeds between 17 and 30 miles per hour (27 and 48 km/h).

Cost

Building a BRT system usually costs less than building a light rail system. A 2000 study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the average cost to build a busway was $13.5 million per mile, while the average cost to build light rail was $34.8 million per mile. The total cost of a project can change based on factors like the cost of roads, how much the system is separated from traffic (such as through tunnels or overpasses), the design of stations, and the type of traffic signals used.

In 2003, a study led by the German GTZ compared different types of mass rapid transit systems worldwide and concluded that BRT can provide high-quality, metro-like service at a much lower cost than other options.

A 2013 analysis of data from 19 light rail projects, 26 heavy rail projects, and 42 BRT projects found that in higher-income countries, heavy rail systems can cost up to 40 times more than BRT systems, and surface-level light rail systems can cost about 4 times more than BRT systems.

Operating a BRT system is usually less expensive than operating a light rail system. However, exact costs depend on factors like wages, which vary by country. In countries with higher wages, transit operators may choose to use fewer but larger buses to serve the same number of passengers. This reduces the number of drivers needed but can lead to less frequent service on routes with lower demand, causing longer wait times for passengers.

The 2000 GAO study also found that BRT systems typically had lower operating costs compared to light rail systems. This was mainly due to lower costs for vehicles and infrastructure, as measured by operating costs per vehicle hour, per mile traveled, and per passenger trip.

Some light rail systems include parts that are grade-separated, such as underground sections, which allow faster travel by avoiding traffic signals. Underground BRT systems were first proposed in 1954. However, if buses still use diesel fuel, air quality in tunnels can become a problem. The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel is an example of a system that uses hybrid buses, which switch to overhead electric power while underground, reducing diesel emissions and fuel use. Other options include elevated busways or elevated railways, which are more expensive.

Criticism

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems have been promoted by groups such as the EMBARQ program, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). These organizations have worked with experts, including former leaders like Enrique Peñalosa, who once led ITDP.

The ITDP, supported by companies like Volvo, created guidelines for building BRT systems. These guidelines helped define what makes a BRT system "true" and encouraged cities worldwide to choose BRT over rail systems like subways or light trains.

Some BRT systems do not meet the standards of a true BRT system. These systems are sometimes called "BRT creep." They may look like BRT systems but are actually only slightly better than regular buses. The ITDP created the BRT Standard to help cities avoid this issue.

Some BRT systems are not even considered true BRT systems. For example, the Boston Silver Line was rated as "Not BRT" because it lost many BRT features over time. Similarly, New York City's Select Bus Service was also rated as "Not BRT" by the ITDP.

Unlike electric trains, BRT systems often use buses powered by diesel or gasoline. These engines can cause air pollution, noise, and vibrations. However, BRT systems can still help reduce pollution compared to private cars. For example, Bogotá replaced 2,700 regular buses with 630 BRT buses. The new system moved more passengers faster and reduced pollution.

Some BRT systems use cleaner energy, like electric or hybrid engines. For example, trolleybuses in Beijing and Quito help reduce pollution. In Bogotá, hybrid buses use regenerative braking to save fuel and lower emissions.

Many BRT systems face problems like overcrowding and long wait times. In Santiago, Chile, buses often carry six people per square meter. Commuters report long waits and overcrowded buses. By 2017, only 15% of commuters approved of the system, and 27% stopped using it, choosing cars instead.

In Bogotá, overcrowding was worse, with eight people per square meter on TransMilenio buses. Only 29% of users were satisfied with the system. Many women reported sexual assaults on TransMilenio, and the system was ranked as the most dangerous for women. Poor service led to more cars and motorcycles on the roads.

By 2018, Bogotá replaced older buses with newer ones. Some buses use compressed natural gas, while others use diesel. In 2022, Bogotá received a Sustainable Transport Award for its TransMilenio system and efforts to improve cycling.

In Jakarta, BRT systems faced overcrowding, safety issues, and complaints about harassment. A bus even caught fire, leading the governor to apologize for poor service.

In Delhi and Bogotá, BRT systems faced public protests in 2016. However, Bogotá regained trust by 2022. Some critics argue that BRT systems may not last long and could be replaced by other uses, like regular roads.

Experts also note that BRT systems may not work well in cities with low population density or limited mixed-use areas. In Africa, some groups question whether BRT systems are practical in certain regions.

Impact

A study from 2018 showed that setting up a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Mexico City helped lower air pollution. This was measured by looking at the levels of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter 10 micrometers in size.