BRT in metropolitan regions: two examples in Brazil

摘要

Many Brazilian cities are currently implementing BRT (bus rapid transit) systems due to their lower cost and shorter construction time when compared to rail systems. The lobbies of bus operators and manufacturers are also an important issue. Two projects are under way in the state of Sao Paulo, connecting two or more cities within metropolitan regions. The Northwest BRT Corridor is 25.0 km long and connects four cities, catering to a total population of 920,000 inhabitants in the Campinas Metropolitan Region. The Guarulhos Corridor is 4.0 km long and connects Sao Paulo's eastern sector to Guarulhos, both of which are part of the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Region, and caters to 2.6 million inhabitants. This paper describes the process of planning and designing BRT systems in Brazil and presents the traditional path of such projects: feasibility analysis (transportation demand studies, urban insertion and sustainability evaluation and analysis) followed by architecture and engineering design (bus stops and terminals, bus corridor and street network infrastructure).