2010 Sustainable Transport Award Nominations

Headline

“Macrobús, Guadalajara: BRT as an element of change towards sustainable urban mobility”. In a city where car is a priority, people are gaining back their right to live in a human scale city with an efficient public transport system and safe public spaces to enjoy.

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Reasons for Nomination

It was back at 2007 when the local government of the state of Jalisco developed and announced a comprehensive plan for mobility, which primarily focused in the implementation of a network of Bus Rapid Transit corridors that would be integrated with other public transport modes of the city. Furthermore, the mobility plan included plans for the expansion of the bike-ways network, as well as a series of interventions towards the renovation of public spaces and the gradual decrease of car driving. Macrobus is the key project of the mobility plan, consisting in the development of three phases of a BRT system that will result in a 81 km network of trunk corridors by 2012, covering 50% of the demand for public transport. First phase is already completed, and operations have started at March 10th of 2009 with Macrobus operating in a 16km trunk corridor, south to north, along the major avenue of the city. The trunk corridor is integrated with 15 feeder lines, as well as with the light rail system. Integration is facilitated by an electronic fare collection system that promotes trans-modal trips without major infrastructure investments at stations, thanks to the technology of the contactless card and a flexible tariff policy that allows considerable discounts for integration. Major achievements of the system are: transport integration, efficient public transport services, accessibility, emission reductions and less traffic accidents at the corridor, renovation of public spaces, and better quality of life for public transport users and inhabitants of the city.

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Impact and significance

Macrobus in its first phase has accomplished: Operational - To substitute 180 old and polluting buses, for 41 articulated buses, with euro IV technology and that operate with ultra low sulfur - a 50% travel time reduction from end to end in the trunk line - Integration with the light rail system with a 50% fare reduction in its connection. Environmental: - Project registration as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) for the Carbon credits sale, due to the reduction of around 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide according to CAF (Andean Financial Corporation) calculations. The zone at the south terminal achieved a 30% pollution decrease with the implementation of the BRT system. - Trees planted in a 3 to 1 ratio for each tree cut down, with a final balance of 2,200 new trees along the corridor. - The use of Ultra-low sulfur diesel that has to be imported to Mexico. Public Space: - Public space expansion resulting in 46,800 m2 of new pedestrian areas. - Renewal of 112,000 m2 pedestrian areas. - 16km of bike ways almost completed. - Underground utility wires network along the trunk line. - BRT stations easily accessed by Pedestrians and disabled people. Institutional - There is an open bid for the operation and fare collection system of the BRT system. - The system managed to turn 582 individual bus owners into one organized public transport company. - Transparent management of the resources made possible through a “cleaning house” operation

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Transferability

Macrobus brought several changes in the concept of BRT in Mexico, both in institutional and technical aspects. Operational scheme with fare integration and express trunk routes is also innovative for Mexico, although known as best practices abroad. Many of the following achievements of Macrobus may be used as best practices both at national and international level: Operation: • Integration with light rail, saving up to 50% of the tariff in trans-modal trips. • Passing lanes at all stations, that allow operation of Express bus services Technology: • Bus fleet of high capacity vehicles, with high emission standards (EURO IV) • Ultra low sulfur diesel for all vehicles (although not available at local market) • Sliding –automatic- doors at all platforms • Hybrid fare collection system (contactless card or exact amount with coins) • Equipment of fare collection system with visual/ audio instructions • CCTV system at all stations • Centralized and fully equipped control centre of operations Institutional: • The “owner” of the mapping for the fare collection system is the state of Jalisco, which favorites future integrations with other transport modes up to state level. • Significant change at the transport operation pattern; A system of 588 individual operators converted to a modern transport operating company. • Open bids for all contracts of the project (infrastructure, operation, fare collection system) • Social participation; 1 to 4 visits per household in a range of 1km from the trunk corridor prior to the launch of operations. Extensive campaign to public transport users and residents of the corridor

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Background

Guadalajara is the capital city of the state of Jalisco. With a total population of 4.3 millons of inhabitants, the metropolitan area of Guadalajara (ZMG) is the second biggest metropolitan area among all Mexican cities. As such, nowadays Guadalajara faces a series of pressures, such as: an accelerated urban sprawl –often without any planning-, low density, traffic congestion, air pollution and degradation of the environment, deficiencies at the operation of public transport services, high index of traffic accidents and serious threats to public health. Considering the estimations of the authorities, at 2030 the population of the city will reach the level of 5.7 millons of inhabitants, when at the same time density is expected to raise from 65 people/hectare to 78 people/hectare. Currently, Guadalajara has a fleet of 1,549,708 private vehicles and according to official car registrations there are 378 new automobiles –in average- that enter into traffic every single day at the city, resulting in a 7% increase of the fleet per year. 43% of daily trips are made by public transport, though the share is every year lower and lower, in favor of an increasing car driving share. At the same time, the alternatives of public transport are few, since –apart from the 4.500 conventional buses- the network of mass public transportation is limited in two light rail lines (since early 90's). Current motorization trends and lack in public transport infrastructure put clearly the city in a great risk of collapse within the next few years.

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Supplementary web links

www.macrobus.gob.mx http://www.unep.org/pdf/OP_sept/EN/OP-2009-09-en-ARTICLE6.pdf http://www.ctsmexico.org/node/152 http://www.ctsmexico.org/node/139 http://www.ctsmexico.org/node/83 http://www.embarq.org/en/project/guadalajara-macrobus http://www.embarq.org/en/slideshow/guadalajaras-macrobús http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrobús http://www.informador.com.mx/jalisco/2009/103045/6/miravalle-ya-no-es-el-punto-mas-critico-de-contaminacion.htm

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MACBUS09a09-BRT_Corridor_Evaluation-v5

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