From integrated transit systems to innovative parking solutions – all of the 2012 Sustainable Transport Award-nominated cities are exemplars in implementing integrated transport solutions. Over the next week, we will cover profiles of the nominated cities – Medellín, San Francisco, Cape Town, and Buenos Aires – culminating in the presentation of the Sustainable Transport Award on January 24 at Transportation Research Board conference in Washington D.C.

Buenos Aires, Argentina is a 2012 nominee for the implementation of the first BRT, Metrobus, and Bike Sharing System, Mejor en Bici, in the country.

Metrobus, launched in May 2011, is the first bus rapid transit system in the city and in Argentina. With an initial corridor length of 12km and 21 stations, it has already shown to be reducing passenger travel time and growing in ridership. Metrobús runs along the busy Avenue Juan B. Justo, the system includes gold-standard features of BRT design, including physically separated lanes that run in the middle of the street, elevated station platforms and countdown clocks.  The city expects the system to grow in ridership as it expands.

Buenos Aires also launched a bike sharing system in 2010 and has spent 2011 growing the bike network and the system itself. The system started with 72 bikes, 3 stations, and average of 110 bike trips per day. By October 2011, the system has 700 bikes, 20 stations, an average of 2500 daily bike trips, 260000 overall trips, and 25000 users.