As Guadalajara continues to plot the growth of its public transit system, ITDP Mexico published a study this week proposing six new routes for the city’s Macrobus BRT. Currently, the 26 km of Macrobus BRT, which first opened in 2009, successfully moves 125,000 passengers a day, between its feeder and trunk routes, and removes over 4000 cars from crowding the streets. As the City of Guadalajara considers expanding its mass transit options, ITDP published the study “Proposal for Growth of Mass Transit Systems in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Zone“, advocating the expansion of the BRT system with six new corridors by 2018.

The ITDP Mexico study proposes the addition of 135 kilometers of BRT corridors and priority lanes by 2018. If completed the project would carry 650 thousand passengers a day, and provide benefits including the daily reduction of 62,000 hours in transit, 970,000 kilometers driven, and 330 tons of CO2. At the rate of 30 kms of new BRT corridor a year, the project could be nearly complete by 2018, enough time to be implemented under a single administration.

The study, according to ITDP Mexico’s Director of Public Transport, Ulises Navarro “is an effort to give direction to the growth of the Macrobus network, strengthening the implementation of an integrated transport system that serves at the main axes for the city.”

In 2012, ITDP, along with the State Research Center for Roads and Transit (CEIT, for its initials in Spanish) and the Coordinating Body of the Comprehensive Service Operation Public Transport (OCOIT, for its initials in Spanish), began working on a model for transport and land use in the Guadalajara metropolitan area. The model was used by ITDP to evaluate possible scenarios for growth of the mass transit systems, and supported the selection of the six proposed corridors.

Guadalajara is currently considering building a third line of its electric train system. However, the proposed BRT corridors would provide a more effective and cost efficient way to increase mass transit in Guadalajara. According to the study, the 135 kilometers of BRT would require approximately 90% of the resources, carry more passengers and provide wider coverage  than the light rail line. ITDP will continue working with city officials to advocate for a more effective, sustainable, and equitable way to promote a healthy, livable city.

(Read the Spanish version of this article here)