Policy Briefs and Fact Sheets

Wednesday, January 30, 2019 12pm EST Webinar Recording   More on the Indicators Indicators for Sustainable Mobility Presentation As Climate Change Escalates, US Cities Fail to Provide Car Alternatives   About the Webinar As cities seek to improve their transportation systems to make them more sustainable, equitable, and useful for people, it is critical that they first understand how their system performs.  To that ...

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Heather Thompson as our new chief executive officer. Ms. Thompson, who has been serving in the role of interim CEO since February, was selected by the ITDP board of directors after an extensive, international search. Her transition to permanent CEO is ongoing, and will be effective October ...

Bus rapid transit has grown by 383 percent in the last ten years, according to new data released by ITDP. As cities around the world discover the benefits and cost effectiveness of BRT, they have built hundreds of systems across dozens of countries that qualify as true BRT. A new interactive map shows a comprehesive ...

As world leaders gather for the United Nations Secretary-General’s Climate Summit on September 23rd, ITDP and the University of California, Davis, have released a new report on the impact of transportation emissions on our climate future. According to the new study, more than USD$100 trillion in cumulative public and private spending could be saved, and ...

Two-wheelers — mopeds, motorcycles, and other higher-speed, high-powered motorbikes — are gaining in popularity, especially the faster ones. They are quick and affordable, and must be electrified, but they can also cause a lot of harm on the street. Because two-wheelers are often small, cheap, and fast, they are reasonably well-suited to congested urban environments. ...

Accessibility in urban transport systems is greatly influenced by design choices. These choices can either facilitate or hinder the mobility of various user groups, particularly women, persons with disabilities, older adults, and caregivers. In Nairobi, Kenya, a city with a population of over four million people, most daily trips involve walking, cycling, or public transport. ...

In February, the 2025 Sustainable Transport Award was given to Dakar, Senegal, with an honorable mention for Mexico City, for their world-class bus rapid transit (BRT) systems. Many other cities will look to Dakar and Mexico City for inspiration as they aim to create high-quality, cost-efficient, and sustainable public transport. But inspiration alone is not enough. ...

From Boston to Mexico City to Jakarta, bus rapid transit (BRT) systems have transformed how people move and experience their cities worldwide. Since BRT’s initial conception in the 1970s in Brazil, this form of cost-effective and efficient rapid transit has grown to thousands of kilometers across nearly 200 cities today, with multiple systems being planned. Over the past ...

Nanning, located in Southern China and home to more than 8.5 million people, is often known as the country’s “Green City” because of its lush parks, treescapes, and warm climate. The city is also earning a reputation now as a capital for e-bikes and electric two-wheelers, with a reported per capita ownership of one e-bike ...

Earlier this year, large Brazilian cities like Brasília and São Paulo were shrouded in visible layers of smoke and air pollution for days on end. On top of high temperatures, wildfires and energy-related emissions led to a state of emergency for millions nationwide. In Brazil and beyond, the climate crisis is an increasingly urgent and ...

The current iteration of Buenavista Station debuted in the 1960s and continues to serve as a vital lifeline for thousands of commuters every day. It is an essential connection point and mobility gateway for users of inter-city trains, the intra-city Metro, Metrobús bus lines, bicycles, taxis, and cars, linking thousands of people to workplaces, schools, ...

Does your city or region deserve more recognition for new transport, street design, or policy improvements that increase mobility and improve quality of life for its residents? The Sustainable Transport Award (STA) is a unique, global recognition conferred by a committee of international experts in sustainable transport.

Despite having a much smaller regional budget than the capital city Jakarta, the Central Java city of Semarang has successfully developed a progressive public bus system known as Trans Semarang. Trans Semarang was launched in 2009 and has grown significantly from a single route to eight main and four feeder routes serving tens of thousands of daily riders. By the end of 2024, the city government reinforced its commitment to Trans Semarang by enacting Transportation Management regulations, which mandate a minimum allocation of 5% of the city’s budget for public transport subsidies. Since Trans Semarang alone cannot solve congestion and air pollution challenges, such supporting policies ...

In the city of Guadalajara, Mexico, sustainable mobility is making strides. The city has been implementing more shared bikes, safer bike lanes, and improved pedestrian pathways alongside a new bus rapid transit (BRT) line. But another key component of the area’s transformation is lesser known: better parking management and parking reform. Our streets are critical ...