Frequently Asked Questions

BRT is a high-capacity, bus-based rapid transit system. BRT corridors are one of the most cost-effective and high-quality solutions for public transport systems. When well designed, BRT corridors require fewer capital costs to build and maintain compared to other rapid transit corridors because they have simpler infrastructure needs. But BRT systems offer similar gains in operational efficiency and cost effectiveness to other rapid transit systems. BRT systems are highly adaptable and can be designed to fit the specific needs and constraints of a city, whether it’s accommodating existing road layouts, adjusting to varying demand levels, or integrating with other transportation systems. Impacts that BRT corridors have:  

Economic Benefits: BRT stimulates local economies by enhancing access to jobs and education, boosting property values, and encouraging investments along public transport corridors. The time savings that the BRT corridor generates impacts directly on the productivity of the users and consequently, on the economy. Efficient transport also attracts more commercial activity, contributing to economic vitality. 

Social Impact: BRT systems enhance urban accessibility and inclusivity through universal accessibility, making public transportation feasible for all demographics, including people with disabilities, caregivers, and young and old alike. Because it is less expensive to build and typically takes less time than rail, a bigger network can be built sooner, helping everyone—but especially people who are economically disadvantaged—access more of the system in a cost-effective manner. These systems facilitate equitable access to essential services and opportunities. 

Environmental and Air Quality: By shifting commuters from private vehicles to public transport and shifting public transport riders from smaller, older, more polluting buses to newer, bigger, cleaner ones, BRT reduces greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants. Implementing electric or hybrid buses can further decrease the environmental footprint, promoting healthier urban environments. 

According to the BRT Standard, to be considered BRT, the corridor needs to be at least 3 kilometers long, with dedicated lanes. This is to guarantee that the investment in infrastructure has a reach beyond what is walkable and cyclable. The corridor must also meet at least 20 points across all five key features, known as the BRT Basics, to ensure good overall performance. According to the BRT Standard, those five key features are: 

Dedicated Right-of-Way: Dedicated lanes that are physically separated from regular traffic increase reliability and speed by keeping buses out of congestion and providing an uninterrupted service. 

Busway Alignment: Bus lane location that minimizes delays and conflicts with other traffic, optimizing speed and efficiency. 

Off-Board Fare Collection: Passengers pay before boarding the bus, which allows a faster and more efficient passenger flow and consequently less time spent at stations. 

Intersection Treatments: Increase the green-signal time for the bus lane and minimize delays at intersections, improving service reliability. These can include signal priority for buses, prohibited turns, or even grade separation at intersections. 

Platform-Level Boarding: Quick and accessible boarding for all passengers by aligning the bus floor with the platform reduces the time the bus needs to be stopped. BRT systems provide platform-level boarding.  

Implementing BRT corridors opens substantial opportunities to improve urban mobility, foster equitable access, and reduce congestion in growing cities. While BRT development involves unique challenges, these are often manageable with the right strategies in place and can lead to long-term gains for cities and residents. Here are some challenges along with strategies to address them: 

Securing political and public buy-in: Reallocating road space from private vehicles to buses can face resistance from drivers and other road users. To mitigate this, cities should consider long-term urban development goals and engage all stakeholders early through public consultations and awareness campaigns that highlight the broader benefits of BRT for mobility and quality of life. Data can help make the case—for example, measuring travel times before and after—by showing the benefits.  

Significant upfront investment: Compared to other rapid transit systems, BRT is one of the more cost effective. While cities often struggle to secure sufficient resources for implementation, they can explore international development grants and land-use value capture, and leverage economic opportunities such as transit-oriented development (TOD) to attract investment. BRTs are good financial investments, as there is often a significant return on investment. 

Land acquisition and infrastructure construction: Acquiring land for BRT stations or lanes and managing construction in densely populated areas can be time-consuming and costly. Cities can work with local authorities and the community to identify flexible land-use options, streamline approval processes, and reduce disruptions by coordinating construction schedules. 

Operational challenges: Ensuring operational efficiency—such as maintaining bus frequency, handling peak demand, and providing adequate maintenance—requires robust institutional capacity and a reliable management structure. Solutions include setting up dedicated management agencies, investing in training for staff, and implementing monitoring systems to respond to operational issues in real time. 

Integrating with the urban environment: It is essential to design BRT corridors to ensure accessibility for all, including people with disabilities, women, and lower-income populations. Cities can improve their accessibility by considering the surrounding areas as a key element during construction. The direct access to stations needs to have well-designed sidewalks, crossings, and bicycle lanes to promote comfortable, secure, and universal access elements. The stations and terminals also need to be well-connected to the other modes with complete physical, operational, and fare integration. 

Ensuring consistent funding for operations and maintenance: Maintaining high-quality BRT services requires reliable, sustained funding. Cities should develop a sustainable financial plan that includes mechanisms such as congestion pricing and parking fees, regular budget allocations, fare revenue management, and non-fare revenue sources, such as sales tax, advertising and sponsorships, retail leasing, and land-use value capture. 

Use of Zero-Emission Vehicles: This helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, aligning BRT systems with broader climate goals. Many cities are now integrating electric buses into their BRT networks, supported by strategies for charging infrastructure and battery management. E-buses are also quieter, reducing noise in communities and making travel more pleasant for passengers. 

Digitalization and Data Use: Leveraging technology for real-time data collection and digital monitoring enhances service efficiency and reliability; it also helps passengers use the system. This includes using apps for real-time tracking and updates, as well as trip-planning for passengers, data analytics for service improvements, and automated fare collection systems, which streamline operations and improve the passenger experience. 

Gender, Equity, and Social Inclusion Initiatives: Ensuring that BRT systems are accessible and welcoming to all, particularly women, elders, people with disabilities, and underserved communities, is increasingly prioritized. This includes implementing design features that support safety and comfort, conducting inclusive planning consultations, incorporating inclusive hiring, and creating policies that prioritize social equity within the transport network. BRTs are a great way to introduce these measures, which can be universally accessible by design. 

Business Model Updates: Effective business models for BRT focus on sustainable and quality service delivery. These models often include gross-cost contracting (paying operators per kilometer traveled), performance-based incentives, independent fare collection, data-sharing provisions, competitive tendering, and the use of multiple operators to encourage safety, efficiency, and flexibility. This gives the government better tools for managing service delivery and performance, and it means the revenue risk is not borne solely by the operator. 

The BRT Standard was created in 2012 from a global agreement between leaders and experts in the design and implementation of BRT systems to provide a consistent framework for defining and evaluating BRT corridors based on international best practices. It aims to ensure that BRT corridors consistently deliver world-class passenger experiences, significant economic benefits, and positive environmental impacts. The BRT Standard  sets a framework for understanding BRT and then delivers metrics for evaluating the design and operations of a particular corridor. With that, the BRT Standard recognizes best practices around the world, allows comparisons between different corridors, and can be used to evaluate the project design elements and operational performance.  

The BRT Standard evaluates individual BRT corridors rather than entire systems, as quality can vary significantly between corridors. In the planning phase, the BRT Standard acts as a checklist, guiding the design of new corridors with best practices to maximize their potential performance. Design elements play a crucial role in reducing delays, increasing service speed, and enhancing passenger experience by minimizing traffic conflicts and streamlining passenger flows. 

For operational corridors, a complete evaluation, including both design and operational metrics, is necessary to analyze and improve their performance, and it will assess operational factors that can impact ridership, confidence, and trust in the system. Typically, the evaluation is done six months after opening to reflect more stable usage and operational patterns. The BRT Quality Standard Technical Committee must validate the score to make it official. While a new corridor can be assessed fully (Design + Operational Deductions) after six months, ITDP recommends conducting a thorough assessment of a new BRT system after at least one year (preferably in its second year) to address any initial operational issues and gather sufficient data on ridership and performance for a comprehensive evaluation. For more detailed questions, please take a look at the BRT Standard FAQ questions. 

Cities and agencies are welcome to submit their own assessments and request certification. The duration of the assessment and certification process depends on the complexity of the BRT corridor and the availability of required data. Generally, the process can take between  four and 12 weeks from the initial request to the final certification. To schedule an assessment, it is advisable to provide ITDP with at least three months’ notice to ensure availability and adequate preparation time. The score will only be considered valid after careful review and final approval from the Technical Committee members. 

A corridor can be rescored upon request if it has experienced significant changes in design or operations (for better or for worse). For example, bicycle lanes being added to the corridor, improvements on the service operation, not well-maintained infrastructure, cuts to the service, and others. Thus, it is highly encouraging to ensure that BRT corridors maintain high standards and continue to improve over time. The frequency of rescoring can vary based on the specific needs and goals of the BRT corridor and its stakeholders. While there is no fixed frequency, rescoring a corridor every three to five years is advisable to account for operational changes and upgrades. When a corridor is rescored, the justification for rescoring the corridor will also be noted when the new score is released. 

The cost of assessing and certifying a BRT corridor is designed to cover only the direct expenses involved, such as travel, assessor time, and insurance—the process is not conducted for profit. Costs can vary based on the corridor’s size and complexity, and the specific requirements of the assessment. Expenses may include travel and accommodation for assessors, data collection, and logistical arrangements. Planning ahead to determine which metrics can be gathered remotely versus those requiring on-site verification can help optimize costs. More information regarding the evaluation can be found in BRT Standard FAQ questions. For a detailed estimate, it’s best to consult with ITDP early in the process to clarify the scope and logistical needs. 

Ahmedabad’s Janmarg BRT, India: This corridor serves as a model for subsequent developments across the country. By providing high-quality public transport access throughout the city, Janmarg has transformed travel for residents while also helping to reduce pollution levels. Notably, the system prioritizes affordability and inclusivity, ensuring that people from all economic backgrounds have access to reliable and efficient public transportation. As a pioneer of intelligent transport systems in India, Janmarg continues to set standards for urban mobility in the country. 

Dar es Salaam BRT, Tanzania: The BRT corridor is a pioneering project in East Africa. It offers a high-capacity, affordable alternative that has dramatically reduced travel times and set the standard for future BRT developments. The success of this project has encouraged the city to expand its network, with three additional corridors under construction; another has secured financing.  

Dakar BRT, Senegal: Dakar’s BRT is an ambitious solution to the city’s chronic congestion, designed with ITDP’s support to prioritize reliable and affordable public transport. Expected to serve more than 300,000 passengers per day, this electric-powered BRT corridor will play a key role in connecting underserved areas with the city center, fostering more equitable access to jobs and services, and supporting Dakar’s sustainable urban development goals. This initiative stands as a pioneer in Africa, combining modern electric buses with comprehensive urban planning to improve mobility and air quality. 

Guangzhou BRT, China: Known for its direct-service model and high-frequency buses, this BRT corridor serves more than 800,000 daily passengers. The system’s integration with cycling and pedestrian infrastructure exemplifies a holistic approach to urban mobility, supporting multimodal transport options and encouraging vibrant urban spaces. Guangzhou’s success lies in its ability to meet high demand while maintaining efficiency. 

Mexico City’s Metrobús, Line 1, Insurgentes BRT, Mexico: Mexico City’s Insurgentes corridor, a BRT Gold-rated system, has improved worker commutes, revitalized neighborhoods, and reduced air pollution, and it showcases the city’s commitment to expanding and integrating its BRT network. Station designs preserved trees, used icons for navigation, and feature wheelchair-accessible turnstiles. Well-lit, visually open stations, coupled with CCTV-equipped buses, ensure safety. Insurgentes is part of one of the few BRT networks globally with a built-out network of seven lines that is also integrated with the city’s metro system. 

Guadalajara’s Mi Macro Periférico BRT, Mexico: Mi Macro Periférico is a strong example of how multi-level government collaboration can drive efficient BRT implementation while maximizing outcomes. The corridor reduces emissions, strengthens regional and intra-city connections, and provides convenient, accessible mobility options. It integrates gender-focused design features and programs that support women and caregivers, ensuring a safer and more inclusive experience. Additionally, municipalities have expanded cycling infrastructure for first- and last-mile connectivity, which is fully integrated with the BRT. Mi Macro Periférico exemplifies the benefits of well-designed BRT systems, offering better accessibility, reduced travel times, and higher user satisfaction. 

Belo Horizonte’s MOVE Cristiano Machado BRT, Brazil: The corridor runs along Avenida Cristiano Machado and serves high-demand areas with high-capacity corridors, extending into the city center where both demand and space constraints peak. It follows best practices in BRT design, such as center-aligned stations, off-board fare collection, and well-integrated intermodal connections. MOVE’s corridor structure and design maximize capacity and efficiency, handling the busiest city areas while promoting smooth transfers and accessible connections to other public transport modes, enhancing urban mobility for a range of users. 

TransJakarta BRT, Indonesia: TransJakarta, one of the world’s longest BRT corridors, prioritizes high-frequency service with dedicated lanes, connecting millions of daily passengers across Greater Jakarta. Its ongoing expansion reflects a strong commitment to sustainability, as it continues to reduce emissions, alleviate congestion, and promote public transport over private car use. The network’s integration with other modes of transport, such as the metro and commuter trains, enhances its resilience and accessibility. 

Bogotá’s TransMilenio BRT, Colombia: TransMilenio has set a global benchmark with innovations in service, contracting, and infrastructure, reducing car use and enhancing public transport efficiency. By 2010, it had served more than 3 billion riders and earned UN recognition for emissions reductions through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Bogotá has since integrated electric buses, cable cars, and the Integrated Public Transport System (SITP) network into a unified public transport system. The city’s restructured procurement model further supports this transition by separating bus ownership from operations, lowering financial barriers and encouraging fleet electrification. 

Van Ness BRT, US: San Francisco’s Van Ness corridor, rated BRT Silver, exemplifies a modern, well-integrated public transport solution, with center-running lanes and priority features that minimize delays. Despite high implementation costs, Van Ness aligns with the city’s long-term strategy of enhancing public transport through bus lanes, signal priority, and strategic investments. This corridor demonstrates a commitment to faster commutes, reduced congestion, and a revitalized streetscape that improves both accessibility and the area’s aesthetic appeal. 

Yichang BRT, China: Yichang’s BRT is a model for midsize cities, achieving Gold rating because of its high quality and integration with cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. Features like direct service routes minimize transfers and improve efficiency. Complementary urban enhancements, such as a bike-sharing system, greenways, and traffic-calmed streets, demonstrate how Yichang has reimagined its public transport and public space to benefit residents. 

Zu Peshawar BRT, Pakistan: Zu Peshawar BRT is a pioneer of accessible, inclusive public transport in Pakistan. It features 100-percent step-free entry and priority ticket counters, enhancing access for seniors and people with disabilities. The system boosts safety and comfort for female riders, opening up new educational and professional opportunities. Zu Peshawar also integrates sustainable modes with dedicated bike lanes, a bikeshare network, and accessible pedestrian paths, including a 4 km elevated skyway for pedestrians and cyclists.