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The BRT Standard has defined 5 main categories for design with 32 metrics totaling 100 points and an operational deductions category that has 13 metrics totaling 77 points. Together, these form the total score for the corridor. Both design and operations are critical to creating a high quality BRT corridor. Access the updated 2024 Scorecard here.
Design decisions are often locked in planning and construction. We often see corridors score well here, getting a bronze or above in design, but then do poorly in operations, dropping their overall score. While operational deductions may bring the overall score down, these are aspects that can be easily improved in order to improve the score. From there, the updated scoring details can be found in the 2024 BRT Standard with detailed guidance on how to score. The Standard only evaluates a corridor and not a whole system, since different corridors can vary widely in design and quality.
Certifying a BRT corridor as Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Basic sets an internationally recognized standard for the current best practices for BRT and can only be done with the full score (Design + Operational Deductions) six months after opening to allow usage and operations to be more representative of longer-term patterns. The combination of the design evaluation (positive points) and operational evaluation (negative points) gives the final score––the full score––from the BRT Standard. The scoring is as follows:
- Basic BRT: a minimum of 20 points total from all elements in the BRT Basics category (maximum 35 points)
- Bronze-Standard BRT: 55–69.9 points
- Silver-Standard BRT: 70–84.9 points
- Gold-Standard BRT: 85 points or above (100 is maximum)
A score of basic BRT means that the corridor meets the minimum criteria to qualify as BRT, which is an achievement and should be acknowledged. However, since it has not quite reached the same level of excellence as those that have received bronze, silver, or gold awards, it does not receive a certificate. The scorecard below shows the general criteria and point values that make up the BRT Standard.
SERVICE PLANNING (18 points maximum)
- Multiple Routes (4 points)
- Control Center (3 points)
- Demand Profile (3 points)
- Hours of Operations (3 points)
- Multi-corridor Network (2 points)
- Business Model (3 points)
STATIONS AND BUSES (23 points maximum)
- Passing Lanes at Stations (3 points)
- Minimizing Bus Emissions (3 points)
- Stations Set Back from Intersections (2 points)
- Center Stations (2 points)
- Pavement Quality (2 points)
- Distance Between Stations (2 points)
- Customer-friendly Stations (3 points)
- Greening Measures and Resiliency (1 point)
- Number of Doors on Bus (2 points)
- Independent Docking (2 points)
- Sliding Doors at BRT Stations (1 point)
COMMUNICATIONS (8 points maximum)
- Branding (2 points)
- Passenger Information (4 points)
- Passenger Communication and Data Collection (2 points)
ACCESS AND INTEGRATION (16 points maximum)
- Universal Access (3 points)
- Integration with Other Public Transport (2 points)
- Pedestrian Access and Safety (4 points)
- Secure Bicycle Parking (1 point)
- Bicycle Lanes (2 points)
- Bikeshare Integration (1 point)
- Personal Security and Gender-based Violence (3 points)
OPERATIONAL DEDUCTIONS* (-77 Total)
- Poorly Maintained Infrastructure (-14 points)
- Overcrowding (-10 points)
- Low Commercial Speeds (-10 points)
- Lack of Enforcement of Right-of-Way (-7 points)
- Significant Gap Between Bus and Platform (-7 points)
- Long Signal Cycles (-7 points)
- Bus Bunching / Reliability (-6 points)
- Buses Running Parallel to BRT Corridor (-4 points)
- Low Peak Frequency (-3 points)
- Low Off-peak Frequency (-3 points)
- Low Peak Passengers (-3 points)
- Pedestrians and Cyclist Fatalities along Corridor (-2 points)
- Permitting Unsafe Bicycle Use (-1 points)
*Point deductions are assessed for corridors already in operation. Proper maintenance and quality operations are critical to attracting and retaining riders. They are as important as the design, but easier to change and improve. These metrics are designed to discourage significant planning, management, or operational errors that are not readily observable during the design phase.