The BRT Standard
About this Edition
The BRT Standard (BRTStandard.org) is both a framework for understanding BRT and an evaluation tool for BRT corridors based on international best practices. BRT experts have evaluated the elements that receive points in the BRT Standard in a wide variety of contexts. When present, these elements result in consistently improved system performance and have a positive impact on ridership and the environment. Defining the essential elements of BRT, the Standard provides a framework for system designers, decision-makers, and the sustainable-transport community to understand and implement high-quality BRT corridors. The Standard functions as a:
- Common definition of BRT that includes the key features of BRT that result in high-performing systems, both from a design and operational perspective;
- Planning tool for designers, planners, municipalities, advocates, and banks to consider and guide decision-making;
- Evaluation tool to show where there are gaps in design that can be rectified or problems in operations that need to be addressed;
- Recognition system celebrating corridors that achieve basic BRT, bronze, silver, or gold status and can serve as inspiration for other cities. View a live table of BRT corridors and their scores.
What’s New in 2024?
The BRT Standard, 2024 edition, is the product of feedback from BRT practitioners around the world. Suggestions were formulated into concrete proposals and evaluated by the BRT Standard Technical Committee, a group of leading BRT engineers, designers, and planners. Fundamentally, the Standard has been refreshed by adding, combining, and revising elements based on expert feedback and increasing deductions for operations. The most significant changes include:
- Expanded Focus on Gender, Safety, and Access
- Attention to Climate, Greening Measures, and Resiliency
- A New Focus on Business Operations
- Improved Scoring for Diverse Systems
- Improved Passenger and Customer Experience
- Increase in Deductions for Overcrowding, Long Signals, and Bus Bunching
Translations of the full Standard are, or will be, made available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Bahasa Indonesia.
About the BRT Standard Technical Committee: The Technical Committee of the BRT Standard comprises globally renowned experts on BRT and transport. This Committee serves as a consistent source of sound technical advice with respect to BRT and is the basis for establishing the credibility of the Standard. The Technical Committee certifies corridors and recommends revisions to the Standard as needed.
Learn More
- Read More ITDP’s Year of the Bus in 2024 →
- Watch the “Unveiling The BRT Standard” webinar →
- Watch the “Blueprint for BRT Success” webinar →
- Access the 2024 BRT Standard Scorecard →
- Download the 2024 BRT Standard Infographics →
- Watch more videos about BRT on ITDP’s YouTube →
- Access the 2017 ITDP BRT Planning Guide →
Interested in learning more about this Standard or have a press inquiry? Email us at mobility@itdp.org. Stay up-to-date on our BRT resources by subscribing to the Sustainable Transport Bulletin.
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