In 2016, Dar es Salaam opened the first line of DART, the first BRT in East Africa. ITDP’s role in this was extensive, from early design work, to securing political and financial support for the project over many years. With the first line in full operation, and three more planned, it is increasingly clear that this project has the potential to transform the city. DART has dramatically reduced commute times for Dar es Salaam residents, who often face upwards of 4 hours per day commuting in traffic, and provides a model of how to integrate pedestrian crossings, cycle lanes, and sidewalks into a quality transit corridor.
Dar es Salaam won the Sustainable Transport Award in 2018, and hosted ITDP’s MOBILIZE summit. More than 200 international transport and development experts came to see DART in action, and learn from the mobility and access successes the city has achieved. ITDP Africa continues to support next phases of DART, and provides support to the city for expanding access to cycling and walking.