BRT

BRT, or Bus Rapid Transit, is a bus-based public transportation system designed to deliver fast, comfortable, and reliable service with performance close to rail in some corridors, while maintaining lower capital costs and greater flexibility. A BRT system uses a combination of dedicated or semi-dedicated right-of-way, station-like stops, and efficient boarding and payment to shorten travel times and improve service quality.

Core design features commonly include dedicated bus lanes or reserved rights-of-way that separate buses from mixed traffic; station platforms at or near curb height to enable level or near-level boarding; off-board fare collection; all-door loading; trunk routes with frequent service and feeder networks; traffic signal priority; real-time passenger information; and accessibility considerations. Design implementations vary, and the degree of priority and infrastructure can range from simple bus lanes to fully separated corridors with high-capacity stations.

The modern BRT concept originated in Curitiba, Brazil, with its integrated busway system developed in the 1970s and 1980s. It was popularized internationally by Bogotá’s TransMilenio in the 1990s, a high-capacity trunk-and-feeder network. Other large systems include Mexico City’s Metrobús network, Guangzhou’s BRT in China, and TransJakarta in Indonesia, each aiming to provide rapid transit-like performance at lower costs than rail.

Advantages of BRT include high passenger capacity at relatively lower capital expenditure and faster implementation compared with rail-based systems, along with flexibility to adjust routes. Challenges include maintaining true priority in congested corridors, ensuring reliability, integrating fare and scheduling with other modes, managing operating costs, and preventing negative urban impacts if lanes or stations are poorly planned or implemented.