Modernizing Public Transportation

This report by the World Resources Institute synthesizes findings from a review of major bus improvements in 13 cities across Latin America and Asia. It evaluates the benefits, challenges, and lessons learned regarding the planning, implementation, and operation of bus systems, specifically focusing on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to provide recommendations for urban transport planners in developing nations.

• Bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors in the 13 reviewed cities demonstrated high efficiency, with passenger volumes ranging from 1,780 to 43,000 passengers per hour per direction. These systems were characterized by relatively low capital investments, between US$1.4 million and 12.5 million per kilometer, and typically required little to no operational subsidies.
• The review identified several systemic challenges across the projects, including rushed initial implementations that led to user and operational problems, a lack of guaranteed financial and institutional sustainability, and difficulties integrating BRT routes into broader city public transport systems. Additionally, projects struggled with accommodating regular city traffic and faced execution delays due to political, financial, technical, or institutional constraints.
• The report emphasizes that for cities introducing or rapidly expanding BRT services, public education and information are critical for a successful launch. It recommends a comprehensive planning process that integrates engineering with legal, financial, institutional, and environmental concerns, and suggests using dedicated, full-time teams for planning and implementation to avoid conflicts with daily responsibilities.
• Effective decision-making for transport modernization requires early, high-level approval to accelerate processes and resolve interagency conflicts, while simultaneously maintaining community involvement. The report also advises adapting regulatory frameworks and ensuring that rail operators view BRT as a complementary service rather than a competitor when integrating with existing metro systems.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Modernizing Public Transportation. https://www.wri.org/research/modernizing-public-transportation

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Modernizing Public Transportation. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/modernizing-public-transportation.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Modernizing Public Transportation |url=https://www.wri.org/research/modernizing-public-transportation |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendmodernizing, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Modernizing Public Transportation}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/modernizing-public-transportation}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }