modernizing public Transportation

This report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and its EMBARQ network analyzes the modernization of public transport in 13 cities across Latin America and Asia. It focuses on the implementation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems, comparing their performance, costs, and operational challenges to provide a synthesis of lessons learned for urban planners in developing nations.

• BRT systems in the reviewed cities demonstrated high capacity and efficiency with relatively low capital costs. Peak usage reached up to 45,000 passengers per hour in each direction, while capital investments ranged from US$1.4 million to US$12.5 million per kilometer.
• Many projects suffered from rushed implementation due to political pressures, specifically the need to launch systems before the end of elected officials' terms. This often led to operational problems, incomplete infrastructure, and insufficient driver training.
• Financial sustainability is frequently compromised when fares are set by political authorities to maximize public support rather than based on the actual technical cost of providing the service.
• The implementation of advanced fare collection systems was consistently difficult, often due to unrealistic schedules that prevented adequate software adaptation and testing for local conditions.
• Top-down decision-making processes, led by high-level political figures, generally resulted in faster project implementation and fewer initial interagency conflicts compared to bottom-up approaches.
• A lack of comprehensive user education and public information prior to launch caused significant confusion and, in some cases, public protests during the initial weeks of operation.
• The report identifies that large-scale route reorganizations are conceptually superior for optimizing system components, although they risk higher opposition from existing operators and institutional overreaching.
• Infrastructure deterioration, particularly of pavements and lane segregation devices, is a common operational problem resulting from inadequate structural design or the use of existing roadways without necessary improvements.

APA

HIDALGO, D., & CARRIGAN, A. (2010). modernizing public Transportation. World Resources Institute. https://pdf.wri.org/modernizing_public_transportation.pdf

Chicago

HIDALGO, DARIO, and AILEEN CARRIGAN. modernizing public Transportation. World Resources Institute, 2010. https://pdf.wri.org/modernizing_public_transportation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=HIDALGO |first1=DARIO |last2=CARRIGAN |first2=AILEEN |title=modernizing public Transportation |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=2010 |url=https://pdf.wri.org/modernizing_public_transportation.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hidalgo2010modernizing, author = {HIDALGO, DARIO and CARRIGAN, AILEEN}, title = {{modernizing public Transportation}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2010}, url = {https://pdf.wri.org/modernizing_public_transportation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }