Bogata's Transmilenio
Buses might be the answer to getting people around in a climate-sensitive manner, according to Climate Progress. The blog notes that “transportation is responsible for roughly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions,” a figure that will increase as the standard of living rises in the developing world.
As opposed to cars, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has a number of things going for it: dedicated lanes similar to subway tracks that avoid traffic congestion, frequency and - the key - low cost. Climate Progress notes:
The idea has been around for decades, but has only gained momentum since the triumph of Bogotá’s TransMilenio. Good planning, rather than novel technology, is the key to a successful BRT.
BRT reduces smog and traffic. Bogotá’s TransMilenio has made Colombia’s sprawling and chaotic capital city much more livable: A 40% drop in air pollutants was reported in the first year of the system’s use, and average travel times were 32% shorter.
BRT, although expanding the US, hasn’t been widely adopted. (For background, see the “case studies” in this National Academies of Science report.) But in a crowded region, like Washington, D.C. for example, where the metro trains are overcrowded and the beltway snarled in traffic, one would think dedicated BRT lanes would do more for traffic — and emissions — than HOV lanes with congestion pricing.
July 23rd, 2009 at 4:05 am
[...] Transporting people without boosting emissions? [...]