1. BRT
Experiences and Challenges
Juan Carlos Muñoz
Bus Rapid Transit Centre of Excellence
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
September 20, 2013

2. About the BRT Centre of Excellence
• Headquarters: Department of Transport Engineering and
Logistics at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
• Instituto Superior Técnico from the Lisbon Technical University
• Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies from the University
of Sydney
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• EMBARQ Network from The World Resources Institute Centre
for Sustainable Transport
• Other researchers as Orlando Strambi / Eduardo Vasconcellos

3. Our Vision
BRT systems are a feasible instrument to make metropolitan
areas more sustainable from the economic, financial, social,
political, technical and environmental perspectives, making
them more attractive places to live, work and visit.
We are not a BRT Advocacy agency. Instead, we provide clear
guidelines on when and how BRT projects can effectively
enhance mobility and meet accessibility needs.

4. Our Main Objective
Develop a new framework for the
planning,
design,
financing,
implementation and
operation
of BRT.

5. A BRT Observatory: gather, interpret and present BRT data.
Major Outcomes

6. BRT Observatory

12. A BRT Observatory:
A BRT Laboratory:
gather, interpret and present BRT data.
develop in-depth understanding of the
factors and relations underlying system
performance, developing or improving
analytical methods and their supporting
instruments.
Major Outcomes

13. BRT Laboratory
LS1) Structured assessment of BRT performance
LS2) Exploring the complexity of policy design
LS3) From vision to promise to delivery
LT2) Typology and analysis of business plans, contracts and incentives for BRT and urban
mobility systems.
LT3) Determine key elements of higher satisfaction for users and authorities
LT5) Modeling reliability, cost, travel times, safety, comfort and other relevant variables of
modal choice
LO1) Explore innovative ways to manage and control BRT services
O5) Create and provide a benchmark report
O6) Start case studies.

14. A BRT Observatory:
A BRT Laboratory:
A BRT Educational program:
gather, interpret and present BRT data.
develop in-depth understanding of the
factors and relations underlying system
performance, developing or improving
analytical methods and their supporting
instruments.
deploy the knowledge gained supporting
teaching, education and training for regular
and long-life learning.
Major Outcomes

15. Educational Program
13th International Conf Series on Competition and Ownership in Land Passenger Transport
Oxford, UK September 15 to 19, 2013.
14th International Conf Series on Competition and Ownership in Land Passenger Transport
Santiago, Chile September, 2015.
• Conference on Advanced Systems for Public Transport
Santiago, July 23-27, 2012. www.caspt.org
• International Workshop in Urban Transport Sustainability.
Santiago, September 2-4, 2013. iwuts.cedeus.cl

16. Educational Program
MONTHLY WEBINAR, NEXT (eleventh):
“Traffic Safety on Bus Corridors”
Nicolae Duduta, EMBARQ
Friday, September 27th at 11am EDT
Register with lpaget@uc.cl
Several International Training Programs:
September 2012, Barcelona, Spain
November 2012, Pereira, Colombia
February 2013, Gothemburg, Sweden
July 2013, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
September 2013, Oxford, UK

17. A BRT Observatory:
A BRT Laboratory:
A BRT Educational program:
Support Implementation:
gather, interpret and present BRT data.
develop in-depth understanding of the
factors and relations underlying system
performance, developing or improving
analytical methods and their supporting
instruments.
deploy the knowledge gained supporting
teaching, education and training for regular
and long-life learning.
Support one or more cities willing to start a
transformation of their public transport
system.
Major Outcomes

18. Support implementation
Strategic alliance with the Latin-American Association of Integrated
Transit Systems and BRT (SIBRT)

19. Outline Today
• Introduction to BRT Systems
• History and current state of the BRT industry
• Automated Data Collection - a new foundation
for analysis and management
• The Customer Experience
• Near-Capacity Operations
• Regulatory and contractual aspects
• Critical elements of a successful bus corridor

20. BRT
Experiences and Challenges
Juan Carlos Muñoz
Bus Rapid Transit Centre of Excellence
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
September 20, 2013