Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Bus Rapid System (BRS) initiative in the City of Rio de Janeiro started in 2011 with the objective of optimizing public transport by bus through preferential lanes and organized bus stops. This chapter analyzes the BRS through the lens of innovation capabilities to understand how the system has produced co-benefits to the city of Rio de Janeiro. The theoretical framework used defines co-benefits as positive impacts from projects that are not related to its prime objectives. The methodology was based on a broad base of information, including: interviews with the stakeholders related to the BRS; documents and studies concerning this initiative; and direct observation. The analysis of the information collected provided an understanding on the following points: how the socio-technical transitions for co-benefits took place; what the level of necessary technological capability was; and how the city was able to gain the technological capability to carry out the transition for generating co-benefits.