Bus Rapid Transit, Design and Engineering of

Bus rapid transit (BRT) is a recently developed low-cost bus-based alternative to metro and tram systems. A BRT system emulates the performance and amenities of modern rail-based transit systems, including segregated rights of way, closed stations, and pre-board ticketing. However, it has major advantages over rail-based transit, including much lower construction costs, short implementation periods (one to three years after conception), accommodation of many route permutations, and flexibility to adapt to a range of urban conditions.In the last few decades, BRT has become widely used for urban mass transit, especially in developing cities. More than 40 cities on six continents have implemented BRT systems, and at least as many systems are either in the planning or construction stages. The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, an international nonprofit organization headquartered in New York, and EMBARQ, a program of the World Resources Institute, a global environmental think tank in Washington, D.C., have been instrumental in promoting BRT systems around the world.