Source: ITDP
Photo: ITDP
The public, government officials, and members of the press gathered this morning in the neighborhood of Palermo for the inauguration of the country’s first bus rapid transit system, Metrobús. Mayor of Buenos Aires Mauricio Macri, who was accompanied by City Transportation Secretary Guillermo Dietrich, spoke about the benefits that the 12 km corridor will bring to the city.
“The implementation of Metrobus in Buenos Aires, the first BRT corridor in Argentina, represents significant progress in the development of urban transportation, allowing for an increased quality of life of more than 100,000 people,” said Macri. “Our main goal, as those responsible for urban planning, is to restore the quality of public transportation, for which the support of the W.J. Clinton Foundation and ITDP has been crucial in the process of development and implementation of a world-class BRT system. In the coming years, based on the success of this first phase, we plan to continue the expansion of the BRT network in the City of Buenos Aires.”
Construction on the line was completed in just seven months, showing the huge savings that BRT provides in construction time, cost and logistics when compared to a fixed rail system. The citizens of Buenos Aires now have a new transportation option that connects two commuter rail stations on opposite sides of the city in a trip that takes 40% less time than before.
Metrobús runs along Avenue Juan B. Justo and its 21 stations are served by both articulated and standard length buses. The system includes other standard features of BRT, including physically separated lanes that run in the middle of the street, elevated station platforms and countdown clocks. The city expects the line to draw additional ridership as people adjust to the new system, growing to an anticipated 100,000 daily riders.
“In a remarkably short amount of time the City has helped improve conditions for walking downtown, dramatically increased the availability of high quality bike lanes, and provided a public bicycle system,” said Andrés Fingeret, Director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy’s Argentina office and CCI City Director for Buenos Aires. “And now Metrobús will add another high quality transportation option that will get residents where they need to go, quickly, with less pollution and without getting stuck in traffic. We commend Buenos Aires on their continued commitment to sustainable mobility.”
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