Streetfilms: Curitiba, the Cradle of Bus Rapid Transit

Since adopting its master plan in 1968, Curitiba, Brazil has become a beacon for inventive urban planning and
public transportation. The city’s pioneering Bus Rapid Transit system inspired the implementation of BRT in many other cities, including TransMilenio in Bogotá, Colombia; Metrovia in Guayaquil, Ecuador; as well as the Orange Line in Los Angeles.

In this Streetfilm, former Curitiba mayor Jaime Lerner talks about the origins of his city’s BRT and the expansion that followed. Curitiba’s current planners also discuss how they’re improving the system to keep it modern and functioning at the
capacity of a typical subway system. The city is currently
experimenting with smart traffic lights to prioritize buses and with new passing lanes on the dedicated BRT routes. They’re even
constructing a new bus route that will run parallel to a linear park and 18km of bike
lanes.

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