Chapter 06 · Governance & regulationDevelopment, Impact & Global Frameworks
Bus rapid transit (BRT)
Definition
A bus-based mass transit system delivering metro-level service through dedicated right-of-way, stations with off-board fare collection and platform-level boarding, and priority at intersections. The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) codifies these as the "BRT Basics" and scores systems against them in its BRT Standard; a corridor requires at least three kilometres of dedicated lanes to qualify.
References
Overview
What it means
BRT's sustainability case is efficiency: it moves large passenger volumes at a fraction of rail's cost and construction time, enabling cities in the Global South — where the model originated in Brazil in the 1970s — to expand low-carbon mobility quickly. Around 200 cities operate BRT corridors; flagship systems such as Bogotá's TransMilenio and Guangzhou's BRT carry millions daily.
Quality matters: the BRT Standard's gold/silver/bronze certification guards against "BRT creep" — branding ordinary bus lanes as BRT.
How it is used
Cities deploy BRT within transit-oriented development and low-emission-zone strategies; climate and development finance funds BRT as mitigation; the ITDP Standard serves as the reference for planning, evaluation and green-washing control.
Why it matters
Urban transport emissions cannot fall without credible mass-transit alternatives; BRT is the most scalable option available to the fast-growing cities where the battle for sustainable mobility will be decided.