Luis Antonio Lindau

Bus Rapid Transit in Curitiba, Brazil A Look at the Outcome After 35 Years of Bus-Oriented Development

Curitiba, the worlds cradle for bus rapid transit (BRT), is an affluent city in Brazil. Its integrated transit network (RIT) is one of the most successful bus transit systems in the Western Hemisphere. RIT is the result of 35 years of continuous upgrades to bus service, which ultimately led to the creation of the BRT concept and lent structure to Curitibas urban development. The recently inaugurated Green Line (Linha Verde) is the backbone of a renewed urban structural concept, with a linear park and the redevelopment of low-density, industrial properties. The line takes full advantage of evolved BRT concepts, such as cleaner vehicles and fuels and the introduction of passing lanes at stations to increase capacity and improve commercial speeds. The success of Curitiba derives from a mix of political leadership, innovation, pragmatism, technocracy, and continuity. This paper presents Curitibas main transit milestones over time, barriers to planning and implementation, and measures adopted to solve or mitigate them. A series of recommendations includes (a) improvements in the delivery of quality of service to transit users, (b) conduct of a home-based origin–destination survey to identify the mobility pattern within the metropolitan area, and (c) consideration of value capture mechanisms and public–private partnerships in transit projects.

Understanding Road Safety Impact of High-Performance Bus Rapid Transit and Busway Design Features

The design choices made in the planning of a new bus rapid transit (BRT) or busway corridor (e.g., use of a center-lane or curbside configuration, counterflow lanes, and open or closed stations) affect not only the operational performance of the system but also the risks of crashes, injuries, and fatalities on the facility over its lifetime. With data from nine BRT systems and busways around the world (including Bogotá, Colombia; Curitiba, Brazil; Mexico City, Mexico; and Delhi, India), some of the road safety impacts of major BRT–busway corridor design characteristics are illustrated. The approach included a combination of crash frequency modeling, road safety inspections, and interviews with transit agency staff and safety experts. Center-lane systems tended generally to be safer than were curbside systems, and counter flow lanes were the most dangerous possible configuration. Some of the features that provide higher passenger capacity (such as multiple bus lanes and multiple docking bays at stations) may introduce new types of conflicts and crashes. In the planning of any bus system, trade-offs often need to be made between capacity, safety, and pedestrian accessibility along the corridor. This study provides the necessary elements for successfully integrating road safety considerations into the design and operation of future BRT systems and busways.

Evaluation of Pedestrian Safety at Midblock Crossings, Porto Alegre, Brazil:

This paper proposes a method to evaluate the potential risk of pedestrian crashes at midblock crossings, which can be applied in developing countries. The method is quantitative because it uses modeling techniques to represent the relationship of risk factors with the occurrence of pedestrian crashes. Application of the method described here comprised the analysis of reported pedestrian crashes in the city of Porto Alegre, in southern Brazil, between 1998 and 2006, and the identification of midblock crossings with the highest number of pedestrian crashes. Twenty-one midblock crosswalks were selected for evaluation. A Poisson regression model was developed to relate pedestrian crashes to the prevailing operational and physical characteristics of midblock crossings. The results indicate that pedestrian crash risk is influenced by a combination of interactive risk factors, such as the presence of busways and bus stops, the road width, the number of traffic lanes, and the volume of pedestrians and vehicles.

Traffic safety in surface public transport systems: a synthesis of research

While there is a growing body of literature on transit safety, most studies on this topic tend to focus on a single type of transit system or on a single city. There is a need for a better understanding of safety issues across different transit modes and in different geographies in order to help inform city or transit agencies choosing between different transit system design options on the safety implications of their choices. We address this gap by reviewing the existing literature on transit safety for different bus and rail surface transit systems. We found that the main safety issues and common crash types depend more on the geometry of intersections and the corridor layout than on the type of technology used for transit vehicles (i.e. bus or rail) and that these issues are similar across different regions of the world. Furthermore, we found that there is a good understanding of the problems faced by transit systems, and a wide range of suggested countermeasures, but little evidence on the effectiveness of the different countermeasures in reducing target crashes. By taking an approach that cuts across different transit modes, we are also able to suggest solutions from one type of system that could be applicable to another. For example, we point out that Bus Rapid Transit agencies could learn from light rail operations about best practices in managing conflict points between transit vehicles.

A framework for delivery scheduling in the poultry industry

This paper presents a framework for scheduling the collection of broiler chickens from poultry houses (SCPH) and delivering them to abattoirs, which is especially suitable for small- and medium-size businesses. Many such companies in Brazil draw up SCPH manually. Computational implementation provides a deterministic simulator for the process. By using this tool, companies can adopt scheduling strategies taking into account the proper supply, the holding-time and the heat stress of the birds. The final objective is to reduce losses due to dead on arrival (DOA) at the abattoir and weight loss by excessive fasting. The application considers a 15-day schedule of an abattoir, the first two days of which are presented in detail. The use of the simulator allows greater control of the events and enables smaller poultry stocks at the abattoir. This better control and the hiring of at least one more team of bird catchers would lead to a significant improvement in the current collection system. On a conservative estimate, gains would result in, at least, an extra 49 metric tons annually of live chicken for processing at the abattoir studied.

Model to evaluate roadway concessions in Brazil

This paper describes the construction and application of a model to evaluate roadway concessions. The model is based on the perception of users and experts about physical aspects of roads and services provided by Brazilian concessionaires. Information was gathered from previous studies, interviews with road users, and focus groups with experts. The paper describes the conceptual stages of the model, presents a field application, and discusses the results generated for one case study. The model allows a dynamic monitoring program of the conditions of roads, road segments, and entire concessions, considering the individual or joint perception of users and experts. The model is transferable to other scenarios where it is important to have a tool to help the negotiation process between public and private sectors concerning new roadway investments by the concessionaires.

Planos de mobilidade corporativa: análise e proposta de método para sua elaboração

Institutions play a key role in issues related to transportation. In Brazilian cities, approximately 50% of daily trips are done for the purpose of work. The corporate mobility concept is still incipient in Brazil, although widely spread interna-tionally. The development of corporate mobility plans stimulates more sustainable and efficient forms to travel to work. Through the analysis of 16 methods from countries where the concept is already established, we propose a roadmap adapted to the Brazilian reality, which helps organizations in the development of these plans. The method differs in six main points from those analyzed: (i) identification of the need, (ii) map of stakeholders, (iii) definition of scope and revision of initial targets, (iv) leading role of communication, (v) need for technical cooperation and (vi) data collection on costs. Through the proposed method, we expect to influence and help organizations in developing corporate mobility plans that will benefit employees, themselves and cities.

Indicators to Evaluate Road Safety Actions Promoted by a Nongovernmental Organization

Road safety is of utmost concern to many sectors of society. It is now common to find both public and private organizations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) implementing actions to prevent road collisions and reduce their severity. However, little is known about the effectiveness of unconventional actions for the improvement of road safety. The literature suggests the use of performance indicators to monitor the results of actions and help in the decision-making process. The objective of this paper is to show how performance assessment can be inserted into the context of road safety by proposing road safety indicators for an NGO operating in Brazil. This NGO promotes activities related to road safety education, particularly for young people. This work can be used as an aid for setting up indicators for similar road safety organizations operating in other countries.