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The BRT Standard is an evaluation tool for world-class bus rapid transit (BRT) based on international best practices. It is also the centerpiece of a global effort by leaders in bus rapid transit design to establish a common definition of BRT and ensure that BRT systems more uniformly deliver world-class passenger experiences, significant economic benefits, and positive environmental impacts. The 2014 Standard reinforces the basic elements for bus rapid transit and makes some improvements to the earlier versions to strengthen the BRT brand.
What’s New in 2016?
- Focus on Safety
The Pedestrian Access and Safety section now requires more safety features, such as safe and frequent pedestrian crossings in built-up areas. In addition, new operations deductions have been added, including a deduction for excessive pedestrian wait times and poor maintenance of pedestrian and bicycle facilities; - Increased Focus on Operations
New operations deduction elements have been added for numerous issues that have been encountered on BRT corridors, which significantly degrade corridor quality, even on corridors with excellent design. These include deductions for bus bunching, permitting unsafe bicycle use, lack of traffic safety data, and buses running parallel to the BRT corridor; - Separate Design Score and Full Score (Design + Operations) Options
A separate Design Score is now allowed for assessing the design elements of an operational BRT corridor, indicating the potential performance. This can be assessed when a corridor launches. The Full Score (Design + Operations), combining the Design Score and operations deductions, can be assessed six months after commercial operations have begun, allowing usage and operations to stabilize. This provides a full indication of performance based on both design and operations. - Improved Dedicated Right-of-Way Definition
The dedicated right-of-way element has been modified to create a simpler and more effective means of assessing exclusive bus lanes. More emphasis has been placed on physical separation, which reduces the need for enforcement; - New Busway Alignments
The busway alignments element has been expanded to include 4 points (out of 8) for two types of alignments that are increasingly common; both alignments are for busways on boulevard-type streets with both a central/express roadway and service roads on the sides separated by a median; - Onboard Fare Validation
The BRT Standard now allocates some points for onboard fare validation of tickets purchased off- board. This type of system is in use in many cities in Europe and is being implemented in other places as well, and can provide significant time savings when combined with all-door boarding.
The BRT Standard Technical Committee:
The Technical Committee of The BRT Standard comprises globally renowned experts on BRT. This committee serves as a consistent source of sound technical advice with respect to BRT and is the basis for establishing the credibility of The BRT Standard. The Technical Committee certifies corridors and recommends revisions to The Standard as needed.
Manfred Breithaupt, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Aileen Carrigan, Bespoke Transit Solutions*
Angelica Castro, Transconsult*
Paulo Sérgio Custodio, Consultant
Xiaomei Duan, Far East Mobility*
Aimee Gauthier, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP)
Ricardo Giesen, Bus Rapid Transit Centre of Excellence (BRT CoE)
Dario Hidalgo, Consultant
Walter Hook, BRT Planning International
Wagner Colombini Martins, Logit Consultoria
Gerhard Menckhoff, World Bank (retired)*
Carlosfelipe Pardo, New Urban Mobility Alliance (NUMO)
Leonardo Canon Rubiano, World Bank*
Pedro Alvaro Szasz, Consultant
Lloyd Wright, Asian Development Bank*
Unless indicated by an asterisk (*), each committee member also represents his or her institution.
In Memoriam:
Colleen McCaul and Scott Rutherford were constructive and considerate members of the BRT Standard Technical Committee, offering technical integrity and compassionate guidance.
Colleen McCaul
Colleen consulted in the field of transportation planning, management and research in South Africa for over 20 years, particularly on BRT and informal transport. She lead the the Rea Vaya BRT design team for years, and was vital to negotiating the first Rea Vaya BRT operating contract with affected minibus-taxi operators. Colleen authored the book No Easy Ride, about the minibus-taxi industry. She was a strong female voice in a sustainable transport field often dominated by men. Colleen had a mighty mind and generous, gentle spirit, and she is dearly missed.
Scott Rutherford
Scott served as a dedicated professor at the University of Washington and public transport advocate for over 35 years. He is remembered for championing public transit programs within the university, Washington State, and internationally, inspiring multiple generations of learners. As a passionate advocate for gender equality and diversity in the engineering and transportation fields, he is honored with the WTS Professor Scott Rutherford Memorial Scholarship. Scott offered balanced and equitable technical expertise, and remains an admired and dearly missed colleague.
The BRT Standard Institutional Endorsers:
The Institutional Endorsers are an integrated group of highly respected institutions in the fields of city building, public transport systems, and climate change with decision-making abilities over The BRT Standard certification process. All have a commitment to high-quality public transport and dedication to its contribution to social and economic development. They establish the strategic direction of The BRT Standard, ensure that BRT projects ranked by the scoring system uphold the goals of The BRT Standard, and promote The Standard as a quality check for BRT projects globally.
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