News
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Global database of bus priority and BRT systems a powerful tool for journalists and decision makers
The MOVE BRT system in Belo Horizonte, Brazil was one of five new BRT systems launched in 2014, all tracked on BRTData.org. Photo by Mariana Gil/EMBARQ Brasil.
As advanced bus systems continue to gain traction worldwide, users are spending less time stuck in traffic and more time being productive and living their lives. In Rio de Janeiro, a city of more than 6 million residents, 48.7 percent of all daily commutes are made by public transport, with the majority of these trips taken by bus. At 140 kilometers, Rio’s bus priority system is currently the longest in the world, and provides more than 3 million daily passengers with high quality, efficient mobility.
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Strategic alignment, interdepartmental coordination, accountability, and financial autonomy are main hurdles to sustainable transport in Chinese cities
Institutional reform can help Chinese cities make sustainable transport a reality. Photo by Benoit Colin/WRI.
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OPTIMO pilot program coordinates private actors to reduce congestion, air pollution, and traffic crashes
EMBARQ Mexico is engaging the private sector in transport demand management (TDM) strategies that encourage sustainable commuting. Photo by Kevin Jaako/Flickr.
In recent decades, Mexican cities have experienced troubling increases in air pollution, congestion, and traffic crashes.
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Using transport demand management to reverse rising car ownership and traffic congestion
More cars on the street has meant more traffic congestion and air pollution in Chengdu, China. Now the city is revising its transport demand management policy to expand sustainable mobility. Photo by Onny Carr/Flickr.
As the capital city of China’s Sichuan province and an economic and transport hub in the region, Chengdu is central to the country’s Western Development Strategy—a regional development plan to boost economic productivity in China’s western provinces. Like many cities in China, Chengdu is growing at an unprecedented pace.
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Action this year on sustainable cities and transport will shape development and quality of life for decades, say experts
Over two days, the Transforming Transportation 2015 conference explored solutions for sustainable, people-oriented mobility in cities worldwide. Photo by Taís Policanti/EMBARQ Mexico.
2015 is a pivotal year for the global sustainable development agenda. For the first time, cities will be a focal point and sustainable transport features clearly among the solutions. Global agreements expected over the next 12 months will lock in the choices we have about how to live, learn, work, and play in our cities for decades.
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Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo recognized with 2015 Sustainable Transport Award
Rio de Janeiro was one of three Brazilian cities to win the 2015 Sustainable Transport Award, the first time the award has been given to more than one city. Photo by Mariana Gil/EMBARQ Brasil.
For the first time in its 15 year history, the Sustainable Transport Award announced this month not one but three winning cities – all Brazilian. Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo were all recognized for their significant efforts in the past year to improve mobility, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and ensure safety and access for pedestrians and cyclists to public spaces.
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Improved planning and design of bus priority systems can benefit 31 million people every day
The new Traffic Safety on Bus Priority Corridors report shows how safe, sustainable street design—like the pedestrian refuge island shown here in Juiz de Fora, Brazil—can sive lives on city streets. Photo by Mariana Gil/EMBARQ Brasil.
Washington, DC (January 14, 2015)—One of the primary challenges associated with rapid global urbanization is how to ensure the safety of city streets. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 1.2 million people die on the world’s roads each year, and traffic crashes could become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030 without intervention.
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FedEx and EMBARQ team members help improve the Chennai public bus system
Chennai is the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu, India, and the third largest city in the country. EMBARQ India is working to support auto-rickshaw sector entrepreneurship and improve public bus systems in Chennai. Photo by Kamakshi Sachidanandam/Flickr.
Many cities in developing countries lack the capacity, knowledge, and tools to make informed decisions to improve mobility. The FedEx-EMBARQ Mobility and Accessibility (MAP) program addresses this challenge by leveraging FedEx’s extensive know-how and expertise to accelerate EMBARQ’s ability to help cities create mobility and access to the marketplace, jobs, schools, and communities in ways that minimize environmental impacts.
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Photo by Mariana Gil/WRI Brasil Sustainable Cities
Editor's note: Read this media advisory in Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, or Turkish.
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EMBARQ Brasil hosts mayors and city leaders, releases new publications on trends and best practices in urban mobility
EMBARQ Brasil hosted the Sustainable Urban Mobility Seminar and released five publications to help foster people-oriented urban development with access to high quality public transport. Photo by Bruno Covas/Flickr.
Providing guidance and disseminating best practices are key to developing more equitable, livable, and productive cities. This was the task assumed by Brazilian cities taking part in the Sustainable Urban Mobility: Practices and Trends seminar, which took place December 2-3, 2014, in São Paulo. Organized by EMBARQ Brasil and WRI Brasil, the event convened 160 people representing 40 medium and large Brazilian cities, including mayors, municipal secretaries, and cities’ technical staff.