Harvard University honours Mexico City’s Metrobus
This November, the Roy Family Award for Environmental Partnership was presented by Harvard University to the partners responsible for Mexico City’s Metrobus - the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system that has reduced air pollution and traffic congestion in one of the largest cities in the world.
Shell Foundation and its strategic partner, EMBARQ, celebrated at a special awards ceremony at the John F. Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which recognised their work in addressing urban mobility problems in the developing world. The bi-annual award commends outstanding public-private partnerships that enhance environmental quality through the use of novel and creative approaches. The strong partnership that EMBARQ and Shell Foundation helped create with Mexico City’s government has proved instrumental to the success of the Metrobus BRT project. “It’s a real honour to receive this award” said Chris West, Director of Shell Foundation. “We have worked hard with EMBARQ over many years to arrive at a business model which could help the people of Mexico City and other over-populated cities around the world, to find relief from the debilitating effects of traffic congestion and pollution. Partnerships are at the heart of the EMBARQ model. It’s great that this is being recognised and we must now go on to replicate this success across the globe”. Since joining forces with the World Resources Institute to form EMBARQ in 2002, Shell Foundation has provided a constant stream of strategic advice, business training and finance to support their work. In 2005, after several years of planning and development, Metrobus opened along 20 kilometres of the central transport artery in Mexico City, Avenida Insurgentes. The route has since been extended by an additional 31 kilometres, and the new buses carry more than 450,000 passengers per day. By introducing more efficient buses and convincing many commuters to leave their cars at home, Metrobus has reduced carbon dioxide emissions from Mexico City traffic by more than 60,000 tonnes a year. The success of the Metrobus project is due to the partnership between EMBARQ and three Mexico City government agencies. Together, these groups established the Centre for Sustainable Transport in Mexico (CTS-México), a not-for-profit organisation that has provided on-going technical assistance to the Metrobus system. In addition to Shell Foundation, the World Bank, Global Environment Facility and the Caterpillar and Hewlett Foundations provided significant financial support for the project. “We always knew that creating a public-private partnership model was necessary to overcome the political challenges that often impede sustainable transportation.” said Nancy Kete, Director of EMBARQ. “By coming in from the outside, EMBARQ brought new ideas, international prestige, global best practices, and helped arrange financing. CTS-México has provided an experienced voice to support, assure and guide the city on a day-to-day basis.” EMBARQ and CTS-México are now advising other cities in Mexico on developing their own BRT systems. One project launched recently is Guadalajara's Macrobus, which opened last spring. |
