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EMBARQ's Mexico City Success Story


Mexico City’s Metrobus scheme – initiated by and implemented with EMBARQ’s help - is proving it is possible to reduce congestion and pollution in world megacities


Riding a new bus in Mexico City

Running along Mexico City’s Avenida Insurgentes, one of longest and busiest streets in the world, Metrobus carries on average 315,000 passengers a day.

In this megacity of 18 million, Metrobus functions like an above-ground subway in which large buses travel in dedicated lanes and stop at special stations.

This "bus rapid transit" (BRT) system has shortened commute times by up to an hour and also reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

When launched, in June 2005, it was 20km long with 36 stations, serviced by 97 articulated buses, but in March 2008 a nine km extension was opened, with plans underway for 220km of bus lanes in total.
Metrobus has already reduced CO2 in the air by an estimated 47,000 tons each year, with the 9km extension expected to remove a further 10,000 tons annually.

The scheme is part of Shell Foundation’s attempts through EMBARQ to find and implement sustainable solutions to the road congestion and air pollution clogging up developing world cities. Metrobus proves it is possible.

EMBARQ works by engaging the agencies that control city transport along with the city’s bus owners and operators. In Mexico City this led to the replacement of 350 smoke-belching buses run by 260 independent operators.

Wherever possible vehicles in the fleet were retrofitted to reduce emissions. Some buses in developing cities are so old and dirty that no retrofit technology is effective and they must be replaced.
But newer trucks and buses with electronic exhaust control systems can be made at least 90% cleaner by retrofitting with catalysed diesel particle filters and ULSD fuel.

Reductions in emissions from bus operations alone earned Metrobus US$145,885 from the Spanish Carbon Fund in the system's first year of operation.

A landmark venture, attracting US$50 million worth of investment, Metrobus is the city’s first urban transport system to be initiated by a private-public partnership.

With the financial support of Shell Foundation, EMBARQ channelled just US$1.4 million dollars to help found the Mexico-Center for Sustainable Transport (CTS-Mexico) to do the initial design and planning. The World Bank, the Hewlett Foundation and the city itself contributed the rest of the funds for building the infrastructure and purchasing the buses.

Metrobus's success led to interest from other Mexican cities; EMBARQ and the Center are advising two other cities, Queretaro and Chihuahua, on building their own BRT systems, as well as expanding the Mexico City system into the surrounding areas in the State of Mexico.

FACTFILE:

The Problem:

  • 18 million residents living in Mexico City metropolitan area
  • More than 29m passenger trips daily
  • One of top five cities in the world for congestion
  • Nearly 6m private vehicles registered
  • US$10 billion lost due to time spend waiting in traffic
  • 2,500 deaths a year from traffic accidents
  • Nearly 80% of air pollution in Mexico City is transport-related

The Solution:

  • A fleet of  low pollution, diesel Metrobus carriers, replacing high-polluting and dangerous buses run chaotically by 262 independent operators
  • Up to 315,000 passengers a day carried along a designated rapid bus corridor getting on and off at Metrobus stations
  • Travel times cut by half
  • Carbon dioxide emissions cut by 47,000 tonnes a year
  • Economic development stimulated around the corridor
  • 6% of passengers switched from driving cars to using Metrobus
  • EMBARQ is replicating its Mexico City success in more than a dozen locations.  One such spin-off - Metrobus Istanbul - is operational in the Turkish capital, carrying 245,000 passengers daily
 
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