# Presentation: 714152

## The “Traditional” Bus System

- Relatively unregulated “traditional system” led to:
- “penny war” competition for passengers
- High accident rates
- Poor service quality
- Long travel times
- High pollution levels
- low bus occupancies

## TransMilenio Infrastructure

- 5m

- Central Separator on-TM Stations

- 7m

- 10.5m

- 1-3m

- 3 - 8m

- Busway

- Lateral
- Sep.

- Sidewalk

- Bicycle way

- 7m

- 10.5m

- 1-3m

- 3 - 8m

- Busway

- Lateral
- Sep.

- 3 general purpose lanes

- Sidewalk

- 3 general purpose lanes

**TransMilenio Infrastructure**

## TransMilenio Phases I and II

**TransMilenio Phases I and II**

## Bogotá 2005 – Applicability to the U.S

- Major Findings:
- Capacity
- Capital Cost
- Business Model
- Politics
- Urban Renewal
- Integrated Package Approach

## TransMilenio Phases I and II

**TransMilenio Phases I and II**

## TransMilenio Phase I, II and III

**TransMilenio Phase I, II and III**

## The TransMilenio Masterplan 

**Notes:**
The National Development Plan Act of 2003 stated that “municipalities or metropolitan areas with populations of over 600,000 inhabitants would be eligible to receive funds from central government to take forward [Bus Rapid Transit] schemes.” Many Colombian cities also suffer from over-saturation of individual bus operators, and the passing of this legislation resulted in several cities committing to busway based transit projects, based on the “Bogotá Model”. Each city is at a different stage in the implementation process. The remainder of this section summarizes project status in each case. 

## The Colombian National BRT Program

## Observations from Bogotá 2007

- System performance
- Contractual issues
- Political issues
- System integration

## System Performance - Problems

**Notes:**
Ridership lower than projected (1,260,000 versus 1,400,000)
Why is ridership lower than expected?
Overcrowding / poor travel conditions
Fare not competitive with traditional services (1300 pesos versus 1000)
Poor passenger information upon transition to Phase II zonal system (see next slide)
But overcrowding during peak periods has got worse - How? 
Due to control system being down since May 2006
So more difficult to balance supply and demand
(demand could easily be accommodated if control system was working)
Contractor told to provide more buses to compensate
So costs more money, and bus occupancy has dropped

## Contractual Issues

|  | Phase I | Phase II |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Contract negotiation period | 7 months | 32 months |
| % of net profit to  TransMilenio S.A | 3% | 7% |
| Disposal of old buses | 3 old: 1 new | 8 old: 1 new |
| Fare collection | ? | ? |
| Security | TransMilenio S.A responsibility  | Contractor 
responsibility |
| Feeder bus coverage | Limited coverage
 around terminals | Much wider 
area coverage |

## Politics

-  picture of a train
- National government logo

**Notes:**
Promised ban on traditional buses in TM corridors has not materialized
Penalosa running for reelection...
Current administration not motivated to support Penalosa’s “pet project”
Any perceived deficiencies in TM are targeted by his opponents to undermine his campaign
Including raising the issue of whether Rail should be introduced on the Septima corridor that is part of TM Phase III

National government intervention:
Reduced subsidization of diesel costs for large consumers only
Discount provision to students / elderly / disabled

## System Performance – Potential Solutions

**Notes:**
Angelica Castro:
Better integration with traditional system
Implement “pre-trunk” services (bus lanes) 
TSP
Signal progression
Wider stations
Control center with city-wide coverage – cameras at each station
More diverse ticket sale interfaces – not just in stations 

Penalosa:
Better integration with traditional system
Overcrowding is not a capacity issue, it is a financial issue – need 30% more money to provide enough buses, but current operating costs/km are too high
Underpasses / grade separation (reduce costs through travel time savings)
More express buses
More stations
Parallel trunk corridors

## Future System Integration

**Notes:**
As TM moves towards a network of trunk corridors, there is a need to integrate with the traditional bus system, which still carries 75 percent of the cities transit trips. 
There is also a problem currently with the feeder buses. 
They cost too much to run, and need to be subsidized by the trunk services
They try to cover increasingly large areas of the city
They get stuck in congestion like the traditional buses
Solution could involve providing “pre-trunk” bus lanes that can be used by feeders and traditional buses