2010: Ahmedabad, India
In only a few months of operation, Ahmedabad’s Janmarg BRT transformed transit in South Asia and became a model for the future of transportation in India and the world.
Ahmedabad’s Janmarg BRT is the first full-featured BRT in all of India, the first with stations in the median and where buy tickets before entering system stations, to allow for quicker boarding of the buses, and fewer delays. The stations are well-designed, attractive spaces that provide shelter from rain and sun. The buses are boarded at-level, making them much more accessible to the elderly, handicapped and even parents with small children. It serves as a model for the future of transportation in India and the world. City residents have unilaterally embraced the BRT system—as of June 2011 there were 115,000 trips each day on Janmarg, carrying residents to work, to school and elsewhere. The system is projected to save 288,000 metric tons of CO2 each year, in part because it will prevent passengers from switching from bus to motorcycles or private cars and motorcycles in the years to come. The city is also making continued efforts to be a leader in sustainable transport, including incorporating high-quality pedestrian facilities throughout the city as well as bicycle lanes.
