Sustainable Transport
Award Winners

2026: Salvador, Brazil

The year’s STA honor recognizes Salvador’s ambitious expansion and modernization of its bus rapid transit (BRT) system with electric buses, accessible station design, and gender-inclusive workforce initiatives. Over the past two years, Salvador has emerged as a leader in sustainable and inclusive public transport, focusing on high-quality and electric BRT centered on expanding BRT Salvador. In 2024, the city inaugurated a new 7-kilometer BRT corridor, bringing the system’s service area to 12-kilometers along two corridors with multiple lines. This expansion further combines modern station infrastructure, electric bus fleets, and redesigned urban spaces aimed at enhancing safety, accessibility, and multimodal connectivity.

Honorable Mentions for 2026 include Kochi, India, for its pioneering Water Metro ferry system, and Santiago, Chile, for advancing Latin America’s largest electric bus fleet. Together, these cities exemplify how bold transport investments can reduce emissions, improve mobility access, and transform daily life for millions of people.