Expanded Metrobus System Now Carrying 315,000 Passengers Daily

Longer route opened in March 2008 has increased ridership by nearly 20%

Monday, June 16, 2008 | Mexico City, Mexico

The expanded Metrobus line in action. The service now carries an estimated 315,000 passengers per day in the Mexican capital.

As part of its ongoing work with the Mexico City government, experts from the EMBARQ network recently conducted a week-long technical review of the expanded Metrobus Bus Rapid Transit system.  This was the first such review since a nine kilometer extension of the Metrobus corridor was opened in March 2008, and the assessment found that the system expansion has increased ridership from 260,000 to 315,000 passengers per day – a jump of nearly 20%.  Preliminary calculations by Metrobus also estimate that the extension will reduce CO2 emissions in Mexico City by 10,000 tons each year.

The technical assistance mission was conducted by representatives of EMBARQ, CTS-Mexico (a member of the EMBARQ global network), and several outside transport consultants.  While there, the team interviewed city officials and bus operators, and conducted site visits in order to watch Metrobus in action.

During their trip, the experts also provided suggestions for improving certain aspects of the financial, institutional, and logistical functioning of the system, which were then presented to the Office of the Mayor, the Director of Metrobus, and the Secretary of Transport.  City officials are already exploring the possibility of implementing a number of these suggestions, including the creation of new, more efficient routes along the corridor, increasing integration between Metrobus and the city’s new suburban rail line, and initiating system-wide fare integration.