bus rapid transit

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a high-capacity public bus service operating on dedicated bus lanes or busways with features that approximate the speed, reliability, and passenger experience of rail transit at substantially lower infrastructure cost; key BRT features include off-board fare collection to eliminate boarding delays, level boarding platforms for accessibility and speed, high-frequency service with real-time passenger information, priority at traffic signals, and distinctive vehicles and branding that give the system a recognisable identity; Curitiba in Brazil pioneered modern BRT in the 1970s and its system has served as a global model; BRT can carry thousands of passengers per hour per direction when well-implemented and has been adopted in cities across Latin America, Asia, and Africa as an affordable mass transit solution for rapidly growing urban populations