Belo Horizonte tackled long transit times with improvements to public transport and the promotion of active mobility.
Under PlanMob-BH, Belo Horizonte has introduced new strategies to improve mobility in the city. The plan includes the addition of 60km of bus rapid transit (BRT) and metro lines as well as a bike-sharing system, among other schemes, to stimulate active mobility and reduce travel times. PlanMob-BH is the result of a private-public partnership between the government, international agencies, and bus companies that helped finance new buses. The new projects contribute to the city’s Reduction of Greenhouse Gases Plan and will account for 28% of the city’s 2030 goal of reducing 1.45 million tons of CO2 emissions per year.
The new initiatives have also been positively received by commuters. In a city survey, 52% of respondents said they spend less time on public transport after the extension of the BRT. Belo Horizonte is one of the first cities in Brazil to prepare an urban mobility plan in accordance with the country’s overall strategy.
9 million tons of CO2 emission savings are expected from 2008-2030 as a result of the mobility plan
The challenge
Road transport is responsible for 53% of greenhouse gas emissions in Belo Horizonte and could reach 6 million tons of CO2 emission by 2030. Belo Horizonte has responded to the needs of a growing population and the increase in greenhouse gas emissions by implementing measures to improve urban mobility and reduce public transport travel times.
Co-benefits
Economic By 2030, the city estimates that the cumulative reduction in travel time will save the equivalent of $1.3 billion in workers’ productivity.
Environmental Particulate matter concentrations – PM12, PM0.2, NOx, and MHC – will be reduced as car use declines.
Health PlanMob-BH is expected to significantly reduce the number of traffic-related accidents and deaths.
Social With 30% of BRT users saying they could be using a car instead of the bus, the program is initiating a shift in transport modes for Belo Horizonte’s citizens.
About Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the sixth largest city in Brazil, the thirteenth largest city in South America and the eighteenth largest city in the Americas. The metropolis is the third most populous metropolitan area in Brazil and the seventeenth most populous in the Americas and is the first planned modern city in Brazil. In planning the city, inspiration was sought in the urban planning of Washington, D.C. The city has employed notable programs in urban revitalization and food security, for which it has been awarded international accolades.
