São Paulo's EMTU plans US$168mn Alto Tietê BRT project in southeast Brazil

Southeast Brazil's São Paulo state is planning to build a 337mn-real (US$168mn) bus rapid transit (BRT) system in the metropolitan region of state capital São Paulo, according to state urban transport company EMTU documents. Working in collaboration with state roads department DER, EMTU will build a 20.9km system called BRT Metropolitano Alto Tietê, which will be divided into three stretches. With 26 stations in all, it will serve the municipaltieis of Arujá, Itaquaquecetuba, Poá and Ferraz de Vasconcelos, benefiting a total population of some 890,593 residents. A request for a pre installation license is expected by the end of this year and it should be acquired in 1H14. A tender is expected by June of 2014 and an installation license is foreseen by the end of that year, EMTU schedule reads The system will have a fleet of 67 vehicles - 55 articulating buses and 12 conventional ones - which will operate at an average speed of 25km/h. It will integrate with lines 11 and 12 of state metropolitan rail company CPTM and eventually with EMTUs Corredor Leste (east corridor). Upon completion, it is expected to serve some 47,000 passengers per day. THE THREE STRETCHES Route one involves a 3.2km stretch in Arujá, which includes the installation of four bus stops, one transfer station and one bus terminal. Route two runs 10.3km along state highway SP-56 in Itaquaquecetuba. It will have 14 bus stops and one transfer station Finally, route three will be 7.4km and have eight bus stops and two terminals. It will run through Poá and end in Ferraz de Vasconcelos.