Analysis of Bogota's Bus Rapid Transit System and its Impact on Land Development

Recent experiences in Latin American cities supporting world-class public transportation systems have resulted in the creation of livable spaces with a significant potential to spur land development. In cities like Bogota, Colombia, and Curitiba. Brazil, bus rapid transit (BRT) has re-emerged as a cost-effective transportation alternative for satisfying growing demands for urban mobility. Bogota's BRT system has allowed for a 32 percent reduction in average travel times and significant reduction in accident and air pollution levels along the busway corridors. Although previous research suggests that the impacts of access to BRT facilities on the nearby land value and use have been minor, new BRT systems like the one in Bogota feature intensive infrastructure facilities and their effects in terms of accessibility and mobility have been impressive. This paper provides first-hand empirical evidence on the evaluation of how the BRT system is related to land development outcomes such as land values. Future BRT extensions will have a large potential to influence future land development and induce desirable urban forms and land uses around stations and busway corridors.