TransMilenio
TransMilenio is the bus system of Colombia's capital Bogotá and with more than eight million inhabitants in the agglomeration one of the largest metropolitan regions in South America . Modeled on the Rede Integrada de Transporte of the Brazilian city of Curitiba , a system of articulated buses ( Bus Rapid Transit , BRT) was introduced in November 2000 after 30 years of unsuccessful subway planning .
Characteristic
The system consists of spacious articulated buses with up to 260 passengers, dedicated lanes with a passing lane and raised stops, the doors of which only open when the bus arrives. Payment is made by chip card when entering the stop, so that changing is possible free of charge and there is no delay in boarding a ticket purchase. The main lines ( troncales ) are served by regular lines ( facil ) as well as express lines, which do not go to all stops. Shuttle buses ( alimentadores ) connect the outskirts of Bogotá with the TransMilenio stops. The TransMilenio is part of the integrated transport network Sistema Integrado de Transporte de Bogotá (SITP), which includes bus routes without exclusive lanes and their own stops.
Other parts of the TransMilenio concept are a newly created network of cycle paths , new green spaces and pedestrian zones in the city and the twice-yearly car-free day . Bogotá's mayor Enrique Peñalosa and his successor Antanas Mockus are called the fathers of TransMilenio .
Before the introduction of the TransMilenio, the city's local public transport consisted of a large number of bus routes without a line network, fixed stops or the option of changing free of charge. A large number of independently operating companies served these lines with small buses with ten to 40 passengers. This decentralized bus system continues to exist parallel to the TransMilenio.
The bus system is planned and operated by the public company Empresa de Transporte Tercer Milenio SA . The buses themselves are operated by a number of private companies. The lines were written out worldwide, separated into troncal and alimentadores .
The system is considered a model for many metropolises in developing countries , for example the Transantiago in Santiago de Chile , the TransJakarta in Indonesia's capital Jakarta and the Metrobús in Mexico City , as it is cheaper and faster to implement than a subway.
traffic system
The transport system is optimized for the transport of large numbers of people over relatively long distances. Large (express) buses with many doors run on exclusive lanes. Entry and exit are via closed, raised stops. Payment is made when entering the bus stop.
Stops
The stops of the TransMilenio are on a pedestal so that the passenger does not have to get on the bus, as is usual in Germany, but can get on at the same height. This reduces the time spent at the stops and allows wheelchair access. The stop's glass doors only open when the bus has come to a standstill. The stops are in the middle of the street so that the exit is on the left, despite traffic on the right. This makes it possible to change in the opposite direction without the passenger having to change the platform. The stops are also accessible for the disabled and are connected by footbridges on both sides of the street. All stops have electronic boards that indicate the approximate arrival time of the bus routes.
buses
Classic vehicles
The diesel-powered buses are procured from various companies, including Volvo , Scania , Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz . Most of these are articulated buses , and since 2009 also double articulated buses that can accommodate up to 260 passengers over a length of 27.2 m. The TransMilenio buses are tracked using satellite technology (GPS), which optimizes routes and utilization. All buses have a relatively large number of doors. The buses are delivered painted red, the double articulated buses red and yellow. The orders for the buses were put out to tender based on the Euro 2 and Euro 3 standards .
Hybrid and electric buses
Since 2014, 40 hybrid buses have been running on the route between the city center and the airport as well as on individual other routes. In March 2016, 50 hybrid buses were in use on another route in the TransMilenio system. During the second half of 2015, an electric articulated bus developed by BYD Auto with the designation EBus Andino 18 was driven on a trial basis.
Payment system
A trip with the TransMilenio cost 2200 pesos (around 65 euro cents) on the main lines at full price in 2017. With the Tullave card, up to two changes are possible within the maximum travel time of 95 minutes . The tickets are chip cards that can be bought at the entrance to the stops and can contain multiple journeys. They are read out contactlessly at the stops and then reused. In addition, there is no need to pay or check tickets when boarding, which reduces travel time. There are competing card systems with different transfer regulations that are to be standardized in the medium term.
operator
The bus system is planned and operated by the public company Empresa de Transporte Tercer Milenio SA . The buses themselves are operated by a number of private companies. The lines were written out worldwide, separated into troncal and alimentadores . The operators of the troncales are the ten companies SI99 SA, Express del Futuro SA, Ciudad Móvil SA, Metrobús SA, Transmasivo SA, SI02 SA, Connexión Móvil SA Gmóvil, SAS, Coobus SAA, and Consorcio Express SAS The operators of the alimentadores are Alnorte Fase II, Alcapital Fase II, SI 03, Citimóvil, ETMA SA, TAO SA, Gmóvil, SAS, Coobus SAS, and Consorcio Express SAS
Operating times
The TransMilenio runs Monday to Saturday from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., on Sunday and public holidays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Individual lines have significantly shorter operating times. The feeders start their service half an hour earlier from Monday to Saturday and run until midnight.
Lines
Until the end of April 2006, passengers could choose between four types of bus routes:
- Normal ( corriente ): stops at every stop
- Express ( expreso, expreso dominical ): Does not stop at all stops
- Super-Express ( super expreso ): Was introduced in 2005 and runs either in only one direction ( asimétrico ) or in both directions ( simétrico ). This line type skips many stops and is currently only set up at peak times.
- Feeder lines ( alimentador intermunicipal ): Driving from the terminal stops to places in the area
| Bus route | stretch | frequency |
|---|---|---|
| normal |
    
|
Every three minutes on average |
| express |
               
|
Every two minutes on average |
| Super express |
    
|
Every two minutes on average |
| Expreso Dominical |
   
|
Every three or four minutes on average |
| Feeder lines | Every five minutes on average | |
As part of the second expansion phase, the route and name of the route were changed on April 29, 2006 in order to make it easier to change between the different routes. For this purpose, nine different routes were marked with different letters based on their end stations:
-
Troncal Caracas between Calle 76 and Tercer Milenio : 14 stops -
Autopista Norte between Portal del Norte and Héroes : 15 stops -
Suba between Portal de Suba and San Martín : 14 stops -
Calle 80 between Portal de la 80 and Polo : 14 stops -
NQS Central between La Castellana and Ricaurte : 11 stops -
Américas between Portal de Las Américas and De La Sabana : 17 stops -
NQS Sur between Comuneros and Portal del Sur : 12 stops -
Caracas Sur between Hospital , Portal de Usme and Portal del Tunal : 16 stops -
Eje Ambiental between Museo del Oro and Las Aguas : 2 stops.
In addition, the bus routes are still differentiated according to Corrientes , Expresos and Alimentadores Intermunicipales . The Super Expresos are no longer applicable due to the reform.
The TransMilenio buses operate as follows:
| Bus type | Lines going north | Lines going south | frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| normal |
   
|
   
|
Every seven minutes on average |
| Express, Monday to Saturday all day |
          
|
           
|
Every seven minutes on average |
| Express, Monday through Saturday during morning rush hours |
        
|
       
|
Every seven minutes on average |
| Express, Monday through Saturday during peak evening hours |
  
|
     
|
Every seven minutes on average |
| Express, Monday to Saturday mixed peak times |
        
|
       
|
Every seven minutes on average |
| Express on Sundays and Holidays |
      
|
    
|
Every seven minutes on average |
| Feeder lines | Every five minutes on average | ||
In addition, since the reform, the timetables posted in the stations no longer describe the entire network, but go into more detail about the lines that stop at this station.
Construction work and extensions
The line Suba to Bosa in the south of Bogotá, planned for the inauguration by the end of 2005 , was not completed until April 2006. The NQS (Norte-Quito-Sur) line was completed in July 2005, although the connecting stop could not be inaugurated until the end of April 2006. At this point in time another 484 buses and shuttles should be added. On April 13, 2006, the third stage of the NQS line was opened to traffic, with a length of 4.7 km and construction costs equivalent to 66.3 million euros. This route reduces the average travel time between El Apogeo cemetery in the south of the city and 170th Street in the north from 2 hours to 45 minutes. The line to Suba was completed on April 30, 2006.
The Troncal Caracas and Autopista Norte routes have significant deficiencies due to the construction. According to the incumbent mayor Garzón, 33% of the Caracas and 22% of the Autopista are damaged. Calle 80 is less affected with a comparably low 8% damage. There is also still disagreement as to how much a kilometer of the TransMilenio line will cost under construction. Estimates range between $ 10 million and $ 28 million.
On August 1, 2007, the mayor Luis Eduardo Garzón announced plans to expand two more routes, the Calle 26 and the Carrera 10a. Construction work began in January 2009. The decision to build the TransMilenio on the Septima is still open, as this artery would appear to be too narrow in some places. The plan for the Septima should be available at the end of November 2007 and will only be implemented by the next mayor.
In January 2009, construction work began to extend the NQS line by 5.6 kilometers to the suburb of Soacha and should be completed in March 2010. The construction work was delayed by 12 months due to bad planning. The cost estimate was only 106 million euros, but this had to be increased by 38.6 million euros. The planned route also includes the construction of three motor vehicle bridges, eleven pedestrian bridges and cycle paths. The Autopista Sur then consists of three lanes for normal traffic and two for the TransMilenio. The route is extended by the following seven stops: La Esperanza, León XIII, Terreros, San Mateo, Carrera 7, San Humberto and Terminal Soacha. This reduces the travel time from 90 to 55 minutes.
At the beginning of October 2010 it was announced that a new line would be built over the Septima (Carrera 7a), one of the most important north-south connections in the city. Because this street is very narrow, the project has been postponed again and again. Various alternatives are currently being examined, including mixed traffic in sections with no exclusive lanes and a tram .
On October 1, 2012, the Av. Rojas, El Tiempo / Maloka, Quinta Paredes, Corferias and Plaza de la Democracia put into operation. The new routes K6 and J6 depart from Troncal Calle 26. The Av. Rojas also inaugurates a bicycle parking garage.
Day without a car
Like many other cities around the world, Bogotá has a day without a car, when the TransMilenio as the main means of transport proves how tough this system is. On February 24, 2000 this event was celebrated for the first time in Bogotá. This was repeated in 2001 and a reduction in pollutant emissions of 34% was determined, but a reduction in noise pollution was not found, among other things because public transport based on bus traffic did not allow this. A year later, the citizens of the capital decided in a referendum to anchor the day without a car firmly in legislation. It now takes place twice a year.
On February 3, 2005, the day without a car was celebrated again. 607 TransMilenio buses with 342 feeders were in use. 1.1 million participants used the TransMilenio that day. Pollutant emissions were reduced by 45%, but retail sales suffered a 46% decline in sales. On the day without a car on February 2, 2006, Bogotá celebrated that 628,000 participants used the TransMilenio, 31,000 more than on comparable days. The average speed of all participants in the city has increased by 18%. Monoxide levels have fallen by 33%, but fine dust levels have risen. This is likely due to the increased use of diesel powered buses. The cycle paths were used by just under 15,000 participants, with over 21,500 being counted in the previous year.
criticism
Critics of the TransMilenio complain that, unlike underground trains, polluting diesel emissions are produced here. In addition, the buses with a total of 160 seats (48 seats and 112 standing places) are much too small for city traffic. The buses are usually very full. In addition, their acquisition costs are higher in relation to "normal" articulated buses, as the TransMilenio articulated buses are custom-made because of the doors on the left-hand side that end at a height of around 50 cm.
Another point of criticism is the existence of two separate bus lanes, as most of the “TransMilenio traffic jams” take place at the stops. Critics therefore think it makes more sense to give the buses only one lane outside the bus stop area and to leave the other lane to "normal" traffic.
Another problem is that the TransMilenio, for example, unlike German public transport , is operated privately and is therefore geared towards profit. Therefore there is currently no TransMilenio night service.
Strikes and protests
On May 2, 2006, Bogotá was paralyzed by a strike by bus operators who were displaced by the new TransMilenio route NQS. Both universities and schools were closed. The mayor Luis Eduardo Garzón announced that the future of the city should not be jeopardized by such a strike and threatened the bus operators with fines. The city government passed several measures that allowed private individuals, among other things, to transport passengers for a fee. The strike was lifted on May 3rd after President Álvaro Uribe had backed Mayor Garzón. The requirements of the bus operators were not met. The traffic did not normalize until May 4th.
On May 9, 2006, 600 passengers blocked a TransMilenio portal in order to draw attention to the in their opinion too low bus frequency at peak times and the lack of shuttle buses, as well as to protest against the pricing policy of the TransMilenio operators. Thereupon the acquisition of 200 more buses was announced, which should go into operation from July 2006.
Apetrans, an association of small transport companies, tried on May 26th to organize a repeat of the May 3rd strike. With the exception of the districts of Bosa and Usme, traffic was smooth thanks to the well-functioning TransMilenio, which carried over 10% more passengers. Claims were again the compensation for old buses withdrawn from the market and price adjustments.
Bogotá suffers from heavy rains that flood the streets, which on October 31, 2006 resulted in stops 100, 76, 72, Usme and El Tunal being closed for a few hours. The customers protested and got the fare back. Especially at stop 72, the protest spread to normal traffic, which also came to a standstill. Some of the stops could only be reopened after 8 p.m.
statistics
(Status: 2019)
| Passengers per year | 681 million (2018) |
| Passengers per day | 2.027 to 2.485 million (April 2018 to April 2019) |
| Stops | 143 regular and 9 junctions |
| Route kilometers | 114.4 |
| Buses in action | 2,048 |
| Average speed | 25.9 km / h |
| Feeder routes | 107 |
| Shuttle buses | 824 |
According to a survey in the second half of 2006, 22.64% of the road users in Bogotá were transported by the TransMilenio. That was 86.5 million in absolute terms. In the half-year mentioned, 15.35% more participants were transported, with the use of all other means of transport, except private cars, declining in the same period. The Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the University de los Andes presented its results on mobility in the capital at the end of 2009, some of which contradict the previous ones. The use of the TransMilenio increased between the years 2005–2008 from 10 to 11% of all means of transport. The use of all other buses fell from 48 to 42% in the same period. The biggest jump was registered by private cars from 15 to 22%. According to the study, the reasons are mainly due to the insecurity and lack of comfort of the 17-year-old buses that operate outside the TransMilenio routes.
| year | Rides | Annual sales (in USD million) |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.1 | |
| 2001 | 43.9 | |
| 2002 | 66.4 | |
| 2003 | 84.8 | |
| 2004 | 270.919.308 | 123.70 |
| 2005 | 300,378,818 | 157.00 |
| 2006 | 347.058.478 | 622.50 |
| 2007 | 376.237.547 | 1,245.00 |
| 2008 | 410,308,347 | 2,486.40 |
| 2009 | 438,451,759 | 4,972.90 |
literature
- Peter Danielsson, Antonio Gschwender, Volker Deutsch: A city in transition - TransMilenio in Bogotá. In: City traffic. 2, 2006, ISSN 0038-9013 , pp. 9-10.
See also
Web links
swell
- ↑ Operación transmilenio.gov.co, accessed on May 20, 2019 (Spanish)
- ↑ Transmilenio llegará hasta El Dorado con buses híbridos , February 10, 2014, accessed on August 7, 2017
- ↑ Nuevos buses híbridos refuerzan alimentación en Portal de la 80 , March 8, 2016, accessed on August 7, 2017
- ↑ ntn24 of June 23, 2015 (Spanish) accessed on September 27, 2015
- ↑ Tariffs: SITP Tarifas , April 17, 2017. Accessed July 18, 2017.
- ↑ Natalia Gómez Carvajal: La pelea de dos privados que afecta a 2 millones de usuarios del SITP , in: El Tiempo , January 25, 2015. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ↑ Operación transmilenio.gov.co, accessed on May 20, 2019 (Spanish)
- ↑ Más obras de TransMilenio dependerán del Gobierno, El Tiempo eltiempo.com, accessed on May 20, 2019 (Spanish)
- ↑ Así será la fase III de TransMilenio [1] ( Flash ; 857 kB)
- ↑ Diseños de por TransMilenio Carreras Décima séptima y y calle 26, Presento Alcalde de Bogota [2]
- ↑ A partir de 2012 habrá Transmilenio en Soacha El Espectador A partir de 2012 habrá Transmilenio en Soacha elespectador.com.co, accessed on May 20, 2019 (Spanish)
- ↑ Más de $ 200 mil millones costarán retrasos en obras de Transmilenio El Espectador Más de $ 200 mil millones costarán retrasos en obras de Transmilenio elespectador.com.co, accessed May 20, 2019 (Spanish)
- ↑ Arrancan obras de extensión de Transmilenio a Soacha; serán la prolongación de la troncal NQS [3] and [4]
- ↑ El Futuro - INTEGRACIÓN DEL SISTEMA CON LA CARRERA SÉPTIMA transmilenio.gov.co, accessed on May 20, 2019 (Spanish)
- ↑ A partir de este lunes arrancan nuevas estaciones de Transmilenio por la 26. In: El Espectador.
- ↑ a b Bogotá se prepara para enfrentar segundo día de paro de transportadores In: El Tiempo
- ↑ Usuarios de TransMilenio bloquearon el martes el sistema de transporte por deficiencias del servicio In: El Tiempo. May 9, 2006
- ↑ Usuarios bloquean otra vez el Transmilenio In: El Tiempo.
- ↑ A las 4:00 de la tarde el paro de transportes en Bogotá estaba muerto In: El Tiempo.
- ↑ TransMilenio colapsó durante cuatro horas por aguacero, El Tiempo [5]
- ↑ Estadísticas de oferta y demanda del Sistema Integrado de Transporte Público - SITP - April 2019. Accessed June 25, 2019 (Spanish).
- ↑ Encuesta revela una reducción del uso del transporte público colectivo, menos en Transmilenio [6]
- ↑ Uso de buses cayó 6% en tres años en Bogotá, revelan U. de los Andes y Cámara de Comercio [7]