On Wednesday, July 24, Buenos Aires inaugurated a new Metrobus BRT corridor, 9 de Julio. The city held an inauguration ceremony on the corridor, attended by Mayor Mauricio Macri, Secretary of Transportation Guillermo Dietrich, the ministers of Urban Development, Public Space, and Environment, Daniel Chain and Diego Santilli, and several other city officials and members of congress.

9 de Julio now features several elements of international best practice in BRT, such as exclusive lanes aligned to the center of the street, and physically separated from traffic. Previously, bus lines had to run on side streets in mixed traffic, which slowed bus speeds and made pedestrian mobility difficult. The new corridor will also help fulfill the city’s commitment to the environment, as keeping the buses on the more open street will help with the dispersion of gases, and minimize noise in residential neighborhoods.

The passenger experience will significantly improve with the addition of this corridor. The avenue now features comfortable stations, with easier access for persons with disabilities, security cameras, wifi, and screens that provide service information in real time. Previously, the journey from one end of 9 de Julio to the other took about 50 minutes. Now with the additional service, anyone who makes the same trip in any of the 11 bus lines that run on the avenue can do so in about 20 minutes.

Stations on 9 de Julio maintain a distance of 400 meters, reducing brake use and acceleration of the buses, as well as maintaining speeds. More than 200,000 people in will use the corridor, the new BRT line linking the north and south areas of the city. The system, driven by the city government’s “Public Transport Priority” Program, is having a strong impact on transit order, reducing air pollution, and making better use of the public space in the city center.

The streetscape was also transformed, as 550 trees were added. In total, 1,854 native species of trees now frame the areas around Metrobus corridors, plazas and squares.