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Do Bus Rapid Transit Systems Improve Accessibility to Job Opportunities for the Poor? The Case of Lima, Peru

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel Oviedo

    (Lecturer Development Planning Unit, University College London, London WC1H 9EZ, UK)

  • Lynn Scholl

    (Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, DC 20577, USA)

  • Marco Innao

    (Louis Berger, 96 Morton St, New York, NY 10014, USA)

  • Lauramaria Pedraza

    (Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, DC 20577, USA)

Abstract

Investments in public transit infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean often aim to reduce spatial and social inequalities by improving accessibility to jobs and other opportunities for vulnerable populations. One of the central goals of Lima’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project was to connect low-income populations living in the peripheries to jobs in the city center, a policy objective that has not yet been evaluated. Building on secondary datasets of employment, household socio-demographics and origin–destination surveys before and after the BRT began operations, this paper examines the contribution of Lima’s BRT system to accessibility to employment in the city, particularly for low-income public transit users. We estimated the effects on potential accessibility to employment, comparing impacts on lower versus higher income populations, and assessed the changes in location-based accessibility to employment before (2004) and after implementation (2012) for treatment and comparison groups. We found that the BRT line reduced travel times for commuters to reach jobs, in comparison with traditional public transport in the city. However, the coverage of the BRT declines in areas with high concentrations of poor populations, limiting the equitability of accessibility improvements. The analysis by socioeconomic sub-groups found positive effects of the BRT system on accessibility for the higher income areas. Relative to the control group, accessibility increased in the 10-km boundary area of the BRT by 0.01, a seven percent increase relative to the treatment baseline accessibility index in the higher socioeconomic (SES) areas of the city. In contrast, in the areas with high concentrations of lower SES populations, the double difference estimate indicated an 11 percent decrease relative to the baseline accessibility index (0.09). We build on case-specific findings and international literature to reflect on policy avenues to include the poor in the mobility benefits of BRT systems. These measures include targeted fare subsidies for low-income groups, fare integration with other forms of public transport that reduce the cost of transfers, and the increase of coverage of the BRT through the integration of stations with non-motorized infrastructure.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Oviedo & Lynn Scholl & Marco Innao & Lauramaria Pedraza, 2019. "Do Bus Rapid Transit Systems Improve Accessibility to Job Opportunities for the Poor? The Case of Lima, Peru," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-24, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:10:p:2795-:d:231587
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Eva-Luz Tejada-Gutiérrez & Zofia Koloszko-Chomentowska & Mariantonietta Fiore & Alessia Spada, 2023. "Sustainable Environmental Development from the Regional Perspective—The Interesting Case of Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-16, March.
    7. Ojeda Diaz, Alfredo J. & Cantillo, Víctor & Arellana, Julián, 2023. "Understanding how individuals perceive changes in the built environment and the transport system after implementing a BRT system. The case of Barranquilla, Colombia," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    8. Priscila Santin & Fernanda R. Gubert & Mauro Fonseca & Anelise Munaretto & Thiago Henrique Silva, 2020. "Characterization of Public Transit Mobility Patterns of Different Economic Classes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-24, November.
    9. Fadyushin Alexey & Zakharov Dmitrii, 2020. "Influence of the Parameters of the Bus Lane and the Bus Stop on the Delays of Private and Public Transport," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-18, November.
    10. Zuo, Yufan & Fu, Xiao & Liu, Zhiyuan & Huang, Di, 2021. "Short-term forecasts on individual accessibility in bus system based on neural network model," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    11. Muhammad Aamir Basheer & Luuk Boelens & Rob van der Bijl, 2020. "Bus Rapid Transit System: A Study of Sustainable Land-Use Transformation, Urban Density and Economic Impacts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-22, April.
    12. Giovanni Vecchio & Riccardo Porreca & Daniela Jácome Rivera, 2020. "Socio-Spatial Concerns in Urban Mobility Planning: Insights from Competing Policies in Quito," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-19, April.
    13. Fred Krüger & Alexandra Titz & Raphael Arndt & Franziska Groß & Franziska Mehrbach & Vanessa Pajung & Lorenz Suda & Martina Wadenstorfer & Laura Wimmer, 2021. "The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Dar es Salaam: A Pilot Study on Critical Infrastructure, Sustainable Urban Development and Livelihoods," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-29, January.
    14. Suchi Kapoor Malhotra & Howard White & Nina Ashley O. Dela Cruz & Ashrita Saran & John Eyers & Denny John & Ella Beveridge & Nina Blöndal, 2021. "Studies of the effectiveness of transport sector interventions in low‐ and middle‐income countries: An evidence and gap map," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(4), December.
    15. Quezada Larriva, Adriana & Orellana, Daniel & Guerrero Balarezo, María Laura & García, Javier Andrés & Cárdenas Villenas, Galo & Osorio Guerrero, Pablo, 2023. "Impact of Quito's first metro line on the accessibility to urban opportunities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).

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