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TransMilenio is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system that serves Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. The system opened to the public in December 2000, covering Av. Caracas and Calle 80. Other lines were added gradually over the next several years, and as of 2012, 12 lines totalling 〔 run throughout the city, making it the world's largest bus rapid transit system. Inspired by Curitiba's ''Rede Integrada de Transporte'' (Integrated Transportation Network), TransMilenio consists of several interconnecting BRT lines, each composed of numerous elevated stations in the center of a main avenue, or "troncal". Passengers typically reach the stations via a bridge over the street. Usually, four lanes down the center of the street are dedicated to bus traffic. There are both express and local buses, the latter stopping at every station to pick up passengers. The outer lanes allow express buses to bypass buses stopped at a station. Users pay at the station entrance using a smart card, pass through a turnstile, and wait for buses inside the station, which is typically 5 m wide.〔("Bogota Transmilenio" ), Bus Rapid Transit Policy Center (February 2007)〕 The bus and station doors open simultaneously, and passengers board by simply walking across the threshold. Like a subway system, the elevated station platform and the bus floor are at the same height. The buses are diesel-powered, purchased from such manufacturers as the Colombian-Brazilian company Marcopolo-Superior, German conglomerate Mercedes-Benz, and Scandinavian companies such as Volvo and Scania. The buses are articulated (split into two sections with an accordion-like rotating middle to allow for sharp turns) and have a capacity of 160 passengers. In May 2007, a new, larger bi-articulated bus, with capacity for 270 passengers, was presented to the public. TransMilenio buses are not equipped with transponders to give them traffic signal priority, a regret voiced by the general manager of the system, Angelica Castro.〔 As of October 2014, up to 1,500 buses were circulating on the trunk line system〔 and the fare is 1,800 Colombian pesos for a single trip (about EUR 0.75 or USD 0.9, as of October 2014). An off-peak fare of 1,500 pesos has been introduced. Cards use a contactless smart card (MIFARE) system, and multiple trips may be purchased using one card. An additional set of 410 regular buses, known as "feeders" (''alimentadores'', in Spanish), transport users from certain important stations to many different locations that the main route does not reach. Unlike the main TransMilenio buses, feeders operate without dedicated lanes, are not articulated and are green (regular TransMilenio buses are red). There is no additional fare to use the feeder buses. TransMilenio stations at each end of a line have large bicycle parking facilities to facilitate cyclists using the system. ==Costs, ridership, and impact== According to a United States Transportation Research Board (TRB) case study report, the construction cost for the first phase of $8 million per mile (41 km was US $240 million, or US $5.9 million/km). The system is overseen by a public body, which awards contracts to private bus companies on a competitive basis. According to TRB, private contractors are paid based upon the total number of kilometers that their vehicles operate..〔TRB Online Case Studies, "(TransMilenio BRT )", ca. 2001〕 Daily ridership quickly reached 800,000 after the system opened. TransMilenio has since been expanded and ridership in early 2006 was 1,050,000 daily, and in 2009 it was 1,400,000 daily. As of 2008, seventy-five percent of Bogotans rated the system as good or very good.〔("Why Is TransMilenio Still So Special?" ), by Dario Hidalgo, ''TheCityFix.com'', August 5, 2008〕 Eventually, there is a plan to build 388 km of route, which will provide a very dense network of rapid transit for an urban area with an estimated land area of approximately 500 km2. TRB reports that the 388 km system is projected to cost $3.3 billion, only 10% more than a previously proposed Metro of 30 km would have cost. Most Bogotans have found Transmilenio to be an improvement over previous bus service. An independent survey in 2005 reported that a majority of respondents thought the new bus system superior, and only 15% thought it worse. Transmilenio was also found faster and more convenient than other competing transport choices. When asked about problems, many survey takers complained about overcrowded buses. Between 20 and 30% cited pickpockets and long wait times as problems.〔(''Applicability of Bogotá’s TransMilenio BRT System to the United States'' ), p. ix, by Alasdair Cain, Georges Darido, Michael R. Baltes, Pilar Rodriguez, Johan C. Barrios, National Bus Rapid Transit Institute (2006)〕 The price of the ticket is 1800/1500 Colombian pesos (approximately US $0.70). This has not prevented the buses from being congested even during off-peak times. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「TransMilenio」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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