An International Olympic Committee (IOC) delegation this (Tuesday, November 8) attended the opening of the second benchmark station for the Transoeste BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) line, one of the commitments made by Rio de Janeiro when bidding for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The station was unveiled by Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, in the presence of the chair of the International Olympic Committee’s Coordination Commission for the Rio 2016™ Games, Nawal El Moutawakel; the IOC executive director for the Olympic Games, Gilbert Felli; and the organisation’s Sports director, Christophe Dubi; as well as the president and the CEO of the Rio 2016™ Organising Committee, Carlos Arthur Nuzman and Leonardo Gryner.

The IOC delegation, in Rio de Janeiro for the fourth Rio 2016™ Project Review meeting, took the opportunity to learn how a BRT station will work by visiting the facility located in the junction of Estrada do Magarça and Avenida das Americas, in Guaratiba, which is 75.40m long and holds up to 3,000 passengers per hour.

“We are delighted to take advantage of this IOC delegation visit to give them a chance to see first-hand how we are fulfilling our bid commitments as well as update them with presentations on the timely progress of the Games organisation. It is a pleasure to see that the Olympic and Paralympic Games are serving as catalysts for such an important work to the people of our city,” said Nuzman.

BRTs are high capacity public transportation systems with articulated buses that run on dedicated lanes and are, therefore, faster than an ordinary bus line. Passengers board from platforms on the same height level as the bus floor, thus reducing boarding time. Tickets are sold in advance.

The Transoeste line will connect highly populated areas such as Campo Grande and Santa Cruz to Barra, where most of the sporting events at the Rio 2016™ Games will take place. Venues at the region include the Olympic Park, the Riocentro Convention Centre and the golf course, in addition to the Athletes’ Village, the Main Press Centre (MPC) and the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC).

The Transoeste will have 64 stations, which will link the line to other modes of transport. With an investment worth of 800 million Brazilian reais (400 million USD) by the City of Rio and completion expected for the first half of 2012, the Transoeste will span for 56km, resulting in a 50-per-cent drop in journey times, and benefit around 220,000 people daily. Transoeste’s first benchmark station opened September this year, on Avenida das Americas, opposite the Novo Leblon development, in Barra.

The Transoeste is part of the transportation improvements that will remain as a legacy of the Rio 2016™ Games, which also include the Transcarioca BRT line (under construction), the Transolimpica BRT line (currently being tendered) and the Transbrasil BRT line – forming a road system with faster transportation and entirely segregated from car traffic.

The benchmark station on Estrada do Magarça will be available for public viewing before it starts operating, so that the population can learn the system. With 10 regular turnstiles and two adapted for wheelchair users, the station was designed to take advantage of the natural ventilation, featuring a long cover and wind sensors that will always be facing Southeast, channeling wind into the station.