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The definition of Smart City is far from being closed, but for the Brazil transport team that worked for more than three years with the City of São Paulo, the answer follows a clear logic: a city that leaves no one behind, that thinks of All when planning and that uses the necessary technological tools to meet that goal.
Only after understanding the needs of your population and after putting your shoes into the ones with more barriers to access the citywide opportunities, the officials and public servants can actually work efficiently towards a more efficient and inclusive transport system. And this was the aim of the Smart Mobility Program for São Paulo City, developed as a multi-year partnership (2019- 2022) implemented by the World Bank team in partnership with the Municipality of São Paulo and its related public companies, São Paulo Transportes (SP Trans) and the Traffic Engineering Company (CET), all financed by the UK Prosperity Program (UKPP).
As a result of the work, a conceptual model was proposed, composed of propositions related to transport services (including respective financial services and support to users), planned according to governance, management or operation models.
The whole reference for the development of the work was built from structuring policies for a sustainable city (humane, efficient, clean and safe) directed by intelligent governance. Among the 8 fronts of proposed solutions, considering 17 specific activities, an articulated concept model was consolidated, as described below.
CONTEXT
The Smart Mobility Program in São Paulo, Brazil
The World Bank has a long-standing commitment to urban mobility, alongside the authorities of the City of São Paulo. This commitment includes loan operations and technical assistance. Ongoing and past projects include support for the development of regulatory frameworks and innovation centers (e.g., MobiLab), infrastructure projects, including the Luz station; Metro lines 2, 4, and 5; transportation planning and long-term mobility in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (e.g., the Integrated Urban Transport Plan [Plano Integrado de Transportes Urbanos, PITU 2040]); the first phase for the structuring of the intermunicipal train public-private partnership; and support for the concession of lines 8 and 9 of the São Paulo Metropolitan Train Company (Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos), and for the construction of the Aricanduva BRT (bus rapid transit) Corridor, among others. The World Bank also completed a Sustainable Transport and Air Quality Program with funds from the Global Environment Facility, and is currently working on an electric mobility technical advisory for Brazilian cities, focusing on the potential use of electric buses. Finally, in terms of road safety, the World Bank, together with the Bloomberg Initiative, has spent more than a decade working on various safety initiatives with the São Paulo City Hall (Prefeitura Municipal de São Paulo, PMSP), especially with the Traffic Engineering Company (Companhia de Engenharia de Tráfego).
Given this history of collaboration with local authorities, the World Bank was contracted by the UK government to manage the resources of a grant from the UK Prosperity Program, and to be responsible for assisting the identification of studies relevant to the topic of smart cities, as well as for hiring consultants, consortia, or independent specialists for developing technical advisory services. The focus of the Smart Mobility Program (hereafter sometimes referred to as simply the “Program”) is to identify innovative activities and technologies for improving mobility and accessibility, traffic flows, urban transport management, and strategic planning, with a view to improving the quality of life of the city’s population, especially the most vulnerable sectors.
The aforementioned grant was committed in two phases: the first phase, equivalent to 10% of the total amount, was of a preparatory nature; and the second phase, as described in this report, focused in greater detail on the studies and activities for consolidating the Program.
The first phase, in the shape of an externally financed output (EFO), was developed from September 2018 to December 2019, and the second from early 2020 to March 2022 (during the COVID-19 pandemic). The reports and activities were published in January 2023.
The EFO activities were planned to support the second phase of the Program with the ultimate objective of boosting the development of a smarter, cleaner, safer, and better São Paulo for everyone, by using planning resources and urban and computer technology more efficiently to provide solutions to the challenges in the mobility area. This first part of the Program addressed problems including: (1) traffic congestion and road safety, with the introduction of smart traffic lights and public transport prioritization; (2) more efficient public transport management with control platforms enabling an adequate level of planning and operations for the city as a whole; (3) better management of bus lanes, prioritizing those with a more beneficial cost-benefit ratio; (4) a safer environment for women who use the city’s transport systems; and (5) the promotion of innovation as a key component in public sector contracts.
The activities carried out during the first phase contributed to understanding and designing new concepts of smart traffic lights that give priority to pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users, and that are vital for bus lane planning, bus and traffic control, and management systems (creating potential for data management open to third parties). The smart traffic lights concepts were successively specified and detailed in the Program’s second phase.
Between the two phases of the Program, there was a technical visit to London in November 2019, coordinated by Transport for London (TfL). This included a presentation of TfL good transport practices and experiences to a group of officials from the UK government, the World Bank, and members and technical staff from the Municipality of São Paulo and the Government of the State of São Paulo. This visit pointed to the need for all municipal transport schemes to stay closely aligned with the metropolitan networks.
The second phase, implemented as a trust fund, was developed in accordance with the World Bank Country Partnership Framework, signed with Brazil for FY18–FY23 (Report No. 113259-BR, of May 16, 2017), aimed at focusing on “Inclusive and sustainable development” with the objective of “Providing more inclusive and sustainable urban services,” reflecting the need to improve efficiency and introduce new models of urban service delivery to improve the population’s quality of life.
This report addresses the activities implemented in the second extensively detailed phase of the Program based on the EFO conclusions. Program preparation involved organizing numerous workshops and training courses, all of which contributed to consolidating bases for innovation and the creation of a multisectoral approach to transport problems through the development of governance and planning practices designed to incorporate appropriate technology and implement new business models.
In addition to exploring more deeply the topics covered in the EFO, the Smart Mobility Program broadened its analytical scope to include studies on (i) accessibility; (ii) active mobility and other nonmotorized modes of transport; (iii) regulations for shared road space, low-emission zones, and efficient urban freight mobility; and (iv) improved governance and coordination of the transport sector by the main stakeholders in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo.
A total of 17 studies were carried out in Phase 2 through 9 international tenders and other supplementary hirings of specialist consultants. All the activities were preidentified after substantial stakeholder consultation at the EFO phase and in a joint workshop with counterparts of the UK Prosperity Program.
The wide-ranging and productive discussions between the World Bank and the Municipality of São Paulo’s secretariats and transport companies resulted in a series of contracts tailored to the PMSP’s requirements.
Notwithstanding the size and complexity of the output generated by the Program, this final report seeks to consolidate its results in a single document. It is hoped that that report, describing the components and expected impacts of the Program, will become a strategic reference guide not only for implementing the Smart Mobility Program in the City of São Paulo, but also as a technical reference document for developing similar programs in other Brazilian cities and further afield.
RESULTS
The Program contained 8 different groups of activities, with a total of 17 studies, conceptually organized around 2 main pillars:
1. Create a more integrated and efficient transport planning and management process aimed at recovering demand for public transport and reducing emissions. The activities included proposals for using methodologies and tools for evidence-based decision-making, including planning and managing bus systems and bus corridors with new models of operation/prioritization, regulating metropolitan governance for the integration of MaaS (Mobility as a Service), and upgrading traffic lights using 5G technologies.
2. Improve the regulatory and policy framework governing transport in the PMSP with the aim of providing more inclusive urban mobility services for women and people in socioeconomically vulnerable situations. Recommendations, training materials, and methodologies highlighted the unique challenges faced by these groups in accessing jobs and other services. The activities also included discussions on policies to promote sustainable modes of transport, such as cycling and walking, including in urban logistics.
The activities carried out under Pillar 1 were as follows:
Activity 1. Support for the new Operations Center (Centro Operacional - COP) for SPTrans—integrating artificial intelligence, big data, and mobility as a service (MaaS) in the planning and operations of public transport by bus. Activity 1 aimed to identify innovative alternatives that could be applied to operations control centers (Centros de Operações e Controle, CCOs) and operational management and monitoring systems (Sistemas de Monitoramento e Gestão Operacional, SMGOs) with a view to optimizing transportation planning, and operations, and supporting the deployment of the MaaS concept. SPTrans’ active involvement produced tailor-made recommendations, which increased the likelihood of them being implemented. The activity was also a learning opportunity, highlighting best practices from cities where big data analytics and machine learning processes have been successfully integrated into transportation planning and daily operations to support local MaaS platforms.
Artificial Intelligence Big Data And MaaS In Public Bus Transport Planning And Operations
Activity 2.1. Microsimulation of mobility along the new Aricanduva BRT Corridor. The microsimulation of the new BRT (bus rapid transit) corridor along Avenida Aricanduva, financed with World Bank resources, has produced a new methodology to evaluate the performance benefits of various traffic flow models of private vehicles and public transport along the corridor. As a result, the Traffic Engineering Company (Companhia de Engenharia de Tráfego, CET) adopted simulation tools to aid the analysis of transport projects and to support decisions on layout changes and technological alternatives for traffic control.
Aricanduva BRT Mobility Microsimulation
Activity 2.2. Evaluation, characterization, and scoping of the most promising technological alternatives for smart traffic lights and 5G telecommunications technology. The objective of this activity was to carry out a case study analysis in São Paulo to address existing and future challenges related to the digitization of traffic lights, sustainable traffic management, prioritization of public transport, and active modes. The activity also aimed to analyze the potential of 5G technology in the development of smart transport services and systems.
Preparing cities for the future of traffic lights systems with the advancement of 5G technology
Activity 3. Analysis and recommendations for the establishment of a municipal governance scheme in São Paulo centered on implementing a MaaS model. This activity aimed to pave the way for the implementation of the MaaS concept at the municipal level, including by assessing the governance and public policies needed to create an integrated transport system across all areas of operation: physical, tariffs, technological, operational, and institutional. As a result of this activity, the MSP received a structured reference with guidelines to: (1) provide information on the overall mobility process; (2) review and improve the corporate organization for full MaaS governance; and (3) monitor the action plan, together with a preliminary suggestion to develop and implement a checklist of tasks.
Activity 4. A study proposing a methodology for prioritization of exclusive bus lanes in the City of São Paulo, including maintenance and operation. This study aimed to support the PMSP to establish criteria for prioritizing and identifying the investments required to implement the city’s bus corridors program. The bus corridor assessment focused on: (1) updating the infrastructure classification method to include demand and operational scope as well as physical attributes; (2) establishing a workable evaluation method based on finding an appropriate balance among, for example, physical, operational, and demand dimensions directing functions to meet real needs; and (3) deploying an action plan and prioritization method to show how the new methodology is applied (in this case, a pilot scheme to modernize the present bus lanes).
Pillar 2 consisted of the following activities:
Activity 5.1. Transport for all—gender and race in urban mobility. The study aimed to contribute to the awareness, training, and improvement of the public authorities responsible for planning the public transport system in the City of São Paulo and its Metropolitan Region, with a view to reducing gender and racial inequalities in the context of urban mobility. This activity therefore focused on (1) identifying women’s transport needs; (2) preparing awareness training for transport decision-makers; (3) recommending the creation of a unique protocol for reporting cases of harassment and abuse in transportation; and (4) highlighting the need to increase women’s participation in transport corporations and identifying the barriers to this.
Transport for all: Gender and race in urban mobility
Activity 5.2. Mapping safety and accessibility around the Aricanduva BRT Corridor. This activity provided recommendations to improve the local infrastructure around the future corridor in order to improve accessibility and improve safety perceptions among women and people with disabilities. The recommendations are in line with issues of inclusion identified in the security and accessibility mapping activities, collecting data on key variables affecting safety (e.g., lighting, walkways, visibility, frequency of public transport, conditions at bus stops, gender issues, and people’s own views).
Activity 5.3. Indicators of gender inclusion and the accessibility of bus terminals in the City of São Paulo. The study aimed to (1) define an audit and analysis protocol, replicable across terminals, for analyzing and ensuring the inclusion of interest groups; and (2) develop indicators to identify baselines and record the impact of improvements and investments made over time.
Indicators of gender inclusion and the accessibility of bus terminals in the City of São Paulo
Activity 6.1. Urban logistics—use of curbs and alternative modes for efficient freight delivery in São Paulo. This activity addressed this phenomenon on three fronts: (1) an analysis of using curbside deliveries; (2) how to expand the use of sustainable delivery modes through cyclologistics; and (3) the possibility of changing legislation to increase the efficiency of urban freight transport. The results highlighted the potential for freight-carrying bikes and crossdocking points.1 A manual was also prepared containing guidelines for implementing cyclologistics pilot schemes in the city that could be used by the PMSP and interested companies going forward, along the lines of the pilot model tested in Bogotá (Colombia).
Urban logistics: Use of curbs and alternative modes for efficient freight delivery in São Paulo
Activity 6.2. Analysis of shared space in the City of São Paulo. The study aimed to analyze the distribution of the current road system in the MSP by studying the different modes of transport. The main idea was to establish a mobility demand management (MDM) strategy to promote greater equity in the use of available space and, by so doing, promote active and public transport while spurring disincentives to the use of individual motor vehicles. Policies were recommended for MDM that were more focused on active mobility, including a sidewalk action plan. Finally, attention was paid to best global practice policy recommendations endorsing more equitable use of road space for various mobility modes.
Activity 6.3. Microaccessibility Manual. This activity aimed to provide technical support to PMSP in the design of urban interventions to improve the city’s walkability and accessibility conditions. The Microaccessibility Manual (Biblioteca de Microacessibilidade) developed in this study contains practical solutions for the urban environment aimed at the inclusion of all people in the public space by promoting greater security, autonomy, freedom, pride, and representation.
Micro accessibility Manual – Library of Solutions for São Paulo
Activity 6.4. Support planning bike lanes in São Paulo. This study aimed to provide technical support to PMSP to assist its analysis of barriers to bicycle use in the urban space. This analysis involved collecting data on cyclists and recommendations to support decision-making on establishing priorities for expanding the bike lane network, developing and implementing new bike lanes, improving existing connections, meeting current demand, and attracting new bicycle users. It also makes recommendations on the design of bike lane infrastructure and the expansion of the shared bicycle and bike parking system in the MSP. The activity helped to better understand the impact of the MSP’s public policy (BikeSP) on the demand for cycling, as well as shedding light on citizens’ views on the workability of the policy. The social cost-benefit analysis also provided evidence to the MSP on the impacts of investments in cycling infrastructure.
Supporting the cycle lane planning in São Paulo
Activity 6.5. Safe and accessible school routes for children. This activity aimed to complement the third phase of the “Safe School Route in Peripheral Regions of the PMSP Program” designed to improve accessibility conditions for all children traveling to and from school. The study involved the collection and use of data to identify needs and opportunities for improving accessibility for the most vulnerable populations such as children, caregivers, and low-income families. This process generated key information for workshop discussions and project follow-up promoting the active involvement of local communities to improve access to school for children and their caregivers.
Safe and accessible school routes for All Children
Activities 7.1 and 7.2 Analysis of mobility barriers in the catchment area of the BRT Aricanduva, and a baseline survey of the Aricanduva BRT project. This activity focused on the inclusion of minorities in the transport system, providing inputs for the oversight of the Aricanduva BRT project implementation, and contributing to an understanding of the reasons for the low mobility of the low-income population living in the corridor’s “catchment” area (area of influence), which includes around 29,000 families living in favelas. The study sought to identify the barriers impeding the use of public transport by the low-income population: physical barriers such as restricted or difficult access to bus stops; economic barriers such as high bus fares; or social barriers such as fear of harassment. In addition to this analysis, data collection was carried out employing face-to-face surveys once the necessary sanitary conditions related to COVID-19 prevention had been met. Approximately 5,000 households were surveyed. The conclusion was that this approach will play an important role in any future assessment of the impact of the Aricanduva BRT on people’s lives, by comparing trip time gains and cost reductions with the control area chosen in the south of the city.
Activity 7.3. Use of real estate for social interest housing (HIS), developed a model for the maximum use of the expropriated areas by proposing the building of social interest housing (Habitacional de Interesse Social, HIS)2 next to the new subway stations of the São Paulo Metro Company (Companhia do Metropolitano de São Paulo, Metrô). This model was employed as the starting point for a social housing development on land expropriated for the construction site of the future Aricanduva metro station. At the same time an analysis was carried out of existing incentives, in the light of current legislation, for this type of project, and the benefits of the new approach to the resettlement problem. The same model could be used by Metrô and PMSP in future public transport projects in the city and the RMSP.
Social Housing Developments (EHIS) associated with Metro-SP stations
Activity 8. Opinion survey on mobility in the City of São Paulo. To provide evidence for improving the communication between PMSP and the population, and to contribute to the preparation of a Mobility Communication Plan, the survey focused on mapping public opinion on future mobility challenges and the use of urban space, particularly in the light of post–COVID-19 pandemic measures, based on new technologies to benefit public and active transport modes. The results clearly showed the importance of focusing on good communication with the public when planning mobility policies as a way of involving them, providing opportunities for authorities to listen to their concerns, and encouraging cooperation with the agencies involved.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Program’s thematic scope represents an important contribution to the studies regarding the Aricanduva BRT and SPTrans Operation Center (COP), both of which are currently benefiting from works and equipment financing through a loan from the World Bank (P169140).3
The execution of these activities increased PMSP teams’ technical knowledge and encouraged inclusive and efficient approaches to transport including:
(1) The “city designed for the citizen”—a deeper look at gender, race, and accessibility of the most vulnerable segments of the population, defining infrastructure from a human viewpoint, considering the creation of bus lanes that take into account accessibility to bus stations and terminals, for example, as well as taking a more in-depth look at some initiatives of CET, as the Municipal Safe School Routes Program and the Microaccessibility Library.
(2) The evolution of a technological mobility ecosystem, focusing on the integration of SPTrans IT systems and the traffic light network, which together with the analysis of governance for MaaS and the reorganization of the databases on bus corridors, aim to improve the quality and efficiency of bus services. All this would make it possible to move toward the use of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data, and further physical integration and better cooperation with other essential services involved in the operation of the transport system (CET, metro, São Paulo Metropolitan Trains Company [CPTM], police, fire department, mobile emergency medical services [SAMU], etc.).
(3) A broad approach to the development, management, and financing of the bus corridors, including their urban surroundings and the avenues along which corridors are to be implemented, and efforts to improve accessibility to bus users, define methodologies to enhance the operation and maintenance of corridor infrastructure, and apply recommendations for the establishment of proactive pavement maintenance contracts.
(4) Democratization of road space and promotion of sustainable mobility, by using road space in a more equitable way, encouraging the most efficient and sustainable routes compatible with existing corridors—initiatives that should enhance the attractiveness of public and active mobility and favor a major shift to public transport by current users of individual motorized vehicles.
(5) Better forms of management of smart traffic lights to prioritize public and active mobility modes by introducing models to ensure more efficient and less congested intersections compared with the current system that gives priority to motorized transport.
(6) Governance policies and regulations for the implementation of MaaS, scoping the objectives of all stakeholders, and gradually consolidating the proposal for an integrated conceptual governance model based on international benchmarking analyses.
Finally, given the need to implement the Program based on the recommendations of each activity, next steps would include:
(1) Contracting studies and training programs for the deployment of activities;
(2) PMSP to develop management and communication systems;
(3) Economic-financial modeling, and a business model, designed for deploying bus corridors, efficient systems, inclusive plans, and the necessary infrastructure;
(4) Preparation of a budget forecast for the implementation of activities;
(5) Preparation and launch of bidding documents for investments in infrastructure and systems; and
(6) Structuring and financing of the Program as a whole.
These steps highlight the need to produce well-researched studies and prepare stakeholders for their involvement in the Smart Cities Program. Clearly there is a need to hire consulting services to detail certain actions of the Program and train the teams involved:
(1) Strategy for traffic light modernization;
(2) Accelerate progress on integrated transport proposals;
(3) Further develop the new MaaS-related ticketing model;
(4) Integrate mobility and HIS;
(5) Set up a training program on inclusion in transport;
(6) Plan and operationalize new urban logistics;
(7) Develop management and communication systems;
(8) Develop and implement SIGMA;
(9) Develop and implement the SMGO and Data Lake; and
(10) Establish a permanent procedure for conducting surveys on people’s perceptions of mobility systems.
Finally, the general recommendations suggest the creation of a Project Management Unit, with teams to detail and administer projects, implement the proposed interventions, and monitor the results. The recommendations also include examining the potential for a participatory process and communication channels to encourage collaboration between institutions and select the appropriate management tools for the Program.