Urban Ecology Agency of Barcelona
The Pitch
Urban Ecology Agency of Barcelona designed an orthogonal bus network to make public transport uniformly accessible to residents. Bus ridership decreased the amount of personal motorized vehicles on the road, lowering air pollution and congestion in Barcelona.
The Problem
Air pollution was a major issue in Barcelona mainly caused by motorized vehicles and energy sources. Nitrogen oxides and particulate matter levels regularly rose above normal thresholds.
The Process
- Designed the Orthogonal Bus Network in 2004
- Supported City Council and Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) to adopt the design in 2012
- Worked with City Council and TMB to apply the Orthogonal Bus Network design to the “Superblocks” concept
- Structured the bus network similarly to the metro and mapped it to have clear transfer points to ensure user-friendliness
- Created separate bus lanes
The Impact
- Proved itself to be an efficient design for above-ground urban public transport
- Maximized residents’ access to public transport and improved connectivity between different modes of transportation
- Ensured system reliability and efficiency—and reduced conflicts between buses, cars and bicycles—by creating separate lanes for buses
- Maximized efficiency and accessibility by scheduling buses to arrive frequently (every 4 to 5 minutes) and interweaving the buses stops with the city’s other public transportation systems
- Reduced air pollution levels in Barcelona by reducing residents’ motorized vehicle usage
