Transport in São Paulo

Over 16,000 buses form the bulk of the public transport in São Paulo; including about 290 trolley buses.[1] With the exception of a small network overseen by the EMTU, all bus lines are operated by concessionaires under the supervision of SPTrans, a municipal company responsible for the planning and management of public transport. The SPTrans buses are painted with region-specific colours and carry about 8,8 million people daily.[2] Until 2003, informal transport vans had a large presence in the city, but the vast majority are now registered with the city council, legalised, and now operate under the same colour scheme used in the main system. To increase efficiency in the city, São Paulo implemented in 2007 a bus rapid transit system called the Expresso Tiradentes.[3] There is also a 632 km (393 mi) long system of reserved bus lanes, which are placed on large avenues and connected with the subway or suburban railway stations.[4]

São Paulo Metro.

Train of CPTM.

Faria Lima station, on Line 4 - Yellow.

With 13 lines, 183 stations and a total length of 374 km (232 mi) (of which about 237 km or 147 mi is within the Sao Paulo municipal boundaries),[notes 1] the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Rail Transport Network is the largest urban rail system in Latin America.[5]

The network transports about 8,3 million people daily[2] and it is operated by four different companies. Two are state-owned: São Paulo Metro and the Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM). The other two are private: ViaQuatro, which operates Line 4 - Yellow ; and ViaMobilidade, which operates Line 5 - Lilac and the future Line 17 - Gold.[6]

Connections between the lines operated by different companies are usually free, with the only two exceptions being Tatuapé and Corinthians-Itaquera stations, where connections are paid during rush-hours and free during other periods.

There are currently 4 lines operated by the São Paulo Metro and 2 under construction:

• Line 1 - Blue: The first Metrô line built. The line connects the North and the South Side of São Paulo. Connections are available for the Green, Red, Yellow and Lilac lines, and also CPTM trains. The line serves Tietê and Jabaquara bus terminals.
• Line 2 - Green: Transverses the Avenida Paulista ridge, connecting Vila Prudente to Vila Madalena, and connects to the Blue, Yellow and Lilac metro lines, as well as to the Silver monorail line. It also provides connections to CPTM trains.
• Line 3 - Red: One of São Paulo's busiest lines and connects the East Side to the West Side. Connections to the Blue and Yellow lines are possible, as are with CPTM trains. The Barra Funda bus terminal is located on this line.
• Line 6 - Orange (under construction): Announced in 2008, with construction initiated in 2015, the Orange Line will connect the borough of Freguesia do Ó, in the Northwestern side of the city to downtown São Paulo. Connections to the Blue and Yellow lines will be possible, and also with the CPTM trains. As of February 2019, construction is postponed due to issues with funding.
• Line 15 - Silver: This is the first high-capacity monorail line in the country. It runs east from Vila Prudente station, where it connects to the Green metro line. As of December 2019, ten stations are open with an expansion to Jardim Colonial currently under construction and another to Cidade Tiradentes, further east, is under development.
• Line 17 - Gold (under construction): Monorail line that will connect Morumbi station with the Congonhas Airport. Connection with the Lilac line will be possible, and also to the CPTM train service. As of December 2019, the line is expected to open in early 2022. Further expansion to this line is expected as plans to expand it are under development. The expansion will span westward, crossing the Pinheiros River and connecting to the Yellow line, and eastward, connecting to the Blue line. Operation of this line will be contracted out to ViaMobilidade.[6]

The following line is operated by ViaQuatro:

• Line 4 - Yellow: Connects the central Luz station to the West and South Sides in a route constructed immediately below the Consolação and Rebouças avenues. Connections are available to the Blue, Green and Red lines and to CPTM trains. Operation of this line is contracted out to ViaQuatro for 30 years, which is renewable for another 30 years.

The following line is operated by ViaMobilidade:

• Line 5 - Lilac: Connects the South Side of São Paulo to the Blue and Green lines and to CPTM trains. It will be the only metro line to connect to the Gold monorail line after it opens in 2022. As of February 2019, plans of expanding the line north to Ipiranga and south to Jardim Ângela are under development. Operation of this line is contracted out to ViaMobilidade.[6]

There are seven lines operated by CPTM:

• Line 7 - Ruby: Formerly the northern part of the old São Paulo Railway, Line 7 connects the Brás station (weekdays only, on weekends, has its terminal in Luz) downtown to the city of Francisco Morato, crossing all of the northwestern side of the city. An operational extension connects Francisco Morato to the city of Jundiaí. This is the longest line of the railway system in São Paulo.
• Line 8 - Diamond: Formerly part of the old Estrada de Ferro Sorocabana, it connects the Júlio Prestes station downtown to Itapevi, going across the western side of the city. An operational extension with another train links this line to two more stations in Itapevi. The last station (Amador Bueno) is placed near the border with São Roque. The Júlio Prestes station houses the State of the Art concert hall Sala São Paulo.
• Line 9 - Emerald: Is located along the Nações Unidas Avenue (Marginal Pinheiros), and connects the region of the Interlagos Speedway to the neighbouring city of Osasco.
• Line 10 - Turquoise: Formerly the southern part of the old São Paulo Railway, it is actually a continuation of the Line 7 - Ruby, and crosses the ABC Region.
• Line 11 - Coral: Once known as "Expresso Leste" (East Express), crosses all the eastern side of São Paulo from downtown to the campus of the Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes, in the city of Mogi das Cruzes. The largest distance between two stations (between Tatuapé and Itaquera) of all the railway network is found on Line 11.
• Line 12 - Sapphire: It crosses the northeastern side of São Paulo, from the Brás station in downtown to the city of Itaquaquecetuba.
• Line 13 - Jade: First line completely built by CPTM, connects Engenheiro Goulart station to São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport (GRU).

São Paulo had tram lines during the first half of the 20th century, but they were eradicated following the expansion of the bus system.[7]

The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in São Paulo, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 93 min. 30% of public transit riders, ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit (including buses) is 19 min, while 35% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 8.1 km (5.0 mi), while 18% travel for over 12 km (7.5 mi) in a single direction.[8]

• "Fighting Resistance, a Mayor Strives to Ease Gridlock in a Brazilian Megacity", New York Times, 4 October 2015