Three leading civil society organizations — ITDP Mexico, the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA), and El Poder del Consumidor (EPC) — recently joined together to urge the national Mexican Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) to take a bold step forward as it updates NOM-163, the country’s main policy overseeing on vehicle emissions and... The post A Turning Point for Mexico’s Vehicle Standards — and Its Climate first appeared on Institute for Transporta...| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
In recent years, China has emerged as a global leader in public transport electrification. From megacities like Shenzhen and Beijing to provincial capitals, the rapid expansion of electric bus fleets has dramatically reduced carbon emissions and accelerated progress toward sustainable urban mobility. Among these success stories, Jinan’s dual-source trolleybus project, planned with the support of ITDP China, stands out as a model for green transformation — not just in China, but for the en...| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting sustainable a...
Car-centric transportation systems have seriously damaged the environment, safety, and livability of cities around the world. Fossil-fuel-based passenger transport is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and the impacts of climate change are already wreaking havoc on our planet’s ecosystems and economies. As low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) increasingly urbanize and grow their economies,... The post How to Keep SUVs Out of Emerging Economies first appeared on Institute f...| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
The impacts of urban passenger transport are not just a growing concern in Brazil, but an increasingly problematic source of GHG emissions, responsible for nearly half of all energy-related emissions. The rapid growth of passenger transport, particularly in Brazil’s many large cities, has exacerbated the impacts of traffic congestion, pollution, and inequitable access to public transportation. These challenges, coupled with the ongoing struggle to provide reliable and sustainable public tra...| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting sustainable a...
In celebration of World Bicycle Day, ITDP is delving into what it means to measure People Near Protected Bikelanes and what this measurement means for urban accessibility.For years, cities and governments have focused on length or number of kilometers as a measure of how comprehensive or impactful their cycling infrastructure is. With the debut of the Atlas of Sustainable City Transport, ITDP suggests that viewpoint is outdated. Rather, we have the data to show that it’s not just how ...| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting sustainable a...
As Ethiopia’s capital and largest city experiences rapid growth, the need for a safe, efficient, and sustainable transport system has never been greater for its more than five million residents. With more than half of all daily trips made on foot, and an additional 31% of residents walking at the start and end of their... The post A More Walkable, Cyclable, and Accessible Future for Addis Ababa first appeared on Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
Nagpur is one of the fastest-growing urban centers in central India. With a population of nearly 2.9 million and rising, the city is facing challenges with the rapid expansion of its road network and increases in vehicle ownership. At the same time, Nagpur has positioned itself as an early adopter of sustainable mobility infrastructure, including... The post This City in India Offers Crucial Lessons for Safe, Accessible Streets first appeared on Institute for Transportation and Development Po...| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
A key objective of sustainable transport policy is to reduce driving in cities, which is often measured by vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT). Facilitating this shift away from private vehicles may seem challenging in places currently experiencing rapid growth, especially as data in nearly all of the key regions where ITDP operates indicate a rise in VKT. This is expected to further increase by 50% globally by 2030, or approximately 15% every five years since 2015. In the Africa region, VKT by...| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting sustainable a...
Six years after Indonesia set a national commitment to promote Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), cities across the country have begun adopting electric buses. Jakarta led the way in 2022, followed by Medan, Surabaya, and Pekanbaru. Progress has been steady, but scaling up remains a steep climb. With a strong fiscal capacity and a dedicated public transportation... The post Why More National Action is Needed for Indonesia’s E-Bus Transition first appeared on Institute for Transportation and...| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
It is no secret that countries around the world are facing a period of economic uncertainty. Sudden demands for defense spending, customs tariffs, and replacement of post-war infrastructure at the end of its lifespan are putting new strains on national budgets and forcing many governments to rethink their priorities in the face of a potential recession. Suppose there is a silver lining to this dark cloud on the horizon. In that case, these governments might also reconsider their transport inf...| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting sustainable a...
Guangzhou, one of China's largest cities and the capital of the southern province of Guangdong, is experiencing rapid growth and development as a major port and connector to the mainland. With over 18 million people, Guangzhou has also become a regional leader in urban mobility, with public transport at the core of its innovations. Most notably, the Guangzhou Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system was introduced in 2010, following years of planning, and quickly became one of the first BRTs in Asia to...| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting sustainable a...
As cities around the world face growing traffic congestion, rising emissions, and strained transport budgets, the case for investing in cycling and walking infrastructure has never been more apparent or more urgent. Urban mobility is at a turning point. Car ownership is on the rise, but it comes at a steep cost—financial, environmental, and social. Unless this trend is reversed, global transport emissions are projected to rise by 33% by 2050. Meanwhile, systems based on walking, cycling, an...| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting sustainable a...
Amid the devastation wrought by the pandemic were small glimmers of hope. Vehicle use was down, and people wanted to spend time outside, enjoying public spaces and taking advantage of the opportunity to walk and cycle safely. And cities responded by providing those spaces as a much-needed solution. As the world recovered from the pandemic, we wanted to ensure that this rethink of our towns and streets, prioritizing people, was not lost—that we did not simply return to the way things were. T...| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting sustainable a...
Dakar, Senegal is the recipient of the 2025 Sustainable Transport Award (STA) in recognition of its efforts to promote sustainable and inclusive mobility centered on the launch of its landmark all-electric bus rapid transit (BRT) system. Mexico’s capital, Mexico City, received the STA Honorable Mention for a focus on expanding and integrating public transport and bikeshare networks. The cities were selected from a pool of five finalists cities representing Brazil, Mexico, and India. In addi...| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting sustainable a...
Every year, the Sustainable Transport Award (STA) Finalist Cities are recognized for policies and interventions that promote public transport, walking, cycling, and transit-oriented development in ways that highlight accessibility, equity, and urban innovation. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the STA and the program’s celebration of 22 winning cities for their progress on everything from rapid transit systems to extensive bikeshare programs to inclusion initiatives for gender e...| Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting sustainable a...
