The Brazil President, Dilma Rousseff, and the Rio de Janeiro Mayor, Eduardo Paes, on Wednesday, March 21, announced the public funding plan for two new important urban mobility works in the city – both crucial projects for the transportation plan of the Rio 2016™ Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Funding is secured for the construction of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line on Avenue Brasil, the Transbrasil, and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) line in the Central area. The Federal Government will release 1.63 billion Brazilian reais (around $1 billion USD) from the Growth Acceleration Programme of Urban Mobility to finance the two projects.
For the Transbrasil, with a R$ 1.3 billion budget and an estimated 36-month construction timetable, the Federal Government will finance R$ 1.129 billion, while the City Government will contribute R$ 171 million. For the Central LRT, whose cost is R$ 1.1 billion, the Federal Government will finance R$ 500 million, and the remainder will be funded through a Public Private Partnership (PPP).
In addition to the Transbrasil, which will link the Deodoro zons (one of the city’s four zones that will host competitions during the Rio 2016™ Games) to the Santos Dumont Domestic Airport, three other BRT lines will be constructed in the city to form part of the new High Performance Transportation Ring, which will expand the high-capacity transportation coverage rate from the current 18 per cent to 63 per cent until 2016. Those lines are the Transcarioca (which is already under construction, linking the Barra zone, which will host more than 50 per cent of the sports, to the Tom Jobim International Airport), the Transoeste (also under construction, connecting Barra to the Santa Cruz and Campo Grande areas) and the Transolimpica (linking Barra to Deodoro and currently being tendered).
The Central LRT will use unprecedented technology in Brazil, and will integrate metro stations, train stations, ferries, BRTs, conventional bus networks and the Santos Dumont Airport, thus improving traffic conditions in the city’s Central area, with planning targeted at reducing bus circulation in the region. The project is also an essential part of the renovation of the city’s Port Zone, which will host several non-sporting venues during the Rio 2016™ Games (the Main Operations Centre, the Technology Operations Centre, the Main Logistics Centre, Accommodation Villages, the Security Operations Centre, the Uniform Distribution and Accreditation Centre and the Non-Accredited Media Centre).
Funding for both projects was announced during President Rousseff’s visit to the Transcarioca works, alongside the Rio de Janeiro State’s Governor, Sergio Cabral; Mayor Eduardo Paes and the President of the Rio 2016™ Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Carlos Arthur Nuzman.
Construction of the Transcarioca is divided into two stages. The first, with 28km between Barra and the Penha area, began one year ago. This month Rio’s City Government will start the second phase of works: 11km between Penha and the Tom Jobim International Airport.
President Rousseff emphasised the role of the sporting events in Brazil as a way to encourage permanent improvements in Rio de Janeiro: "I would like to congratulate our dear friend Nuzman (...), who also represents (...) all the major events we will host here in the city of Rio de Janeiro (...). It is important to realise that all these events will be supported with an enormous effort from the Federal, State and Municipal Governments, to leave a legacy to this city’s people".
Governor Sergio Cabral stressed the close collaboration between the three levels of government: "This partnership means the Transcarioca, the Transbrasil, the Transoeste, the Transolímpica and the LRT, in addition to the Supervia and the Metro rail systems renovation. The partnership also means public security, support from the Armed Forces, and peacemaking in the communities. I would also like to announce to the Madureira community that we will bring the Police Peacemaking Units (UPPs as in the Portuguese acronym) here".
Mayor Eduardo Paes explained how the BRT Transcarioca line will change the life of a large portion of Rio de Janeiro: "The Transcarioca works are the most important of all BRTs, and will transform the city’s day-to-day. They will change traffic and transportation in several regions of Rio, especially the suburban area, which has lately been overlooked and dilapidated".
The Rio 2016™ President, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, highlighted the relevance of the announcement from three different standpoints: "The guaranteed investments from the Federal and City Governments show the commitment and integration of all government levels with Rio 2016™. They also ensure safe and efficient transportation during the Rio de Janeiro Olympic and Paralympic Games. And above all, it demonstrates that the event will bring deep and positive transformations to the city".
Photos of the announcement are available on the Rio 2016™ official website’s press room: www.rio2016.com/en/press-room/databank
For more information, contact: bernardo.domingues@rio2016.com
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These press releases appear as sent to Around the Rings and are not edited for spelling, grammar or punctuation.
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