Brazil's Urban Mobility Ahead of the World Cup and Olympics

As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics, its cities are trying to improve their public transit systems.

The City Fix's Victoria Broadus takes a look at some of the plans underway and the roughly $6.5 billion the government will spend to update its urban mobility systems.

"The federal government has set aside R$7.68 billion (US$4.34 billion) for 'urban mobility' infrastructure improvements in host cities; state and local governments have committed an additional R$3.8 billion (about US$2.15 billion), bringing the total to R$11.48 billion (US$6.48 billion). Private investments will increase this figure. Ideally, transit projects should be nearly complete by the Confederations Cup, which will Brazil will host in 2013 as a prelude to the World Cup.

Federal funds are being administered by Pro-Transporte, a Ministry of Cities program with the objective of promoting 'collective urban transportation projects for physical, economic, and social development, improvements in quality of life, and environmental preservation.'"

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Brazil invites bids for Olympic train

BRASILIA: A high-speed train between Brazil's largest cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, should be ready in time for the 2016 Olympics, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said yesterday.

"I think that it's completely feasible that we'll inaugurate the project by 2016," Lula said .

"We want the project to be ready for the 2016 Olympic Games." The Brazilian government yesterday published
specifications of the project, with an estimated cost of 33 billion reals (RM30b). It has attracted interest from companies from Europe to Asia. Companies have until Nov 29 to present their bids, before a decision is made on Dec 16.

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