New Costa Rica beltway seen as opportunity to overhaul public transport

Completing the US$163mn Circunvalación Norte beltway for Costa Rica’s capital San José will open an opportunity to overhaul the entire public transport system, an expert said.

“I do not consider that Costa Rica currently operates a public transportation system. It is an accumulation of independent routes, but it is not a system,” urban transport consultant David Gómez told BNamericas.

The comptroller’s office has recently greenlighted US$59mn for the last part of the beltway. Works began in 1979. The beltway will divert especially heavy goods vehicles around central San José, enabling options to better organize public transport.

Numerous private companies are already operating several bus lines across the country and uphold high safety standards, Gómez said.

But traffic accidents caused more than one death on average per day before the pandemic, due to poor driving education and deficient infrastructure, among others.

Although rail transport is not as developed, it is improving, Gomez said.

Electronic payments are only possible for train rides. Enabling this option for buses still requires more agreements, and proposals under consideration include paying by bank card.

“The electric train project is an essential step on the road to systematization. A train with a significantly higher capacity needs a network of bus routes to feed it,” according to Gómez.

A pilot scheme involving 15 electric buses has been implemented and more train lines are being electrified as part of modernization efforts. A proposed metro system remains in the pre-feasibility stage.

Electric transport is set to become crucial as the government is implementing a US$21bn decarbonization plan to reach carbon neutrality.

But Gómez said the decarbonization plan needs more work as the focus on electric vehicles could come at the expense of sustainable transport like walking and cycling.

A public transport milestone will be the renewal of bus concessions after they expire on September 30. Public transport council CTP has asked for concession periods of 15 years rather than the seven-year contracts used so far.

The association said the longer concession period would enable bus companies to buy electric units without passing the costs on to passengers.

“Based on these new concessions, local governments should have greater involvement in the public transport service. Improving stops, roads and, where necessary, enabling multimodal stations,” Gómez said.

The expert added San José needs a metropolitan transport authority to manage the ecosystem involving trains along the east-west axis and a two-tier bus system. The goal should be to place bus stops within walking distance of homes.

Short-term solutions could involve micro-mobility, carpooling, and zero-emission logistics, Gómez said.