Supporting urban mobility policies in the States of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo

São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are the two largest metropolitan areas in Brazil, in terms of both size and population and their economic weight. The extremely rapid urban sprawl in these cities poses a challenge for transport networks, which are reaching the limit of their capacity. The federal States, which are responsible for transport policies, have become aware of the need to reach high levels of efficiency and quality in infrastructure.

The grant from the Fund for Technical Expertise and Experience Transfers (FEXTE), which is financing the implementation of this technical cooperation, meets the demand of the authorities of both States to strengthen their transport and urban mobility policies. It follows on from two loans already allocated by AFD: To the State of São Paulo, to finance the new 13-Jade metropolitan train line; To the State of Rio de Janeiro, for budget support to its urban mobility policy. AFD has made EUR 500,000 available to each of these States.

The additional FEXTE financing will be earmarked to finance the development of technical cooperation with other Brazilian cities or States.

The cooperation program is assisting the two States in their process to improve the governance of the metropolitan transport sector, both at the organizational level (planning and intermodality management, fare system, operation) and operational level, in order to improve the urban integration of infrastructure projects. It particularly concerns exclusive lane public transport (tramway).

In April 2015, two tripartite cooperation agreements were signed under this program with the Île de France Transport Authority (STIF), AFD, and the States of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, respectively. The aim is to implement a cooperation policy in the field of urban mobility and its governance.

Long-term bilateral institutional cooperation promoted, in France and Brazil, between local authorities and/or public agencies in both countries; Know-how and expertise promoted of French companies already active or seeking to operate in the transport sector in Brazil. For example, the agreements signed with the two States provide for the implementation of operational assistance for the VLT-tramway projects, a technology for which the performance of French design offices is recognized.