Cairo Bus Rapid Transit Corridor Access Audit Report

Greater Cairo is a sprawling metropolis known for its daunting traffic jams. A lack of sufficient rapid transit options and rapidly increasing ownership of private cars leads to daily traffic snarls on the many wide roads that criss-cross the metropolitan area. Responding to these issues, the New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA), in partnership with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), and Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), is planning a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Greater Cairo. In the initial phase, the BRT network aims to provide improved connectivity between the New Communities of New Cairo, 6th of October City, central Cairo and Giza. Besides transforming public transport service, the BRT project has the potential to achieve a dramatic improvement in conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. Since many BRT passengers will arrive on foot, corridor designs should promote safe access for non-motorised transport (NMT) users. In particular, corridors require footpaths that are unobstructed, continuous, shaded, and well lit. BRT corridors also require high-quality facilities for cyclists. This report assesses the existing street conditions for NMT users across six key locations along the eastern and western BRT corridors.