Skip to main content

Latin America ‘needs major investment in mass transit’

Latin America needs to invest heavily in mass transport services to improve living standards in urban areas, according to Norman Anderson, CEO of US-based consulting firm CG/LA Infrastructure. "Unless there is mobility, it's hard to imagine cities being successful, cities being creative, so one of the things we emphasised, and we think is really important, is the whole mobility issue," Anderson said in an interview. In its most recent report on strategic infrastructure projects in Latin America, CG/L
June 10, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Latin America needs to invest heavily in mass transport services to improve living standards in urban areas, according to Norman Anderson, CEO of US-based consulting firm 7796 CG/LA Infrastructure.

"Unless there is mobility, it's hard to imagine cities being successful, cities being creative, so one of the things we emphasised, and we think is really important, is the whole mobility issue," Anderson said in an interview.

In its most recent report on strategic infrastructure projects in Latin America, CG/LA put three metro projects among the top 10. They are Bogota's US$3.6 billion metro project, Panama City's US$2.8 billion line 3, and Metro de Quito's US$1.5 billion second phase.

"Those are three cities that are desperate for mobility because they have horrible traffic issues," Anderson said, ahead of CG/LA's infrastructure conference in Cartagena, Colombia.

According to the 5982 Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Latin American countries are expected to invest some US$40 billion in metro projects by 2025.

Some other key projects in the region are the construction of line 3 and line 6 for Chilean capital Santiago's subway, the expansion of Brazil's São Paulo metro line 2, the expansion of Argentina's Buenos Aires line H, and the expansion of Mexico City's line 12.

In a recent report, CG/LA identified strategic urban mass transit projects worth US$14.1 billion.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Work to begin on Mexico City airport
    September 10, 2014
    Work on the new US$12.9 billion Mexico City international airport is scheduled to begin next month, according to Gerardo Ruiz, head of Mexico's transport and communications ministry SCT. Initial works include involve soil improvement, road connectivity and water infrastructure works. Water-related issues on the site could present the greatest challenge to the airport project, as the area is presently used as a buffer zone where excess rainwater from storms is diverted to the land to ease the capital's d
  • Road user charging potential solution to transportation problems
    December 14, 2012
    A number of new and highly significant open road tolling schemes have just been launched or are soon to ‘go live’. Systems of road user charging are flexing their muscles as the means to solve politically sensitive transportation problems, reports Jon Masters. Gothenburg, January 2013, will be the time and place for the launch of the next city congestion charging scheme in Europe. In a separate development, Los Angeles County’s tolled Metro ExpressLanes began operating in November 2012 – the latest in a ser
  • Half of passengers ‘would pay for better technology’
    August 2, 2013
    David Crawford considers the finding of a passenger attitude survey in nine cities worldwide. Three quarters of regular users of public transport in nine capital and other major cities worldwide believe that electronic ticketing would make travel easier; while an overwhelming 92% would welcome paperless travel in any form, according to a recent consumer survey from global management consultants Accenture. Of the 4,500 urban travellers aged over-18 who were quizzed, some 90% routinely used public transport.
  • Intertraffic Mexico 2017 will emphasize tomorrow’s mobility challenges
    November 14, 2017
    Over 5,000 industry professionals are expected to attend the second edition of Intertraffic Mexico, held in Citibanamex from 15-17 November 2017. Exhibitors from 47 countries will showcase their latest products and solutions within infrastructure, traffic management, parking, safety and smart mobility. It is set to highlight the best practises from the mobility industry with 180 companies on the show floor. Organised by RAI Amsterdam and E.J. Krause Tarsus de Mexico (KTdM), the event stimulates the