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

  • New South Wales budget ‘builds for the future’
    June 22, 2017
    Australia’s New South Wales Government has committed US$55 billion (A$72.7 billion) over the next four years to infrastructure investments, including US$31 billion (A$41.4 billion) for roads and transport.
  • ULEZ: is it the best way to tackle air quality?
    August 31, 2023
    Issues of equity and economics need to considered in London's ultra-clean air zone expansion
  • C40 mayors make global ‘clean air’ pledge
    October 11, 2019
    In a move that will have significant implications for urban transit, 35 mayors at this week’s C40 World Mayors Summit in Copenhagen have pledged to “implement substantive clean air policies by 2025”. Among other developments, this is likely to mean further increases in low- or zero-carbon public transport and zero-emissions zones, along with enhanced incentives and infrastructure to support walking and cycling, in cities worldwide. Signing the C40 Clean Air Cities Declaration, the mayors signalled their
  • Asecap: get ready to rethink everything you know
    November 15, 2022
    How can we make our infrastructure ready for new sustainability challenges? What kind of investments are needed? And who will finance them? Tolling association Asecap has some thoughts. Geoff Hadwick reports from Lisbon