Problem

Over a quarter of Mexico's greenhouse gas emissions comes from its transportation sector. Almost all modes of transportation in Mexico run on fossil fuels, which are significantly harmful to air quality and the climate crisis. In Mexico, the respective effects caused by such emissions are highly concentrated in the urban areas where roughly 80% of the population lives. With the low quality of public transportation services in the country, combined with low connectivity, long waiting times, and overcrowding, the number of cars per capita is expected to increase in the coming years.  

Public transport services are often neither accessible nor inclusive, as their design leaves behind disabled people, women, children, and other vulnerable groups. Frequent crimes such as muggings, robberies or sexual assaults have also created a safety crisis for public transportation in Mexico. Moreover, most local governments lack the data and technical capacity to implement sustainable transport solutions. 

Responses

TranSIT seeks to address Mexico’s transport challenges through a three-pronged approach involving decision-making tools, demonstration projects, and knowledge exchange. It seeks to enhance local capacity by developing tools and skills among transport professionals, enabling effective planning and execution. Demonstration projects provide practical, on-the-ground experiences at the subnational level, empowering stakeholders to adopt and replicate sustainable measures independently. Cross-cutting topics include data digitalisation to enable evidence-based decision-making, social inclusion and gender equality to create accessible transit for all, financing to support climate-friendly investments, and electromobility as a core strategy for emissions reduction. Road safety initiatives further aim to make public transit a safer alternative, decreasing reliance on private cars and seeking to foster sustainable, inclusive urban mobility.

Find out more: Transformative Mobility