It was Richard Katz

It was Richard Katz who brought me to meet Alexandre Castro. Katz is the pr for EMBARQ Brasil, the NGO directed toward traffic safety issues around the world, and he’s eager to discuss how sustainable transit saves lives.

EMBARQ, whose mission is “to catalyze and help implement sustainable transport solutions to improve quality of life in cities,” has been increasingly involved with Rio’s BRT system as it’s developed. It’s only 14 months old, after all, and only one of its four routes are operational. Too, EMBARQ remains available for what is essentially an education campaign, teaching people what BRT is and how to best make use of it. They created the template for the information that’s gone out to the Cariocas, or Rio residents.

As for saving lives, there have already been deaths due to the new system. “Even one death is too many,” said Katz, who is based in Port Alegra, the capital of Brazil’s southernmost state. Katz’ reasoning — EMBARQ’s reasoning — is that a good sustainable transport system will get people to leave their cars. EMBARQ has shown (and it seems incontrovertible) that most traffic deaths and accident stats worldwide are directly connected to the numbers of cars in a community.

Back to “very happy” Mr. Castro

When I asked Castro how he liked working in his very temporary headquarters, he laughed and said, “I’m an engineer! We are building our new offices next door, we are sending buses out every day, we are cutting people’s commutes by half. I am very happy.”

Photo Op W/ JC

That didn’t stop the clamoring rush for pilgrims wanting to take the pic in the pose: arms outstretched, face benevolent.

Jesus from the Front

By the time we rounded the bend a moment later, Christ was covered in mists and so were we.

Jesus from Behind

We approached Christ from behind, with the crowds in Rio. It was a blustery, occasionally miserable day but for a moment the clouds parted and we saw some blue sky and that strange huge solidity.

Castro at Rio’s BRT HQ

Alexandre Castro at the temporary headquarters of Rio de Janiero’s new BRT program. He is inspired about bringing simple, efficient transit out to Rio’s impoverished burbs, and he is inspiring.