Transport in São Paulo plays a key role in the daily lives of the people of São Paulo and offers various methods of public transport that are offered in the city, including a complex bus system run by SPTrans, and various subway and railway lines. A contactless smartcard is used to pay fares for the buses, subway, and railway systems. São Paulo also has three airports.

Bus system

Over 16,000 buses form the bulk of the public transport in São Paulo; including about 290 trolley buses.Webb, Mary (Ed.) (2009). Jane's Urban Transport Systems 2009-2010, pp. 42/6. Coulsdon (UK): Jane's Information Group. . With the exception of a small network overseen by the EMTU, all bus lines are operated by concessionaires under the supervision of SPTrans, a municipal company responsible for the planning and management of public transport. The SPTrans buses are painted with region-specific colours and carry about 8,8 million people daily. Until 2003, informal transport vans had a large presence in the city, but the vast majority are now registered with the city council, legalised, and now operate under the same colour scheme used in the main system. To increase efficiency in the city, São Paulo implemented in 2007 a bus rapid transit system called the Expresso Tiradentes. There is also a long system of reserved bus lanes, which are placed on large avenues and connected with the subway or suburban railway stations.

Rail transport

With 13 lines, 187 stations and a total length of around (of which about is within the São Paulo Metropolitan Region boundaries), the São Paulo Metropolitan Rail Transport Network is the largest urban rail system in Latin America.

The rail network transports about 8,3 million people daily and it is operated by five different companies. Two are state-owned: Companhia do Metropolitano de São Paulo (Metrô-SP) and the Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM). The other three are private: Motiva Linha 4, ViaMobilidade and TIC Trens.

Connections between the lines operated by different companies are usually free, with the only two exceptions being Tatuapé and Corinthians-Itaquera stations, where connections are paid during rush-hours and free during other periods.

Current network The following lines are currently in operation:

LineTerminalsInaugurationOperating CompanyLength (km)Stations1BlueTucuruvi ↔ JabaquaraSeptember 14, 1974Metrô-SP20.2232GreenVila Madalena ↔ Vila PrudenteJanuary 25, 1991Metrô-SP14.6143RedPalmeiras-Barra Funda ↔ Corinthians-ItaqueraMarch 10, 1979Metrô-SP22.0184YellowLuz ↔ Vila SôniaMay 25, 2010Motiva Linha 412.8115LilacCapão Redondo ↔ Chácara KlabinOctober 20, 2002ViaMobilidade19.9177RubyPalmeiras-Barra Funda ↔ JundiaíFebruary 16, 1867 (São Paulo Railway)TIC Trens62.7188DiamondJúlio Prestes ↔ Amador BuenoJuly 10, 1875 (Estrada de Ferro Sorocabana)ViaMobilidade41.6229EmeraldOsasco ↔ Varginha1957 (Estrada de Ferro Sorocabana)ViaMobilidade37.32110TurquoisePalmeiras-Barra Funda ↔ Rio Grande da SerraFebruary 16, 1867 (São Paulo Railway)CPTM37.21511CoralPalmeiras-Barra Funda ↔ Estudantes1886 (Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil)CPTM54.11712SapphireBrás ↔ Calmon Viana1934 (Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil)CPTM38.81313JadeEngenheiro Goulart ↔ Aeroporto-GuarulhosMarch 31, 2018CPTM12.2315SilverVila Prudente ↔ Jardim ColonialAugust 30, 2014Metrô-SP14.61117GoldMorumbi ↔ Washington Luís and Aeroporto de Congonhas BranchMarch 31, 2026ViaMobilidade6.78Total in operation: 395.8211

Future network The following lines are currently under construction or undergoing expansion. When completed, the network will total 450 km:

LineTerminalsInaugurationLength (km)Stations2GreenVila Prudente ↔ DutraTo Vila Formosa 2027To Penha 2028To Dutra 2031 +14.5+134YellowVila Sônia ↔ Taboão da Serra2028+3.3+25LilacCapão Redondo ↔ Jardim Angela2028+4.3+26OrangeSão Joaquim ↔ Brasilândia202615.31511CoralEstudantes ↔ César de Sousa2031+4+112SapphireCalmon Viana ↔ Suzano2031+2.7+113JadeAeroporto–Guarulhos ↔ Bonsucesso + Engenheiro Goulart ↔ Gabriela Mistral2032+10.4+815SilverJardim Colonial ↔ Jacu-Pêssego + Ipiranga ↔ Vila Prudente2026+4.6+3Total under construction: 5845Total in operation and under construction: 453,8256

The following lines are currently under project:

LineTerminalsLength (km)StationsStatus14OnyxBonsucesso ↔ Jardim Irene4123Contract Signing in Q1 202616VioletCardeal Arcoverde ↔ Cidade Tiradentes3225Contract Signing in Q3 202619Sky BlueAnhangabaú ↔ Bosque Maia1615Contract Signing in Q3 202620PinkSanta Marina ↔ Santo André3024Contract Signing in Q3 2026

São Paulo had tram lines during the first half of the 20th century, but they were eradicated following the expansion of the bus system.

Public Transportation Statistics The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in São Paulo, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 93 min. 30% of public transit riders, ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit (including buses) is 19 min, while 35% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is , while 18% travel for over in a single direction. Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Airfare

Airports

São Paulo has three airports. Two of them, São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport and Congonhas Airport are located in the metropolitan area, while the third, Campo de Marte, is located north of the city center. Campo de Marte also hosts the Ventura Goodyear Blimp. Viracopos International Airport is sometimes referred to as a São Paulo airport, though is located in Campinas, over 100 km away from the city.

Congonhas Airport operates domestic and regional flights, mainly to Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Brasília. Guarulhos International Airport, also known to São Paulo locals as "Cumbica", is located North East of the city center, in the neighbouring city of Guarulhos. Guarulhos airport operates both domestic and international flights. Major Brazilian airlines handled by Congonhas Airport and Guarulhos Airport include TAM Airlines, Gol Transportes Aéreos, and Azul Brazilian Airlines. Campo de Marte airport handles some private and small-sized airplanes.

In 2006, about 34.3 million people used the city's airports (mainly from Congonhas and Guarulhos International Airport, the only two operating commercial flights). Infraero, Brazil's main aviation authority, estimates that with the remodelling of Guarulhos Airport, São Paulo's airports will be able to handle about 45 million passengers a year within the next five years.

Additionally São Paulo Catarina Executive Airport located in São Roque, opened in 2019 handles general aviation traffic.

Heliports São Paulo has the largest fleet of helicopters in the world, with around 500 registered helicopters and 700 flights per day in the city. The owners are an elite wealthy class who take advantage of approximately one hundred helipads and heliports to conveniently avoid heavy traffic. In addition, there are many air taxi companies in the city, used mostly by the upper class to travel between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Motorways

Roads

Many Brazilian highways pass through or start in São Paulo itself, including the BR-116, Rodovia dos Bandeirantes, Rodovia Raposo Tavares, the Rodovia Anhangüera, Rodovia dos Imigrantes, Rodovia Castelo Branco, and Via Dutra.

Rodoanel

The Rodoanel Mario Covas (SP-21) (also known as Rodoanel Metropolitano de São Paulo or simply Rodoanel) is a motorway being built around the center of the metropolitan region of São Paulo in an attempt to alleviate traffic intensity of trucks along the city's two riverside highways (Pinheiros and Tietê).

The Rodoanel is being constructed as a multi-lane, limited-access freeway, with large sections to be built in unoccupied regions: along the edge of forests, close to residential areas, etc. This is in an effort to prevent squatting and development in environmentally sensitive areas along the route. Construction is being carried out in four phases: west, south, east and north. As of mid-2010, the west and south section have been completed. The beginning of construction on the east section is planned for February 2011. Due to the rougher terrain and environmental concerns, there is no projected date for the initiation of construction on the northern section.

Travel restrictions

Similar to the Hoy No Circula program in Mexico, São Paulo has implemented restrictions on travel to maintain the quality of air. Drivers must respect a certain schedule according to the last digit of their car's license plate number.

Interconnected roads

West (2002) South (2010) East (2014) North (2018) SP-332 Imigrantes Ayrton Senna Fernão Dias Bandeirantes Anchieta Dutra Anhangüera SP-66 Castelo Branco Raposo Tavares Régis Bittencourt

References

Further reading