Dario Hidalgo, an international expert in urban mobility and development with extensive experience in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), has joined EMBARQ, the World Resources Institute Center for Sustainable Transport, as New Business Development Director and Senior Transport Engineer.
Hidalgo will provide support to EMBARQ’s ongoing transport projects in Turkey, India, Mexico and Brazil. He will also develop new projects aimed at alleviating congestion and pollution in cities throughout the developing world.
“Over half the world’s population will soon live in urban areas, making it more urgent than ever for cities to develop clean and safe transportation systems,” said Nancy Kete, EMBARQ’s director. “Through his work as a government official and an urban transport consultant, Dario has shown a keen understanding of the challenges of urbanization and the link between transport, prosperity, and health. He is a great addition to the EMBARQ team.”
A native of Colombia, Hidalgo has spent the last 15 years in the field of urban transport, working both as a government official and a consultant for various international agencies and local governments. He has advised local governments and led training courses on planning and implementation of BRT systems in India, South Africa, China, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Ghana and Thailand.
An important experience in his extensive career was his participation in the planning and implementation of TransMilenio, arguably the most advanced BRT system in the world, now moving 1.3 million passengers per day. Hidalgo was member of the board of directors and deputy general manager during the implementation of TransMilenio Phase 1 (81 km), and the planning of its second phase (82 km).
In his hometown of Bogota, he has also worked as a graduate lecturer in urban planning at Universidad de Los Andes. Hidalgo is the author of more than 30 articles, including a comprehensive review of bus systems in developing countries. He is a civil engineer and holds a Ph.D. in transportation planning from The Ohio State University.
