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. 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 (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 network transports about 8,3 million people daily and it is operated by four different companies. Two are state-owned: São Paulo Metro and the Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM). The other two are private: ViaQuatro, which operates Line 4 - Yellow ; and ViaMobilidade, which operates Line 5 - Lilac and the future Line 17 - Gold.
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.
There are currently 4 lines operated by the São Paulo Metro Company and 2 under construction:
Line 1 (Blue): The first Metrô line built. The line connects the North and the South Side of São Paulo. Connections are available for the Green, Red, Yellow, and Lilac lines, and also CPTM trains. The line serves Tietê and Jabaquara bus terminals. Line 2 (Green): Transverses the Avenida Paulista ridge, connecting Vila Prudente to Vila Madalena, and connects to the Blue, Yellow, and Lilac metro lines, as well as to the Silver monorail line. It also provides connections to CPTM trains. Line 3 (Red): One of São Paulo's busiest lines and connects the East Side to the West Side. Connections to the Blue and Yellow lines are possible, as are with CPTM and ViaMobilidade trains. The Barra Funda bus terminal is located on this line. Line 6 (Orange) (under construction): Announced in 2008, with construction initiated in 2015, the Orange Line will connect the district of Freguesia do Ó, in the Northwestern side of the city to downtown São Paulo. Connections to the Blue and Yellow lines will be possible, and also with the CPTM and ViaMobilidade trains. As of January 2022, the construction is ongoing and the opening is scheduled for September 2026. Line 15 (Silver): This is the first high-capacity monorail line in the country. It runs east from Vila Prudente station, where it connects to the Green metro line. As of December 2021, eleven stations are open and an expansion to Cidade Tiradentes and Ipiranga is under development. Line 17 (Gold) (under construction): Monorail line that will connect Morumbi station with the Congonhas Airport. Connection with the Lilac line will be possible, and also to the ViaMobilidade train service. As of April 2021, the line is expected to open in April 2023. Further expansion to this line is expected as plans to expand it are under development. The expansion will span westward, crossing the Pinheiros River and connecting to the Yellow Line, and eastward, connecting to the Blue line. Operation of this line will be contracted out to ViaMobilidade.
The following line is operated by ViaQuatro: Line 4 (Yellow): Connects the central Luz station to the West and South Sides in a route constructed immediately below the Consolação and Rebouças avenues. Connections are available to the Blue, Green and Red lines and to ViaMobilidade trains. Operation of this line is contracted out to ViaQuatro for 30 years, which is renewable for another 30 years.