Transport in São Paulo plays a key role in the daily lives of the people ofSão Paulo and offers various methods ofpublic transport that are offered in the city, including a complex bus system run bySPTrans, and various subway and railway lines. Acontactless smartcard is used to pay fares for the buses, subway, and railway systems. São Paulo also has three airports.
Over 16,000 buses form the bulk of the public transport in São Paulo; including about 290trolley buses.[1] With the exception of a small network overseen by theEMTU, all bus lines are operated by concessionaires under the supervision ofSPTrans, 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.[2] 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 abus rapid transit system called theExpresso Tiradentes.[3] There is also a 725.7 km (450.9 mi) long system of reserved bus lanes, which are placed on large avenues and connected with the subway or suburban railway stations.[4]
With 13 lines, 187 stations and a total length of around 380 km (240 mi) (of which about 353 km or 219 mi is within the São Paulo Metropolitan Region boundaries),[5] theSão Paulo Metropolitan Rail Transport Network is the largesturban rail system in Latin America.[6]
The rail network transports about 8,3 million people daily[2] and it is operated by four different companies. Two are state-owned:São Paulo Metro and theCompanhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM). The other two are private:ViaQuatro andViaMobilidade.
Connections between the lines operated by different companies are usually free, with the only two exceptions being Tatuapé andCorinthians-Itaquera stations, where connections are paid during rush-hours and free during other periods.
The following lines are currently in operation:
| Line | Terminals | Inauguration | Operating Company | Length (km) | Stations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Blue | Tucuruvi ↔Jabaquara | September 14, 1974 | Metrô-SP | 20.2 | 23 |
| 2 Green | Vila Madalena ↔Vila Prudente | January 25, 1991 | Metrô-SP | 14.6 | 14 |
| 3 Red | Palmeiras-Barra Funda ↔Corinthians-Itaquera | March 10, 1979 | Metrô-SP | 22.0 | 18 |
| 4 Yellow | Luz ↔Vila Sônia | May 25, 2010 | ViaQuatro | 12.8 | 11 |
| 5 Lilac | Capão Redondo ↔Chácara Klabin | October 20, 2002 | ViaMobilidade | 19.9 | 17 |
| 7 Ruby | Palmeiras-Barra Funda ↔Jundiaí | February 16, 1867 (São Paulo Railway) | CPTM | 62.7 | 18 |
| 8 Diamond | Júlio Prestes ↔Amador Bueno | July 10, 1875 (Estrada de Ferro Sorocabana) | ViaMobilidade | 41.6 | 22 |
| 9 Emerald | Osasco ↔Varginha | 1957 (Estrada de Ferro Sorocabana) | ViaMobilidade | 37.3 | 21 |
| 10 Turquoise | Palmeiras-Barra Funda ↔Rio Grande da Serra | February 16, 1867 (São Paulo Railway) | CPTM | 37.2 | 15 |
| 11 Coral | Palmeiras-Barra Funda ↔Estudantes | 1886 (Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil) | CPTM | 54.1 | 17 |
| 12 Sapphire | Brás ↔Calmon Viana | 1934 (Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil) | CPTM | 38.8 | 13 |
| 13 Jade | Guarulhos Airport ↔ Engenheiro Goulart (with express service toPalmeiras-Barra Funda andLuz) | March 31, 2018 | CPTM | 12.2 | 3 |
| 15 Silver | Vila Prudente ↔Jardim Colonial | August 30, 2014 | Metrô-SP | 14.6 | 11 |
| Total in operation: | 388 | 203 | |||
The following lines are currently under construction or undergoing expansion. When completed, the network will total 450 km:
| Line | Terminals | Inauguration | Length (km) | Stations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Green | Vila Prudente ↔ Dutra | To Vila Formosa 2027 To Penha 2028 To Dutra 2031[7][8] | +14.5 | +13 |
| 4 Yellow | Vila Sônia ↔ Taboão da Serra | 2028[9] | +3.3 | +2 |
| 5 Lilac | Capão Redondo ↔ Jardim Angela | 2028[10] | +4.3 | +2 |
| 6 Orange | São Joaquim ↔ Brasilândia[11][12] | 2026[13] | 15.3 | 15 |
| 11 Coral | Estudantes ↔ César de Sousa | 2031[14] | +4 | +1 |
| 12 Sapphire | Calmon Viana ↔ Suzano | 2031[14] | +2.7 | +1 |
| 13 Jade | Guarulhos Airport ↔ Bonsucesso + Engenheiro Goulart ↔ Gabriela Mistral | 2032[14] | +10.4 | +8 |
| 15 Silver | Jardim Colonial ↔ Jacú Pêssego + Ipiranga ↔ Vila Prudente | 2026[15][16] | +4.6 | +3 |
| 17 Gold | Morumbi Station ↔ Washington Luís Station and Congonhas Station Branch | 2026[17] | 6.7 | 8 |
| Total under construction: | 65.8 | 53 | ||
| Total in operation and under construction: | 453,8 | 256 | ||
The following lines are currently under project:
| Line | Terminals | Length (km) | Stations | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Onyx | Bonsucesso ↔ Jardim Irene | 41 | 23 | Contract Signing in Q1 2026[18][19] |
| 16 Violet | Teodoro Sampaio ↔ Cidade Tiradentes | 32 | 25 | Contract Signing in Q3 2026[20] |
| 19 Sky Blue | Anhangabaú ↔ Bosque Maia | 16 | 15 | Contract Signing in Q3 2026[21] |
| 20 Pink | Santa Marina ↔ Santo André | 30 | 24 | Contract Signing in Q3 2026[22] |
São Paulo had tram lines during the first half of the 20th century, but they were eradicated following the expansion of the bus system.[23]
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 8.1 km (5.0 mi), while 18% travel for over 12 km (7.5 mi) in a single direction.[24]
São Paulo has three airports. Two of them, São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport andCongonhas Airport are located in the metropolitan area, while the third,Campo de Marte, is located north of thecity 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 inCampinas, over 100 km away from the city.
Congonhas Airport operates domestic and regional flights, mainly toRio de Janeiro,Belo Horizonte andBrasília. Guarulhos International Airport, also known to São Paulo locals as "Cumbica", is located 25 km (16 mi) North East of the city center, in the neighbouring city ofGuarulhos. Guarulhos airport operates both domestic and international flights. Major Brazilian airlines handled by Congonhas Airport and Guarulhos Airport includeTAM Airlines,Gol Transportes Aéreos, andAzul 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.
AdditionallySão Paulo Catarina Executive Airport located inSão Roque, opened in 2019 handles general aviation traffic.
São Paulo has the largest fleet ofhelicopters in the world, with around 500 registered helicopters and 700 flights per day in the city.[25] 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 manyair taxi companies in the city, used mostly by the upper class to travel between São Paulo andRio de Janeiro.
Many Brazilian highways pass through or start inSão Paulo itself, including theBR-116,Rodovia dos Bandeirantes,Rodovia Raposo Tavares, theRodovia Anhangüera,Rodovia dos Imigrantes,Rodovia Castelo Branco, andVia Dutra.
TheRodoanel Mario Covas (SP-21) (also known as Rodoanel Metropolitano de São Paulo or simplyRodoanel) is amotorway 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 andTietê).
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.
Similar to theHoy 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.
| 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 |
«Projeto Qualificado – Linha 16-Violeta»
«Projeto Qualificado – Expansão Rede Metroviária»
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