Cities in today’s world are facing growing traffic congestion, environmental pollution and social exclusion. Especially in the developing world these problems constitute a serious issue. Unsustainability of the urban mobility becomes a threat to future development and the quality of urban life in many areas. The story of the Colombian capital, Bogota is a fascinating example of a huge effort taken in order to transform the city through the development of high quality bus rapid transit system – Transmilenio. The new integrated transportation project was a core of the political agenda of the key political figure in Bogota’s history at the break of the millennium – Enrique Peñalosa. This paper investigates the planning and implementation process of the biggest BRT system in the world and attempts to draw lessons for planning that it can provide. The special focus is being put on the barriers the innovative, sustainable mobility projects face and based on the case of the Colombian experience; the author tries to point what are the key issues to be considered by the planners trying to realize similar projects in other cities.