Puerto Rico launches $22M public transportation system overhaul
Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, alongside Secretary Eileen Vélez-Vega of the Transportation and Public Works Department (DTOP), Executive Director Josué Menéndez-Agosto of the Integrated Transportation Authority (ATI), and Executive Director Edwin González-Montalvo of the Highways & Transportation Authority (HTA), announced the start of the transformation and modernization of the public and collective transportation system.
With an investment of $22 million in federal funds, the public transportation system modernization will include installing fiber optics at all train stations, implementing GPS on buses, and manufacturing equipment. The initiative will also carry out inspections, quality controls, civil works and incorporate General Transit Feed Specification programming systems, which are industry standards in public transportation.
The initial phase of the transformation will introduce new billing and access equipment for collective transportation, with work extending into the summer. This phase includes ticket machines, access gates and bus validators.
“Today we announce the progress of the renovation works of the payment systems at Urban Train stations with the installation of the new and modern Fairgate system,” Pierluisi stated. “These works began last October at the Martínez Nadal Station [in Guaynabo] and now we enter a new phase of this replacement, modernization and optimization project that extends to all Urban Train stations.”
The governor said this phase “will last approximately six months, during which the installation and testing of the new ticket machines and security accesses that will now serve the train stations, as well as the ATI buses and the Metropolitan Bus Authority, will proceed. Now, instead of passing through the barriers that have been used for the past 20 years, we will have new tempered glass security doors. Furthermore, our Urban Train stations will have the most modern and efficient technology, which will ensure a better experience for its users.”
The new machines, “the first to be used in the United States,” Pierluisi said, will allow for various payment methods including credit and debit cards, contactless payments, train card and mobile applications after system validation and a passenger orientation phase.
“This modernization will streamline passenger entries and exits, as well as their travel time. I must add that both the machines and the new security doors at the stations will comply with all federal accessibility regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, including Braille signage,” explained Pierluisi.
During the implementation, from March 1, passengers will not be charged to access the train or the buses of the Metropolitan Bus Authority (AMA, in Spanish), Metro Bus, Metro Urbano, and Tu Conexión for about six months. This decision, the governor said, was reported to the Federal Transit Administration, in line with system regulations.
“Our priority is to transform public transportation and provide more alternatives to the citizens,” Vélez-Vega emphasized. “For this reason, one of our main objectives since we started … this administration is to work toward a process of modernization and innovation. With the installation of these new ticket machines, we are taking a step forward to offer a service with world-class technology.”
A new era
Menéndez-Agosto highlighted that the new access machines “mark a before and after in collective transportation on the island.”
“This innovative technology, in addition to making access to transportation easier, represents a step forward toward a more updated system adapted to the needs of these times,” Menéndez-Agosto said. “At ATI, we are committed to providing our passengers with an easier and more convenient travel experience and these new machines reflect that commitment.”
HTA’s González-Montalvo said the public corporation will “continue to work hard to provide an efficient transportation system for all Puerto Ricans. We continue to support ATI and DTOP with agile bidding processes to ensure that the reconstruction of our road system does not stop.”
“The new system will have high levels of security to protect the agency and the public, and prospectively, we will be able to have a new mobile application that allows planning our passengers’ trips, the ability to know where the train or bus is in real time, and to be able to pay fees through the cellphone,” Pierluisi added, noting that these advancements “will improve service” and “create efficiencies aimed at reducing maintenance costs.”
Cubic Transportation System, a corporation specializing in fare collection and access systems, was contracted for this project. The technology will replace machines used for the past two decades.
Pierluisi further stated that “this modernization is just the beginning,” with later plans to rehabilitate the 16 train stations and the Urban Train’s Operations and Administration Center in Guaynabo, involving more than $200 million for comprehensive infrastructure upgrades.
“Public transportation is a fundamental tool to promote the social and economic inclusion of our communities,” the governor concluded. “This way, we can guarantee that our citizens can enjoy the possibility of moving safely and affordably through our public roads even without a personal car. Our goal in Puerto Rico is to ensure that distances are no longer an obstacle for the citizenry. Increasing and optimizing the use of public transportation, in addition to directly benefiting our users, has a positive impact on environmental protection and the reduction of traffic congestion.”
