Urban Train expansion plans include route to Old San Juan

Puerto Rico’s Integrated Transportation Authority is evaluating new stations and business concessions.

The expansion of Puerto Rico’s Urban Train is being assessed, Josué Menéndez, executive director of the Integrated Transportation Authority (ATI), said in an interview with News is my Business.

“Some consultations have taken place regarding the Urban Train’s expansion to the northeast of Puerto Rico,” Menéndez said. “The intention is basically to continue expanding the train’s services. The important thing is that with the studies being carried out, we basically present to the Federal Transit Administration the need for expansion, where it would run through, and what services would be offered. That way, we are able to request those federal funds.”

Menéndez also mentioned that this week he will participate in the quarterly meeting with the FTA, where the Urban Train’s expansion will be a key topic.

A station at the Distrito T-Mobile convention center district is being considered, as well as a station in Old San Juan. 

“Even though we have not finished the study, [FTA officials] will ask us [about it] as part of the agenda,” Menéndez said.

He emphasized that Puerto Rico’s transportation systems are undergoing a total transformation, and the Urban Train “is not left behind,” as it is an integral part of the process. 

“We have a lot of work. Planning is essential and continuity is as well,” he said. “In terms of the restoration, we are talking about public works, communication systems, audio and video systems, updating elevators and stairs. The ticket vending machines are on the way. We have done it little by little, but we have achieved it. And what we are doing now is continuing with that transformation to achieve all those objectives.”

Although renting spaces in the Urban Train stations has progressed slower than expected, a few businesses have already established themselves. At the Torrimar station in Guaynabo, there is a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop, while the Bayamón station is home to Dipea Wings and other establishments like ICPR Junior College and Beer Me Home, a beer and tapas bar.

Menéndez explained that there is a program called “Vive Urbano,” which is working on the real estate aspect of available Urban Train station spaces for rent. 

“There is a gym, a barbershop and I think there is a karate dojo at the San Francisco Station,” Menéndez noted. “All these spaces will be rehabilitated [by] every tenant. We will be announcing all the concessions that are going to be established. The thing is that not all concessions will open at the same time. What we want is to boost the use of public transportation, more so now that it is free, so that all these concessions are visited.”

The Sagrado Corazón Station in Santurce also features several businesses, including Fetch, a dog day-care center; Photo Heavy 26 Inc., a photography service; the coffee shop EuroCafé; and a Drivers Service Center (Cesco, in Spanish).

Author Details

• Author Details

Maria Miranda

Author Details

Maria Miranda is an investigative reporter and editor with 20 years of experience in Puerto Rico’s English-language newspapers. In that capacity, she has worked on long-term projects and has covered breaking news under strict deadlines. She is proficient at mining data from public databases and interviewing people (both public figures and private sector individuals). She is also a translator, and has edited and translated an economy book on Puerto Rico’s fiscal crisis. She worked as an interpreter for FEMA during the recent recovery efforts of Hurricane María and earned her FEMA badge.

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mmiranda@newsismybusiness.com