By The Star Staff
The Integrated Transit Authority (ATI by its initials in Spanish) has made significant progress in the transformation of public transport systems on the island, with a focus on innovation, sustainability, and efficiency, ATI Executive Director Josué Menéndez Agosto said during a transition hearing late last week.
“These years have been fundamental in promoting changes leading to a more reliable, accessible and efficient metropolitan transit system,” Menéndez Agosto said. “We are proud of the achievements obtained, but aware that there is still much to be done to guarantee a service that fully responds to the needs of our people.
The ATI chief emphasized that from 2021-2024, ATI has implemented crucial changes that have improved the quality of life of thousands of users and have strengthened socioeconomic development, mainly in the San Juan metropolitan area.
The agency has made essential capital improvements during the past four years, Menéndez Agosto said. The maritime transit system has been rehabilitated by renovating existing terminals and acquiring specialized maintenance equipment. In addition, the purchase of four new vessels and a barge for service to the offshore island municipalities of Vieques and Culebra will exponentially increase the capacity and stability of cargo and passenger transportation, reducing operational costs and ensuring an even more efficient and safe service for users, he noted.
Menéndez Agosto highlighted that the maritime system is much more stable and reliable than before. For example, the service operator, HMS Ferries, reports an average of 97% on-time departures.
In terms of infrastructure, progress has also been made in the construction of a new passenger terminal in Ceiba and in steps toward the rehabilitation of the Mosquito Terminal in Vieques, a project that will not only modernize cargo and passenger operations but will also promote local economic development by converting the terminal into a more significant, more accessible and attractive facility for tourism and commerce, the official said. The maritime transportation system moves more than 1.5 million passengers annually between the service for the island municipalities and the metro service (San Juan-Cataño).
Menéndez Agosto noted further that technological advances have been a crucial aspect of ATI’s strategy for integrating mobile applications that allow users to plan their trips, check schedules in real-time and receive service updates, facilitating accessibility to public transportation and positioning Puerto Rico, like other jurisdictions, at the forefront of smart mobility.
Regarding buses, one of the greatest recent successes, the ATI director said, is the inauguration in 2022 of the E-30 route that connects San Juan with Caguas, expanding mobility in the region with high-capacity buses that operate daily with 30-minute intervals and with an approximate patronage of 60,000 people per year.
In 2024, the modernization of the ticketing system began with the implementation of the Automatic Fare Collection System, a system that will allow various payment methods and will be more accessible for people with physical limitations, complying with federal accessibility requirements. The project, which is at an advanced stage, marks the first time in 20 years of service that the Urban Train (Tren Urbano) has undergone significant improvements in its fare collection and ticketing system.
“The change is so drastic that we have had to stop collecting fares since March 1st due to this implementation, and the citizen response has been impressive,” Menéndez Agosto said. “This project has the endorsement of the Federal Transportation Agency and has also been communicated to the Financial Oversight [and Management] Board of Puerto Rico. As a result of this free fare, we have perceived an immense interest in using the train and there has been a patronage of more than 2.8 million passengers so far this year, a significant number that is expected to continue to be positive when the collection system is resumed.”
The official also highlighted that all the commercial spaces located in Urban Train stations are occupied for the first time, generating added value for users and offering new opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
In addition, the ATI has diversified the public transit system by introducing the concept of micro mobility, which promotes the use of light vehicles such as bicycles, scooters and electric skateboards, integrating them as a complement to existing public transit. To advance this policy, the restriction that involved acquiring the pass known as Bici-Tren to carry the light vehicles on board was eliminated. Menéndez Agosto said the simple change in train use regulations has helped increase ridership.
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