Urban Train back on line; Lottery Bureau seeing upswing in ticket sales

Integrated Transportation Authority Executive Director Josué Menéndez Agosto

By The Star Staff

Secretary of Public Affairs Hiram Torres Montalvo, along with Puerto Rico Lottery Bureau Assistant Secretary Heidi Hernández Olivo and Integrated Transportation Authority (ATI by its initials in Spanish) Executive Director Josué Menéndez Agosto, provided an update Sunday on recent actions taken by the island government.

The ATI chief announced that the Urban Train is now operating at 100% capacity with all stations open and operational.

“We are extremely pleased to have completed the work and testing for the full return of the Urban Train,” Menéndez Agosto said. “We know that the train represents greater access, greater mobility, and more opportunities to connect the community. We invite all citizens to enjoy a safe, efficient, and reliable service.”

The full reactivation will facilitate attendance at work, academic appointments, events, and cultural activities, just in time for the upcoming events this summer, the official noted.

“The Urban Train has been much more than a means of transportation; it has been an engine of development for its users and the communities it serves,” Menéndez Agosto said.

The Puerto Rico Lottery Bureau, meanwhile, began the year with solid sales growth, driven by a strategy that combines new products and technology, thereby ensuring stable revenue allocated to social programs that directly benefit citizens islandwide, Hernández Olivo noted.

The success of the Jurassic Park instant game stands out, generating more than $1.3 million in sales in just four weeks. Its second chance through the app has motivated more than 30,000 registrations and 16,000 new downloads, confirming the impact of the innovations.

In the area of modernization, the entity continued to expand the PlayCentral machines, now present in 105 locations, achieving a 3% increase in sales.

The cashless system will soon be launched, allowing people to play with Apple Pay or an ATM card at more than 2,500 terminals. This year, the Electronic Lottery celebrates its 35th anniversary with a tour of several municipalities.

Other announcements at Sunday’s weekly press briefing included a $1.1 million public-private partnership in which the Police Bureau received 13 new patrol vehicles equipped with advanced technology to enhance road safety in Puerto Rico; the appointment by Gov. Jenniffer González Colón of David Figueroa Betancourt, a recognized rights defender, academic and community leader, as the new ombudsman for people with disabilities; and orientation seminars offered by Transportation and Public Works Secretary Edwin González Montalvo for mayors throughout the island with the aim of strengthening collaboration between the central government and municipalities, and serving as a platform for discussion and cooperation.