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 A bus at the downtown transit center | |
| Parent | City of El Paso |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1977 |
| Headquarters | 10151 MontanaEl Paso, Texas |
| Locale | El Paso, Texas, US |
| Service area | El Paso County |
| Service type | bus,paratransit |
| Alliance | Project Amistad, El Paso County Route Transit |
| Routes | 63 |
| Stops | 2,858 |
| Hubs | 8 |
| Fleet | 171 |
| Daily ridership | 19,600 (weekdays, Q1 2025)[1] |
| Annual ridership | 6,599,700 (2024)[2] |
| Fuel type | Compressed natural gas |
| Operator | City of El Paso |
| Website | sunmetro.net |
Sun Metro Mass Transit Department, simply known asSun Metro, is thepublic transportation provider that servesEl Paso, Texas. Consisting of buses andparatransit service, it is a department of the City of El Paso, and the agency also serves the rest ofEl Paso County. The major hub is located at the Bert Williams Downtown Santa Fe Transfer Center in the surrounding block areas in Downtown El Paso. In 2024, the system had a ridership of 6,599,700, or about 19,600 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2025.
Until 1987, Sun Metro was calledSun City Area Transit (SCAT).
The agency was headquartered at the historicUnion Depot in downtown El Paso until 2014, when it opened a new 37.5-acre (15.2 ha) facility along Montana Avenue southeast ofEl Paso International Airport.[3]
Sun Metro began operating itsexpress bus service, named Brio, on October 27, 2014,[4] serving the Mesa Street corridor (part ofState Highway 20) betweenDowntown El Paso and the Westside Transfer Center in Northwest El Paso. The frequency of Brio buses range from 10 minutes during weekdayrush hours to 15 minutes mid-day from Monday to Friday, and 20 minutes on Saturdays; buses do not run on Sundays or holidays. The line uses 22 purpose-built curbside stations with shelters,ticket vending machines for pre-boarding payment, and real-time arrival information. The 8.6-mile-long (13.8 km) route runs in mixed traffic, but does usetransit signal priority. The Brio fleet consists of 60-foot-long (18 m) brandedNew FlyerXcelsiorarticulated buses powered bycompressed natural gas, able to carry 72 total passengers and feature on-boardWiFi, interiorbike racks, andpassenger information monitors.[5] The project cost $27.1 million to implement, using local funds and aFederal Transit Administration grant.[6][7]
Sun Metro opened its second Brio route, extending the system toMission Valley via Alameda Avenue at a cost of $35.5 million. Further routes on Dyer Street and Montana Avenue are planned, with the former beginning construction as early as 2017.[6][8]
TheEl Paso Streetcar[9] is astreetcar system inEl Paso, Texas, that opened for service on November 9, 2018, and uses a fleet of restoredPCC streetcars[10] that had served the city's previous system until its closure in 1974.[11] The system covers 4.8 miles (7.7 km)[12][13] (round trip) in two loops fromDowntown El Paso toUniversity of Texas at El Paso. The system was constructed under the authority of the Camino RealRegional Mobility Authority, but when the major construction was completed, around spring 2018, it was transferred to Sun Metro, for operation and maintenance.[11] As of 2016[update], construction of the system was projected to cost $97 million.[12]
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| Make/ Model | length | Year | Numbers (Quantity Ordered) | Engine/ Transmission | Fuel Propulsion | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Flyer C35LF | 35' | 2004 | 0401-0425 (25 buses) Retired as of 2024 |
| CNG | These buses were repowered with Cummins-Westport ISL-G 8.9L engines. |
| NABI 40-LFW | 40' | 2007 | 0601-0635 0680-0699 (55 buses) |
| CNG | |
| NABI 40-LFW | 40' | 2008 | 0901-0940 (40 buses) |
| CNG | |
| NABI 35-LFW Gen-II | 35' | 2010 | 1001–1008 (8 buses) |
| CNG | |
| New Flyer XN60 | 60' | 2014 | 14601-14610 (Brio) 14697-14699 (Fixed Route)(13 buses) |
| CNG | Most of these buses are used in Sun Metro's BRIO BRT service. |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XN40 | 40' | 2014 | 14401-14424 (24 buses) |
| CNG |
