New rapid transit system is well received

El Paso has had rapid transit for two weeks. So far, it looks like people are getting acclimated with the Brio.

“It’s a good service,” UTEP student Miguel Vidal told ABC-7 as he waited by the Brio’s bus stop on Glory Road Dr.

And it’s a fast service.

The rapid transit bus quickly collected Vidal and its other passengers, and was driving off less than a minute after stopping.

“I think it’s a good bus, a good source of transportation,” said UTEP student Manny Vasquez. “It’s affordable for us and it’s quicker.”

“We’re really happy with the turnout,” said Sun Metro spokeswoman Laura Cruz-Acosta. Cruz-Acosta said bus service officials were aiming to hit 3,000 riders a day by the end of the year.

She said the Brio is averaging 2,000 riders daily in the first two weeks of operation.

Route 204, which was deactivated as part of the implementation of Brio, was averaging about 3,000 passengers a month.

“What’s attracting people is the free Wi-Fi and efficiency of services,” Cruz-Acosta told ABC-7.

Cruz-Acosta said that these are very preliminary numbers and they won’t know the ridership average until three to six months from now when it stabilizes.

Sun Metro officials said the focus is now on educating riders about how to buy tickets to ride the Brio. Ticket machines are available at all the stops along the route. It is different from the fixed routes, which requires passengers to insert their money into a fare box at the front of the bus.

“We want to move the community faster and move everyone in a quick way,” said Cruz-Acosta.

Construction on the Alameda Avenue corridor is expected to get underway Feb. 2015.

Brio corridors will eventually be installed on Dyer Street and Montana Avenue in 2017 and 2019, respectively, according to the Brio website.

The route and prices are available on the Brio’s website, which is available by clicking here.