El Paso, Texas Modernizes

A new chapter in the history of El Paso's public transportation system was written this year. After seven years of planning and looking for funding, city officials broke ground on El Paso's new $141.6 million Bus Rapid Transit System. A hellava lot less than the projected new estimates on the Rail Disaster in Honolulu of Eight Billion dollars. El Paso is just a little smaller than Honolulu.

 "Those who lie for you, will also lie against you."

Eighty percent of the funding for the rapid-transit system, also known as Sun Metro Brio, was from the federal government (the Federal Transit Authority is pro-buses) and the rest from the city. Construction of the system began and the first Sun Metro Director, Jay Banasiak said the new bus system would be very similar to a light-rail transit system. "Except that it's not on rail, it's on wheels."

Articulated buses. All those cars missing from right in front of the buses.
Drivers are "sitting" comfortable inside the bus.

The rapid-transit system is faster and more comfortable than a regular fixed route; people are able to board quicker and the articulated buses are able to get through traffic faster than regular buses. The buses have three doors, and people buy their tickets at small boarding stations. You get on and sit down, you don't worry about trying to pay the bus fare at the front to the bus.

Everything is made to go quicker The boarding stations are located less than a mile apart. All buses and stations will be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Another feature will be the controlled traffic signals. As the bus is approaching an intersection, the new system is able to hold the green light longer so the bus does not get stuck in traffic.

Later on as passenger traffic increases, there will be bi-articulated buses (two tandems.) The idea is to encourage more people to use the public transportation system. They hope to get people out of their cars and onto the rapid-transit system but it cannot be done running cattle cars as the Present Rail Party runs it in Honolulu.

They also hope that some of the stations will spur economic development along the main corridors, Because the system will operate similar to a rail system and the stations will be permanent, business owners are encouraged to establish or expand their businesses along the corridor. None of that would have to be done in Honolulu, and we "couda been a contendah" among the best again.