Work Progresses on El Paso Streetcar Rehabilitation

By Armando Landin
 
The vehicles that will be used for the upcoming streetcar project, currently under construction, will use the same bodies as those seen on city streets decades ago in El Paso.

The color scheme El Pasoans will see on streetcars once they make their return to Downtown streets in late 2018. (CRRMA)

And now we're getting a peek at the rehabilitation process for those streetcars taking place thousands of miles away.

Approved Plan Includes Over 1,000 Miles of Bike Lanes

By Armando Landin   

City Council has approved the final Comprehensive Bike Plan for El Paso that could add nearly 1,000 miles of bike lanes throughout the Sun City.

This "heat map" shows the demand for bike lanes throughout El Paso, from the recently adopted Comprehensive Bike Plan. (City of El Paso)

The plan includes recommendations for which streets around El Paso should have bike lanes added, and the types of bike lanes they should get. It contains an extensive atlas for each area of town.

Northgate Transfer Center Breaks Ground August 12th

By Armando Landin   

The long-awaited Northgate Transfer Center project will break ground August 12, 2016, marking the beginning of construction for the anchor of the Metro 31 transit oriented development.

The planned Northgate Transfer Center in Northeast El Paso will have an official groundbreaking ceremony on August 12, 2016. (City of El Paso)

The $10.6 million transfer center, located at 9347 Diana Drive in Northeast El Paso, will include a park and ride garage and an enclosed waiting area with nearby ticketing areas. A large, outdoor pedestrian plaza is also planned.

Downtown El Paso Alive with Investment

A Comprehensive List of Downtown Projects   

By Armando Landin   

A couple of years back, it was the hope of City officials that a new baseball stadium and other Quality of Life projects would breathe new life into Downtown revitalization efforts and spur private investment in El Paso's largely-ignored center.

Downtown El Paso is seeing a clear surge of investment with private and public projects spread throughout the area. 

The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas are now in their third season, and two short years after Southwest University Park opened its gates on the site of the former City Hall, signs of burgeoning investment are becoming clear.

Northgate Transit Project To Break Ground Soon

The City of El Paso will vote Tuesday on awarding a contract for the construction of the Northgate Transfer Center, signalling that work should begin in the coming weeks.

Construction on the Northgate Transfer Center in Northeast El Paso should begin in the coming weeks. (City of El Paso)

Northgate's transit terminal is the first part of the larger Metro 31 transit oriented development planned in Northeast El Paso.

Workers to Begin Laying Streetcar Rail in June

By Armando Landin   

The streetcar project in Downtown El Paso has been chugging along for months, but has mostly been focused on utility relocation. That will change in June when crews begin laying rail along the streetcar route.

This cross section shows how the streetcar rail will be embedded in a concrete slab. Rail recently arrived in El Paso and will soon be laid for the streetcar project. (CRRMA)

The first shipment of rail has arrived in El Paso and will be kept in storage until needed. The rail pieces were manufactured in Austria and brought by train from the Port of Houston.

Official Route Map Released for El Paso Streetcar Line

The El Paso Streetcar project has released the "Official Route" map showing the previously announced route and now showing the expected stops along the line. Construction began last year on the $97 million project and is ongoing in Downtown El Paso.

The Official Route map for the El Paso Streetcar project follows previously disclosed routes. It shows 27 total stops along the line. (www.facebook.com/elpasostreetcar)

The 4.8 miles of track will include two routes, according to previously released information. A Downtown circulator will loop through the city's center, traversing business, government, cultural, and shopping districts, in what is labeled as a "Downtown Loop" on the new map.

Renderings Reveal Look of Future Northgate Transfer Center

By Armando Landin

The architect for the Northgate Transfer Center project in Northeast El Paso is offering a peak at what the future development may look like. Exigo Architecture, of El Paso, has posted renderings of the transfer center at its website.

This rendering shows what the Northgate Transfer Center may look like, coming soon to Northeast El Paso. (www.exigoarch.com)

The Northgate Transfer Center is considered a "catalyst" by the City of El Paso for the future transit-oriented Metro 31 smart growth community, which will be adjacent to this project. It will be used as the terminus of the Dyer Corridor of the Brio Rapid Transit System, currently under development.

City to Hold Community Meetings for Alameda Rapid Transit System

By Armando Landin

Residents along the future Alameda corridor of the Brio Rapid Transit System (RTS) will get to view final design plans during upcoming community meetings, beginning February 23, 2016, at the Downtown Transfer Center.


The RTS line will run 14 miles from Downtown El Paso to the Mission Valley Transfer Center in the Lower Valley and will include the same amenities found on the existing Mesa Street corridor. This includes use of the 60-foot articulated buses that arrive at stations every 10 minutes during peak hours.

Update: City Approves 'Metro 31' Mixed Use Project for Northeast El Paso

City Council voted unanimously today to approve the new SmartCode, mixed-use project planned for Northeast El Paso at the former Northpark Mall property. This gives Hunt Development Group the green light from the City to move forward with final design and construction for the vacant 31-acre property.

An artistic rendering of the western entrance to the Metro 31 development off of Diana Street, coming to Northeast El Paso in the next few years. (City Council Agenda)

Up next, Hunt will seek a similar incentives agreement from the County of El Paso worth $5 million, which would add to the $13.7 million that City approved.

Read our previous story from November 28, 2014: This is 'Metro 31': City Reveals Northgate SmartCode Project Details

This is 'Metro 31': City Reveals Northgate SmartCode Project Details

Hunt Development Group Proposal Awaits Council Approval

Update: City Council has approved the project.  Read More >>

Original Story: 
The City of El Paso has unveiled details on the planned 31-acre transit-oriented mixed-use project slated for the former Northpark Mall site in Northeast El Paso at the corner of Dyer Street and Diana Drive. The proposal, submitted by Hunt Development Group, will be considered by Council on December 2, 2014.

This concept image shows a residential area within Metro 31, the SmartCode development planned for Northeast El Paso. (City Council Agenda)

Renderings of the project, which is called Metro 31 in several places within the development agreement, show buildings laid out in an urban fashion with little to no setbacks from streets. Structures are of varying height and scale, with some apartment buildings rising four stories.

Brio RTS Launches First Route

After years of planning, engineering, and construction, Sun Metro has finally launched its first Brio Rapid Transit System (RTS) route. The Mesa Corridor route begins officially running on October 27, 2014.

El Paso's mass transit system held a "launch party" on Monday at Cleveland Square. The Mesa Corridor route runs from Downtown El Paso to the Westside Transfer Center, with 22 stops along the round trip.

Five Points Terminal Reopens in Central El Paso

The Sun Metro Transit Terminal in the Five Points neighborhood in Central El Paso has reopened after a year-long renovation.

The Five Points Transit Terminal boarding map. The terminal has reopened after a year of renovation work in Central El Paso. (sunmetro.net)

The terminal received exterior and interior updates, including facade upgrades, new restroom fixtures, WiFi, monitors, new benches, electronic arrivals signs, and ticket vending machines.

Weekly Edition, Issue 67

The Weekly Edition, Issue 67 has arrived! Take a look at the newest issue of our Weekly Edition, by clicking HERE. (Note: The newsletter will open in PDF format.)

In this edition:

• ADP to Add 150,000 SF Facility in West El Paso
• Nothing Bundt Cakes Next 'Fountains' Tenant
• NewsBits Updates on Several Projects Around the City

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City Selects Four Pedestrian/Bicycle Enhancement Projects for Funding Request

The City of El Paso will submit four projects for funding consideration that would expand pedestrian paths and bicycle lanes within the city. Funding is sought through the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Transportation Alternatives Program.

As part of the program, the MPO has made approximately $3.9 million available and is seeking projects that qualify for funding. For each project the City is proposing, the City will match 20% of the project cost.

The City of El Paso is seeking funding for four bicycle and pedestrian enhancement projects around town, like this one along River Bend. (City of El Paso)

The Resler Drive Buffered Bike Lane project stretches from Helen of Troy Drive southward to Belvidere Street, a total of 2.3 miles. It includes a minimum five foot bike lane with a three foot buffer, intersection striping, and green paint for intersection and “conflict areas.”

First Look: Sun Metro Streetcar Facility

Maintenance & Storage Building to Sit at Downtown Transfer Center Site

Streetcars that are part of the future El Paso mass transit line will have a home at the Downtown Transfer Center property, according to a recently revealed rendering and floorplan. The maintenance and storage facility will be located in the southeastern corner of the site, which sits on Santa Fe Street between 3rd Avenue and 4th Avenue.

Rendering of what the streetcar maintenance and storage facility may look like once completed on Santa Fe Street in Downtown El Paso. (CRRMA)

Plans show a proposed 19,122 square foot building that will have some office space but which will mainly be used to store and maintain El Paso’s streetcars. Two pits will be located underneath a pair of tracks in the middle of the structure, allowing maintenance workers to view and access the underside of each trolley.

Weekly Edition, Issue 63

The Weekly Edition, Issue 63 has arrived! Take a look at the newest issue of our Weekly Edition, by clicking HERE. (Note: The newsletter will open in PDF format.)

In this edition:

• First Look: Sun Metro Streetcar Facility
• Infill Project to Bring Apartment Building to Magoffin Neighborhood
• City Selects Four Pedestrian/Bicycle Enhancement Projects for Funding Request

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Sun Metro Adds Articulated Buses to East Side Route

The newest additions to Sun Metro’s bus fleet aren’t only reserved for the Rapid Transit System (RTS) debuting later this year. El Paso’s mass transit system has added three 60-foot articulated buses to serve its most popular route, Route 59.

Three 60-foot articulated buses are now part of Sun Metro’s Route 59 in El Paso. (Sun Metro)

The 2014 New Flyer Xcelsior units look much different from the Sun Metro units to which most residents are accustomed, mostly due to the extended length and the accordion-style joint section in the middle of the bus.

Weekly Edition, Issue 60

The Weekly Edition, Issue 60 has arrived! Take a look at the newest issue of our Weekly Edition, by clicking HERE. (Note: The newsletter will open in PDF format.)

In this edition:

• Plans Revealed for Former ‘El Cruzero’ Land
• Mixed-Use Infill Development Planned for Northeast El Paso
• Sun Metro Adds Articulated Buses to East Side Route

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Closer Look: Newly Funded Transportation Projects

Transportation Commission Approves $97M for Streetcars

The Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) approved a minute order last week that green-lights funding for two large transportation projects in El Paso, including the long-awaited streetcar project slated for the Downtown/University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) areas.

A rusting streetcar sits on El Paso International Airport land in this 2008 photograph. (Historic Trolley Streetcar Initiative Report)

The TTC approved $97 million for the streetcar project as a “regional multimodal” development, serving the I-10 “congested corridor.” The funding will support construction of 4.8 miles of track that will transport riders from Downtown El Paso, including areas near the ports of entry, to UTEP and the nearby Cincinnati entertainment district.

According to the TTC’s Unified Transportation Program update, the streetcar line will include 27 stops. The route, as chosen by City Council, will travel north on Oregon Street, turn east on Glory Road, and then back south on Stanton Street. A circulator will also travel in a loop around Downtown El Paso’s core. New funding is also intended to cover vehicle maintenance and storage facilities.