Massive Overhaul for Tijuana Transit Includes Bus Rapid Transit

According to an article by Sandra Dibble, "after years of false starts, Tijuana is moving forward on a major overhaul of its public transportation system…" Moving forward to next fall, in fact, when "a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is expected to start service to some 300,000 passengers a day," reports Dibble.

"The heart of the Tijuana system will be a 23-mile route that runs from the San Ysidro border to the eastern part of the city and back. Known as La Ruta Troncal, or the trunk route, it will run down Avenida Revolucion, to the Rio Zone, and down the Via Rapida, highways that flank the Tijuana River channel." The trunk route will connect to several feeder routes connecting to "dozens of neighborhoods across the city."

Dibble provides more info on the system as a whole: "The new system is being designed with 45 stations, including two major terminals, one at the eastern end on Bulevar Insurgentes, and another near the border in downtown Tijuana. The city is planning a bridge linking Tijuana's border area to the downtown terminal. Along other parts of the route, the project includes eight new pedestrian bridges and the rebuilding of seven others."

The article goes into more detail about the popularity of BRT systems around the world and how Tijuana's system will be adapted to fit the unique land use and cultural conditions of this border town.