Is There Public Transportation in El Paso, Texas? (What you should know)

Before one decides to move or visit a city, it can be helpful to know about the public transportation a city offers to not only its visitors but also its residents. Public transportation can allow individuals without access to a car easily get around a city without having to worry about walking everywhere. So, is there public transportation in El Paso, Texas?

El Paso offers public transportation to the individuals who not only visit this city but also reside in this city. Individuals in this area can travel to other locations by the public transportation available. El Paso offers buses, rideshare services, and streetcars.

Learning about each type of transportation in the variety of public transportation that is offered by a specific city can be challenging and overwhelming. Being knowledgeable about the public transportation in El Paso can make planning a move or trip go a lot smoother. After conducting research, the following information has been compiled below to provide assistance.

El Paso’s Public Transportation

El Paso provides its residents and visitors with a variety of public transportation options. Each type of public transportation has its advantages and disadvantages, which leads to certain individuals preferring one type over another.

Each type of public transportation allows residents and visitors of El Paso, Texas to get from one location to the next. This allows visitors to avoid renting a car as well as residents to avoid purchasing a car that they cannot afford.

El Paso is about 259 square miles, which makes public transportation something that is greatly appreciated by both tourists and residents.

The public transportation in this area allows individuals to get from the different sights of El Paso easily. It also allows individuals attending the colleges in the El Paso area to easily get to and from classes, as well as the grocery store and other places in the city.

Buses in El Paso

Like many other cities, El Paso offers a bus service to its residents. SOpens in a new tab.uOpens in a new tab.nOpens in a new tab. Opens in a new tab.MetroOpens in a new tab. is the bus service offered in the El Paso area. The buses run throughout almost all parts of the city, which allows all residents to have access to a bus stop.

Sun Metro has a website available to riders that provide them with all the information needed to have an easy trip with this bus service.

There are different types of fares that can be paid in order to ride with Sun Metro. There is a daily pass, a weekly pass, and a monthly pass. Depending on how frequently an individual is riding the bus can determine which type of pass is best suited for them. For students in the El Paso area, using a monthly pass to get from their apartments to campus is a very common thing.

Sun Metro offers discounts that can make using this busing service cheaper. Active military personnel get a discount, as well as senior citizens and students. In order to use the discount, an individual must present a valid photo idea as proof that this discount applies to them.

The Sun MetroOpens in a new tab. website provides riders with suggestions for ways to ensure riders have a smooth ride. This includes the suggestion to arrive at the stops early. It is important to be early to the stop rather than arriving right at the departure time. This allows the bus to be loaded and ready to depart at the correct time, which helps keep the bus running on schedule.

The website suggests that individuals riding with Sun Metro check approaching buses to ensure they are boarding the correct bus number. It is important to be aware of one’s surroundings to ensure safety whenever riding any form of public transportation.

Rideshare Services in El Paso

Rideshare services are becoming a more popular form of transportation in El Paso, Texas, as they are in other cities within the United States. Individuals are relying on rideshare services like Uber and Lyft to get from one location to the next.

Many individuals visiting the El Paso area use UberOpens in a new tab. to travel from their needed destinations. Uber is the more popular rideshare service in this area, but many of the individuals who drive for Uber also drive for Lyft in an attempt to get all of the business that they can.

It is extremely common for individuals traveling to or from the El Paso International Airport to use a rideshare service to get around. This allows individuals to have access to a ride without needing to rely on other types of public transportation or needing to have their own car.

For many visiting El Paso, Texas, the use of either Uber or Lyft can be cheaper than renting a car to get around the city. This allows the individuals visiting El Paso to not need to have to worry about getting to the city in enough time to visit a rental car dealership.

Streetcars in El Paso

On the weekends, El Paso has streetcars running as a means of public transportation. These streetcars run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 4:00 pm until 11:00 pm. This allows individuals who are going out on the weekend to travel safely without needing to rely strictly on their friends to get home or have to pay for other forms of public transportation.

The streetcars replaced the trolley system that El Paso had originally had. The new streetcar service provides its riders with amenities. Such as bike rakes, air conditioning, and free Wi-Fi both in the streetcars and at the stops.

On the streetcar websiteOpens in a new tab., it mentions the importance of being aware of one’s surroundings when riding the streetcars. These are extremely quiet, so it is crucial to make sure that no one is on the tracks because it might be impossible to hear an approaching streetcar.

Information on the streetcars can be accessed online, which allows riders to remain informed about various aspects of the streetcars. The schedule can also be accessed online, which allows individuals to stay up to date with the times in which the streetcars are running.

Other Means for Getting Around El Paso

El Paso is a city that is spread out over 259 square miles, which makes it hard to walk to various places in the city depending on where you live or are staying. However, if the distance between two destinations is not far, there are sidewalks in most parts of El Paso, which makes walking a short distance safely to be a possibility.

Some individuals in the area will carpool to work with co-workers that live in the same area as they do. This allows individuals to not have to stress about purchasing their own car while also not having to rely on public transportation to get them to and from work every day.

Some of El Paso’s residents bike to and from work, but many do not think that this is a reliable means of transportation considering the heat that is part of being located in southern Texas.

Is Public Transportation Necessary in El Paso?

While it is possible to get around El Paso, Texas without public transportation or owning a car, having public transportation can make getting around a lot easier for individuals in this area.

With the heat that is almost always present in El Paso, relying on biking or even walking to and from a location can be extremely difficult. In some instances, bikers and walkers are told to avoid doing so because of the heat, as it can get dangerously high.

Many college students and El Paso visitors rely strictly on a form of public transportation to get to and from their destination. Public transportation can allow college students to easily get to where they need to go, as many college students don’t have or can’t afford a car.

Opportunity for Improving El Paso’s Public Transportation

Almost every city’s public transportation has room for improvement, and El Paso’s public transportation system is no exception. The residents of El Paso are very open to discussing the issues they have with public transportation on various online forumsOpens in a new tab..

The Sun Metro has room for improvement. Rather than having all the stops outdoors, where there is barely any shelter from the heat and sun that is often present in El Paso, Texas, many individuals think that it could be best if these stops were in an enclosed spot that offers the riders with air conditioning as well as actual protection from the sun.

The biggest concern that residents of El Paso have that pertains to rideshare services is the cost. While it still is cheaper for most individuals than renting a car, the pricing of these services seems to have been increasing drastically throughout the last few years. This can make it difficult for individuals to afford the regular use of a rideshare service such as Uber or Lyft.

Many residents in El Paso wish that the streetcars were available more throughout the week. The trolley system that the streetcars replaced ran every day throughout the week. The streetcars only being available over the weekend is something that many residents do not like. Rather than having the free public transportation only being available three days a week, and only for a few hours a day, many believe that the streetcars should regularly run throughout the week providing residents with access to free public transportation.

Nathan Aydelotte

Hello! I'm Nathan, the lead editor for Suggested by locals. I grew up in the Boise, Idaho area and have lived here most of my life. I enjoy being close to the mountains where I can go hiking, camping, and mountain biking.

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