El Paso, Texas’ Sun Metro broke ground on its new Brio Rapid Transit System (BRT) — the first 8.6-mile segment in a planned bus rapid transit (BRT) system serving the city.

When completed, the first segment will provide efficient, state-of-the-art transit service to local universities, medical centers, and downtown cultural attractions. This new service will mean shorter wait times with buses arriving every 10 minutes during peak hours, compared with waits of 30 minutes or more today.

This initial BRT line will consist of 22 weather-protected bus shelters where passengers may board, and system features that include pre-paid ticket vending for more efficient boarding, real-time scheduling information, coordinated traffic signals to keep buses moving through traffic, and onboard Wi-Fi.

The Federal Transit Administration provided approximately $13.5 million toward the $27.1 million project for the initial segment. An additional $2 million was provided from the Federal Highway Administration’s Congestion and Air Quality program, with the remaining $11.6 million coming from state and local sources.

Sun Metro has completed the design phase of two of the four planned corridors of its Brio Rapid Transit System. Currently, about 17 million people use bus service in El Paso annually.