Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff joined Rep. Silvestre Reyes on a tour of the proposed Mesa Corridor bus rapid transit project (BRT) in El Paso, last week. The project, recommended for $13 million in the proposed FY 2012 budget, would improve bus service, help reduce congestion along the corridor and bring major transportation and development benefits to the El Paso area.

The $27.1 million line would extend 8.6 miles northwest along Mesa Street from the current Downtown Transit Terminal near the Paso del Norte International Bridge, ending at the new Westside Transit Terminal. Ten low-floor, 60-foot compressed natural gas "accordion" buses would provide service every 10 minutes during weekday peak periods.

"The Mesa Corridor bus rapid transit project will truly be a gateway of opportunity for the citizens of Mesa," Administrator Rogoff said. "And with so many El Paso-area residents already dependent on transit to get to work or to school, improved transit is essential to bringing economic recovery to the region. This project is at the heart of President Obama's vision to win the future by investing in our own infrastructure"

Mesa Corridor would be the first of four proposed BRT lines that tie the entire region together from the Downtown Transit Terminal. Sun Metro estimates the project will be complete in September 2013. It is expected to carry nearly 12,000 riders a day during weekdays by 2015.