## Region 20: San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA

### **I. Geographic Boundaries, Political Jurisdictions and Infrastructure**

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="7.377777777777778in"
height="4.5777777777777775in"}

Map 20.1: San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA Major Highways and Fixed
Guideway System

The San Juan-Caguas Fajardo, PR CSA consists of 42 municipios (county
equivalents) on the northeast portion of the island of Puerto Rico. The
CSA also surrounds San Juan, the capitol of Puerto Rico, and has more
counties in the region surrounding San Juan and narrows as it heads
toward the northwest portion of the island. The region is completely
surrounded to the north and the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, and to
the direct east and to the south and west by other municipios in Puerto
Rico. The CSA's population was 2,518,893 according to the 2000 census
and is a total of 1,700 square miles in size. The total population of
Puerto Rico in the 2000 census was 3,808,610.

Puerto Rico has three major interstate highways, PR-1, PR-2 and PR-3.
Recently, these interstates have been converted to Puerto Rico Highways,
shown on the map as Route 22, which spans from San Juan west to the
municipio of Hatillo, and Route 52 from Caguas in the central portion of
the CSA to Cayey in the south. Other smaller highways, such as 66, 30
and 974 also traverse the CSA. The San-Juan-Caguas Fajardo CSA has one
fixed guideway system, known as the Tren Urbano, which is a 10.7 mile
route. The Tren Urbano begins in northern San Juan near the coast and
travels south and then west through the municipios of Catanyo and
Bayamon.

The weather in the San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo CSA is typically warm, as it
is located in the Caribbean Sea. The heaviest rainfall occurs from May
to October, which unfortunately also coincides with hurricane season.
The north coast gets twice as much rain as the south coast.

**II. Agencies Operating in the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA**

+------------------+-------------------------+---------+--------+-----+
| ### **Agency**   | ### **                  | ### *   | ### ** | #   |
|                  | Jurisdictions Served**  | *Popula | Operat | ##  |
|                  |                         | tion**  | ing Bu | **S |
|                  |                         |         | dget** | taf |
|                  |                         | ### **S |        | f** |
|                  |                         | erved** |        |     |
+------------------+-------------------------+---------+--------+-----+
| ###              | ### San                 | ### 2,  | ###    | ### |
| Departamento de  | Juan-Caguas-Fajardo CSA | 518,893 |  *(a)* |  *( |
| transportacion y |                         |         |        | a)* |
|  obras publicas  |                         |         |        |     |
+------------------+-------------------------+---------+--------+-----+
| ### Auto         | ###                     | 1,      | ###    | ### |
| ridad Metropolit |  Seven Municipios: Truj | 164,431 |  *(a)* |  *( |
| ana de Autobuses | illo Alto, San Juan, Ca |         |        | a)* |
|                  | teno, Bayamon, Guaynabo |         |        |     |
|                  | , Carolina and Toa Baja |         |        |     |
+------------------+-------------------------+---------+--------+-----+
| ### Alt          | ### Th                  | ###     | ###    | ### |
| ernativa de Tran | ree Municipios, San Jua | 758,471 |  *(a)* |  *( |
| sporte Integrado | n, Bayamon and Guaynabo |         |        | a)* |
+------------------+-------------------------+---------+--------+-----+

### (a) = Not Available

### 

### **Table 20.1: San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA Transportation Agencies** 

### 

### **III. Transit Service Area: Fixed Guideway and Bus Service Area**

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="7.371527777777778in"
height="3.8493055555555555in"}

**Map 20.2: San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA Fixed Guideway and Bus
Transit Service Area**

**Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses:** The Autoridad Metropolitana de
Autobuses (AMA) means the Metropolitan Authority of Buses in English. It
is the bus system of the greater San Juan Area in Puerto Rico. The
Autoridad serves seven municipios, which include Truijillo Alto, Toa
Baja, Guaynabo, Catano, Bayamon and Carolina and part of Loiza. There
are a total of 30 routes, 28 of which are regular routes and two are
express, and one route named Metrobús II, which covers the area of
Bayamón-Hato Rey-Santurce. There are a total of 247 regular buses, which
run seven days a week, from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 5:30 a.m.
to 10 p.m. on weekends and holidays and costs 25 cents per ride on the
regular and express and 50 cents for the Metrobus II. The AMA has a
total of 113,000 passengers per day. There are also 53 buses that serve
the elderly and others who cannot ride the regular buses.

**Alternativa de Transporte Integrado:** The Alternativa de Transporte
Integrado (ATI), or Integrated Transportation Alternative in English is
the mass transit system in Puerto Rico, which serves the greater San
Juan area and includes the Tren Urbano (rail) and system of buses. The
Tren Urbano, or Urban Train in English, is a 10.7 mile (17.2 km) metro
system in Puerto Rico which links the municipalities of San Juan,
Bayamón, and Guaynabo. The Tren Urbano is composed of 16 stations, 10 of
which are elevated, four at grade and two underground. A maintenance
depot and operations control centre is being provided halfway along the
route, at Martinez Nadal station. The Tren Urbano complements other
forms of public transportation on the island such as the public bus
system, taxis, water ferries and shuttles.

The rail system was officially inaugurated on December 17, 2004.
Popularity grew quickly and by the end of the free period 40,000 people
where using the train on a daily basis.

### 

### **IV. Number and Proportion of Minority, Below Poverty and Limited English Proficient Populations in Relation to the Transit Service Area**

## 

## 

## 

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="7.502083333333333in"
height="4.159027777777778in"}

**Map 20.3: San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA Minority Population**

![](media/image4.jpeg){width="7.370833333333334in"
height="3.053472222222222in"}

**Map 20.3.A: San Juan Minority Population**

Total Number of Census Tracts in CSA 540

Total Population of CSA 2,518,893

Total Minority Population residing in CSA 529,874

Regional Average of Minority Population in the CSA 21%

Number (%) of Census Tracts with above average minority population 226
(42%)

Total Minority Population in the above average census tracts 331,623

Based on U.S. 2000 Census Data, the average minority population for the
San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo CSA is 21 percent. Census tracts located in San
Juan, a few in close proximity to the west, and the majority to the east
and southeast portion of the CSA show the highest concentrations of
minority populations. Loiza is the only municipio that falls into the
range of the highest concentration of minority population, or
approximately 67 to 90 percent. Ten of the 12 census tracts in this
municipio have the highest concentration of minorities and the other two
are also above the average. Only two counties to the west of Dorodo have
a minority population above the average of 21 percent. Out of 540 total
census tracts in the county, 226 or approximately 42 percent have an
above average minority population. The 226 census tracts with a minority
population above the average have a combined total population of
approximately 1,014,693 and minority population of 331,623, which is
approximately 40 and 13 percent of the entire CSA population,
respectively.

[]{.mark}

The majority of the census tracts with a high minority population fall
within the bus service area. The Metropolitan Bus authority and the
Metro of Puerto Rico serve the greater San Juan area, where there is a
high concentration of minorities. There is one bus line that goes to the
municipio of Loiza, which has the highest concentration of minorities in
the CSA.

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="7.502083333333333in" height="3.83125in"}

**Map 20.4: San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA Below Poverty Population**

![](media/image6.jpeg){width="7.502083333333333in"
height="2.8402777777777777in"}

**Map 20.4.A: San Juan Below Poverty Population**

Total Number of Census Tracts in CSA 540

Total Population of CSA 2,518,893

Total Below Poverty Population residing in CSA 1,120,365

Regional Average of Below Poverty Population in the CSA 44%

Number (%) of Census Tracts with above average Below Poverty pop. 298
(55%)

Total Below Poverty Population in the above average census tracts
779,835

The U.S. 2000 Census Data shows that 44 of the total population in the
San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo CSA is below the poverty level. Approximately 55
percent, or 298 out of the 540 census tracts in the San
Juan-Caguas-Fajardo CSA, have a below poverty population that exceeds
the regional average, and eight census tracts or approximately 1.5
percent fall into the highest range of concentration of poverty in the
CSA. The census tracts that fall into the highest category of below
poverty are all located in the bus service area, except for one census
tract, which is located in the municipio of Orocovis in the southwest
portion of the CSA. The eight census tracts have a total population of
29,915. Even though there are only eight census tracts with the highest
concentration of individuals below the poverty level, there is a
relatively high percentage of census tracts that have a below poverty
population above the regional average. As seen on the minority
population map, there is a large portion of the below poverty population
in San Juan and the municipio of Loiza; however, there is also a high
concentration of below poverty population in the southwest portion and
in other clusters in within the CSA. The bus service serves a
significant portion of the below poverty population, but it seems as
though there are also other areas with concentrations of poverty that
are not served by transit.

![](media/image7.jpeg){width="7.370833333333334in" height="3.83125in"}

**Map 20.5: San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA Limited English Proficient
Population**

![](media/image8.jpeg){width="7.370833333333334in"
height="3.267361111111111in"}

**Map 20.5.A: San Juan Limited English Proficient Population**

Total Number of Census Tracts in CSA 540

Total Population of CSA 2,518,893

Total Population 5 years and older of CSA 2,323,928

Total LEP Population\* residing in CSA 1,658,826

Regional Average of LEP Population\* in the CSA 71%

Number ( %) of Census Tracts with above average LEP population\* 332
(61%)

Total LEP Population\* in the above average census tracts 1,092,334

\* LEP includes those 5 years of age and older

The average limited English proficient (LEP) population in the San
Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA is 71 percent. Approximately 61 percent, or
332 out of the 540 census tracts in the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA
have an LEP population above the regional average. This is equivalent to
a total population of 1,564,265 and total LEP population of 1,092,334.
The majority of the LEP population falls outside the city of San Juan
and the bus service area. High concentrations of LEP population are
found throughout the CSA and in particular in the municipios of Utuado
in the southwest, Naranjito in the central portion and just to the
southeast and southwest of San Juan. There is a cluster of census tracts
in San Juan (a total of 7) that contain the highest proportion of LEP
population; however, these census tracts are towards the outskirts of
the city.

[]{.mark}

The LEP map differs from both the minority and poverty maps because the
high concentrations of LEP are found outside both the San Juan and the
bus service area. Clusters of large LEP populations are found throughout
the CSA and there are very few municipios outside both San Juan and Rio
Grande, in the northeast corner, that fall below the average LEP
population. LEP also has the highest percentage of any other factor
within the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo CSA in Puerto Rico.

### **V. Number and Proportion of Zero Car Households: Greater than the Regional Average**

## 

![](media/image9.jpeg){width="7.502083333333333in"
height="4.338888888888889in"}

**Map 20.6: San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA Zero Car Households**

![](media/image10.jpeg){width="7.249305555555556in"
height="3.2104166666666667in"}

**Map 20.6.A: San Juan Zero Car Households**

Total Number of Census Tracts in CSA 540

Total Households in the CSA 838,664

Total Zero Car Households in CSA 234,356

Regional Average of Zero Car Households in the CSA 29%

Number (%) of Census Tracts with above average Zero Car Households 220
(41%)

Total Zero Car Households in the above average census tracts 121,544

The U.S. 2000 Census Data shows that 29 percent of the total population
is the average for households without vehicles in the San
Juan-Caguas-Fajardo CSA. Of the 540 census tracts in the county, 220 or
41 percent have above average households without vehicles.

[]{.mark}

The majority of census tracts with above average zero car households are
within the bus transit service area; however, there are also many small
census tracts in the urban areas of the municipios, which contain the
third highest category of households without cars (46 to 63 percent).

VI\. Number and Proportion of Minority Population with Overlay of Below
Poverty Population

![](media/image11.jpeg){width="7.374305555555556in"
height="4.477777777777778in"}

**Map 20.7: San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA Minority Population with an
Overlay of Below Poverty Population**

![](media/image12.jpeg){width="7.11875in" height="3.511111111111111in"}

**Map 20.7.A: San Juan Minority Population with an Overlay of Below
Poverty Population**

As shown in Map 20.7, there is some correlation between the minority
population and below poverty population in the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo
CSA. There are 127 census tracts with an above average regional minority
population and below poverty population in the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo
CSA. These tracts contain a total population of 548,939 with 193,456
minorities and 309,798 people that are below the average poverty level.
As shown in the legend, the average minority and below poverty
populations are 22 and 44 percent respectively. The areas in which
minority and below poverty census tracts coincide most are within
downtown San Juan and the bus service area, Rio Grande, Toa Baja and the
southeast portion of the CSA. The majority of the areas outside of San
Juan with an above average level of poverty also do not have high
concentrations of minority population. On the whole, there is only a
moderate correlation between above average below poverty and minority
populations in the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo CSA.

VII. **Number and Proportion of Minority Population with Overlays of
     Below Poverty Population and Zero Car Households**

![](media/image13.jpeg){width="7.249305555555556in"
height="4.583333333333333in"}

**Map 20.8: San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA Minority Population with
Overlays of Below Poverty Population and Zero Car Households**

![](media/image14.jpeg){width="7.370833333333334in"
height="2.8152777777777778in"}

**Map 20.8: San Juan Minority Population with Overlays of Below Poverty
Population and Zero Car Households**

As shown in Map 20.8, there is some correlation between the minority
population and below poverty population, but a much stronger
relationship between below poverty and zero car households in the San
Juan-Caguas-Fajardo CSA. There are 95 census tracts with an above
average regional minority population and below poverty population in the
San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo CSA. These tracts contain a total population of
376,038 with 140,595 minority population, 220,985 people that are below
the average poverty level, and 56,672 zero car households. As shown in
the legend, the average minority, below poverty population and zero car
households are 22, 44 and 29 percent respectively. The census tracts
that have concentrations of minority, below poverty and zero car
households are mostly found in downtown San Juan and within the bus
service area. Outside the municipio of San Juan, there are very few
census tracts with an above average level of both below poverty and
minority populations; however, there are many census tracts with both
below poverty populations and zero car households.

VIII\. Correlation Among Minority Population, Below Poverty Population,
LEP Population and Zero Car Households

  -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
  * *            *Minority*     *Below         *LEP*          *Zero Car HH*
                                Poverty*                      

  Minority       1.00                                         

  Below Poverty  0.42           1.00                          

  LEP            0.49           0.68           1.00           

  Zero Car HH    0.41           0.70           0.44           1.00
  -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------

**Table 20.2: San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA Correlation Coefficients**

Based on the coefficients highlighted in the table above, the strongest
relationship is between the below poverty population with both LEP
(0.68) and zero car households (0.70) located in the San
Juan-Caguas-Fajardo CSA. All other categories have a weaker
relationship, falling into the 0.4 range.

**IX. Natural Disasters**

The following table outlines the natural disasters that have occurred in
the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo CSA over the last 20 years.

  -------------------------- ------------ ------------------------- ---------- -------------
  **Event**                  **Date**     **Location**              **Human    **Financial
                                                                    Impact**   Impact**

  Storms, Flooding,          May 31, 1985 San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo   0 deaths   \(a\)
  Mudslides and Landslides                CSA                                  

  Storms, Flooding,          October 10,  San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo   0 deaths   \(a\)
  Mudslides and Landslides   1985         CSA                                  

  Storms, Flooding,          July 10,     San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo   0 deaths   \(a\)
  Mudslides and Landslides   1986         CSA                                  

  Storms, Flooding,          November 21, San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo   0 deaths   \(a\)
  Mudslides and Landslides   2003         CSA                                  

  Storms, Flooding,          November 10, San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo   0 deaths   \(a\)
  Mudslides and Landslides   2005         CSA                                  

  Severe Storms, Flooding    September    San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo   0 deaths   \(a\)
                             17, 1987     CSA                                  

  Severe Storms, Flooding    January 22,  San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo   0 deaths   \(a\)
                             1992         CSA                                  

  Severe Storms, Flooding    November 28, San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo   0 deaths   \(a\)
                             2001         CSA                                  

  Hurricane Hugo             September    San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo   18 deaths  \$2 + billion
                             21, 1989     CSA                                  

  Hurricane Marilyn          September    San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo   13 deaths  \$2.1 billion
                             16, 1995     CSA                                  

  Hurricane Hortense         September    San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo   19 deaths  \$153 million
                             11, 1996     CSA                                  

  Hurricane Georges          September    San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo   12 deaths  \$2 billion
                             24, 1998     CSA                                  

  Tropical Storm Jeanne and  September    San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo   4 deaths,  \$68 million
  Resulting Landslides and   17, 2004     CSA                       1 injury   
  Mudslides                                                                    

  Flooding                   May 16, 2001 San-Juan-Caguas-Fajardo   0 deaths   \(a\)
                                          CSA                                  
  -------------------------- ------------ ------------------------- ---------- -------------

\(a\) = Not Available

**Table 20.3: 20-Year History of Natural Disasters in the San
Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PRCSA** *(Source: FEMA and NOAA National Climatic
Data Center)*

## 

The San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo CSA has been most prone to storms, flooding,
mudslides, landslides and hurricanes, as shown from the log of natural
disasters in the area since 1985. Puerto Rico is exposed to the cyclones
of the Caribbean, although less so than Jamaica, Cuba, and the Lesser
Antilles. Hurricanes frequently occur between August and October.
Hurricane seasons during 1995-2004 have averaged 13.6 tropical storms
(wind speeds of 34-63 knots), 7.8 hurricanes (wind speeds of \>63 knots)
and 3.8 major hurricanes (wind speeds of \>95 knots). On a scale ranging
from Moderate to High, to Very High Risk, the United States Geological
Survey rates the island of Puerto Rico as having a High Risk of
earthquakes.

## 

## X. Man-made Disasters

> The economic drivers of Puerto Rico include tourism, agriculture,
> petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and technology. There has been one
> man-made disaster in the last 20 years. On May 9, 2004, American Eagle
> Flight 5401 was damaged by high winds during landing in San Juan,
> Puerto Rico injuring 13 people.