**Sun Metro Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Starter Line**

######## El Paso, Texas

(November 2004)

The city of El Paso, through its transit operator Sun Metro, is
proposing the SMART Starter Line, a

1.9-mile bus rapid transit (BRT) system between downtown international
points of entry and Sun Metro's downtown transit hub. The project is
intended to accommodate the heavy transit use in this dense corridor,
reduce congestion, and promote continued economic development. The SMART
Starter Line is also part of a concerted effort by Sun Metro to address
El Paso's air quality issues by reducing the prolonged delays caused by
a high volume of vehicles crossing the border, a problem which has
increased due to stricter security measures imposed since the terrorist
attacks of September 11, 2001. Nearly 30,000 riders are projected to use
the starter line by 2030. The SMART Starter Line is the first phase of a
transit system that would operate from downtown El Paso to the
University of Texas at El Paso. Light rail transit and bus service are
proposed in subsequent phases.

The project is estimated to cost \$10.0 million (2002 dollars). Sun
Metro has not yet defined the New Starts share of project costs.
*Because the proposed New Starts share will be less than \$25 million,
the project is exempt from the New Starts criteria and is thus not
subject to FTA's evaluation and rating (49 USC 5309(e)(8)(A)).*

+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| **Summary Description**            |                                 |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| **Proposed Project:**              | Bus Rapid Transit               |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| ** **                              | 1.9 Miles                       |
|                                    |                                 |
|                                    | 5 Stations                      |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| **Total Capital Cost (\$2002):**   | \$10.0 Million                  |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| **Section 5309 New Starts Share    | Not Yet Available               |
| (\$2002):**                        |                                 |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| **Annual Operating Cost:**         | \$960,000                       |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| **Ridership Forecast (2030):**     | 29,800 Average Weekday          |
|                                    | Boardings                       |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+

# Project Development History and Current Status 

The SMART Starter Line was adopted into the El Paso region's long range
transportation plan in April 2002. In September 2002, Sun Metro
submitted to FTA the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for this
project, which concluded that a Draft Environmental Impact Statement was
not warranted. Some additional environmental analysis on impacts to
adjacent properties continues. FTA approved the project for entry into
preliminary engineering (PE) in September 2003. Since that time, SMART
has adopted a phased implementation schedule, which includes BRT as the
initial phase, although SMART has not updated cost and ridership
estimates that reflect this project delivery approach. During the next
year, SMART must prepare and submit to FTA a refined ridership and cost
estimate, as well as a complete financial plan, for the Starter Line
project, in order to demonstrate progress and maintain PE status.

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