Metro McAllen enhancing public transportation options for rapidly growing city, ridership demands
Earlier today, Metro McAllen announced its system redesign and service expansion, which officially launched on July 29, 2024. Metro McAllen has added four new routes and updated eight of its existing routes, to better serve a growing city and ridership demands.
Mario Delgado, Director of the City of McAllen’s Transit and Downtown Services, said the redesign and service expansion of the Metro McAllen routes is part of a short-range transit plan to realign McAllen's transit system to make it more efficient and effective, making it more attractive for the community to use.
“This is phase one and this will allow us to then continue to grow the system and add frequency so that it becomes more robust,” Delgado said. “At the end of the day, we will continue to have outreach efforts after launch to make sure that if there are recommendations for additional modifications, that we can take those into consideration for future growth.”
The new Metro McAllen Routes 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11 will now utilize the new Metro McAllen Transfer Station and Park & Ride lot at 4600 N 23rd Street at Trophy Drive. Note: Routes 3, 5, 8, 9 and 11 will disembark from the McAllen Transfer Station, where customers will need to utilize Route 10, to connect and / or transfer.
The introduction of the new routes is a response to the increasing demand from a rapidly growing city and its ridership for better connectivity to new locations. These anticipated changes and expansions to the Metro McAllen system aim to enhance accessibility for residents, allowing them to easily reach essential services, amenities, and attractions while reducing the reliance on personal vehicles.
Metro McAllen will also adjust its operating hours for several routes:
- Routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12 will run Monday through Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., while routes 5, 7, 8, and 11 will operate Monday through Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Route 10 will operate Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., while Route 9 will run Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Routes 1, 2, 4, 6 and 12 will operate on Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
With these new routes, passengers will pay the regular bus fare which now includes Route 9. Fares are $1 for adults and $0.50 for reduced-fare passengers (with valid ID), while children under 6 ride free with a fare-paying customer.
Micro McAllen will now provide Saturday service in the Northwest Zone to run from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. starting August 3, 2024.
To learn more about Metro McAllen's system redesign and expansion visit its website www.mcallen.com/metro or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
This marks a major achievement for Metro McAllen and underscores the organization's dedication to enhancing public transit services for the benefit of the community. These changes will bring a significant transformation in the way Metro McAllen serves its riders, reflecting a proactive approach to meeting McAllen's evolving transportation needs.
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