Sun Metro

Sun Metro is the public transportation provider serving El Paso, Texas, and the wider El Paso County area. It operates as a department of the City of El Paso rather than as an independent publicly traded company. Its service portfolio is centered on fixed-route bus transportation and paratransit, supported by transfer centers and specialized infrastructure across the city. Sun Metro's principal downtown interchange is the Bert Williams Downtown Santa Fe Transfer Center, which serves as a major connection point for local routes and the system's broader network. The agency operated under the name Sun City Area Transit, commonly abbreviated SCAT, until 1987. It was historically headquartered at the Union Depot in downtown El Paso. In 2014, Sun Metro moved its headquarters and principal operational functions to a new 37.5-acre facility on Montana Avenue, southeast of El Paso International Airport. The move reflected the scale of the agency's operating and maintenance requirements and placed its main operations center closer to the city's eastern transportation infrastructure. Sun Metro expanded beyond conventional local bus service with the introduction of Brio, an express bus program designed to provide faster, more legible service along major corridors. The first Brio route began service on October 27, 2014, linking Downtown El Paso with the Westside Transfer Center through the Mesa Street corridor, a segment of State Highway 20. The route uses dedicated branded stations, off-board fare collection equipment, real-time passenger information, and transit signal priority, although buses generally operate in mixed traffic. Its articulated compressed-natural-gas buses provide higher capacity than standard local buses and include features such as wireless internet, bicycle storage, and passenger information displays. A second Brio corridor extended express service toward Mission Valley through Alameda Avenue. Sun Metro also became the operator and maintainer of the El Paso Streetcar. The streetcar opened on November 9, 2018, using restored PCC vehicles that had operated in El Paso before the original streetcar system closed in 1974. The modern system runs on two loops between Downtown El Paso and the University of Texas at El Paso, covering approximately 4.8 miles on a round-trip basis. The project was developed under the authority of the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority and transferred to Sun Metro after major construction was completed. In addition to its branded services, Sun Metro's network is organized around a series of transfer centers and transit terminals, including the Westside, Cielo Vista, Five Points, Mission Valley, Northgate, Glory Road, and Union Plaza facilities. Its LIFT facility supports paratransit operations. The agency's role is therefore broader than that of a conventional bus brand: it is a municipal mobility department responsible for day-to-day transit operations, specialized transportation, intermodal connections, and the upkeep of associated passenger facilities. Sun Metro's positioning is that of a public-service transit network serving metropolitan mobility and regional access rather than a commercial passenger brand. Its service development has emphasized corridor-based express transportation, multimodal connections, public infrastructure, and the reuse of historic rolling stock. The system reported 6,186,400 passenger trips in 2025, equivalent to approximately 21,400 trips per weekday during the first quarter of 2026, according to the cited reference material.

Sun Metro is the public transportation department of the City of El Paso and serves the city as well as the rest of El Paso County. The agency's historical identity predates the Sun Metro name. Until 1987, it was known as Sun City Area Transit, generally shortened to SCAT. The change to Sun Metro gave the system a more unified public-facing identity as El Paso's municipal transit network. For many years, the agency was headquartered at Union Depot in downtown El Paso, a historic transportation facility. In 2014, Sun Metro opened a new 37.5-acre operations facility along Montana Avenue, southeast of El Paso International Airport, and moved its headquarters and operational functions there. The facility became the agency's principal base for managing its bus system and related services. Sun Metro's core activity is fixed-route bus transportation, supplemented by paratransit for eligible riders. Its network is supported by multiple transfer centers and terminals throughout El Paso, including the downtown Santa Fe facility, the Westside Transfer Center, Cielo Vista, Five Points, Mission Valley, Northgate, Glory Road, and Union Plaza. The LIFT facility is associated with the agency's paratransit service. These locations allow passengers to transfer between local routes and connect residential, commercial, educational, and civic areas. A major service-development step came in 2014 with the launch of Brio, an express bus program. The initial corridor opened on October 27, 2014, between Downtown El Paso and the Westside Transfer Center through the Mesa Street corridor. The service introduced a more prominent rapid-transit-style operating model, with purpose-built curbside stations, shelters, ticket vending machines for pre-boarding payment, real-time arrival information, and transit signal priority. The route operates in mixed traffic but is designed to provide more frequent and recognizable service along a major corridor. Brio vehicles are branded, articulated New Flyer Xcelsior buses powered by compressed natural gas. They offer greater passenger capacity than ordinary buses and include onboard Wi-Fi, bicycle storage, and passenger information monitors. A second Brio route later extended the concept toward Mission Valley along Alameda Avenue. Additional corridors, including Dyer Street and Montana Avenue, were identified for possible future development in the cited historical material. Sun Metro's role expanded again through the El Paso Streetcar. The system was developed under the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority and uses restored PCC streetcars associated with El Paso's earlier streetcar era, which ended in 1974. After major construction was completed in approximately spring 2018, the system was transferred to Sun Metro for operation and maintenance. Passenger service began on November 9, 2018. The streetcar runs on two loops between Downtown El Paso and the University of Texas at El Paso and covers approximately 4.8 miles on a round-trip basis. Through these developments, Sun Metro evolved from a conventional municipal bus operator into a broader urban mobility organization. Its responsibilities include local bus routes, accessible transportation, express bus corridors, streetcar operations, transfers, and passenger facilities. The agency remains a public department rather than a privately owned transport company. The cited reference reports 6,186,400 passenger trips in 2025 and approximately 21,400 weekday trips during the first quarter of 2026.

1. 2025Recorded reported annual ridership

   The cited reference reported 6,186,400 passenger trips for the year.

   Source
2. 2018Opened the El Paso Streetcar

   Passenger service began on November 9 using restored PCC streetcars on two loops between Downtown El Paso and the University of Texas at El Paso.

   Source
3. 2014Opened a new operations facility

   Sun Metro opened a 37.5-acre facility on Montana Avenue southeast of El Paso International Airport and moved away from its former Union Depot headquarters.

   Source
4. 2014Launched the first Brio route

   Brio express bus service began on October 27, linking Downtown El Paso and the Westside Transfer Center through the Mesa Street corridor.

   Source
5. 1987Adopted the Sun Metro name

   The agency, previously known as Sun City Area Transit or SCAT, began using the Sun Metro identity.

   Source

A municipally operated public transportation network focused on bus mobility, accessible transportation, express corridor service, and streetcar operations for El Paso and El Paso County.

• Fixed-route bus servicePublic bus transportation

  Sun Metro's conventional bus network provides scheduled public transportation across El Paso and the wider El Paso County service area. The network is organized around local routes, transfer centers, and downtown and neighborhood connections. It forms the operational core of the municipal transit department.

• BrioExpress bus service2014

  Brio is Sun Metro's branded express bus service. Its Mesa Street corridor uses 22 curbside stations with shelters, ticket vending machines, real-time arrival information, and transit signal priority. The service uses articulated compressed-natural-gas buses equipped with passenger information displays, Wi-Fi, and bicycle storage. A second corridor extends the service toward Mission Valley through Alameda Avenue.

• El Paso StreetcarStreetcar transit2018

  The El Paso Streetcar is a heritage-oriented urban rail service operated and maintained by Sun Metro. It uses restored PCC streetcars from El Paso's earlier streetcar system and runs on two loops between Downtown El Paso and the University of Texas at El Paso, covering approximately 4.8 miles on a round-trip basis.

• LIFTParatransit

  LIFT is Sun Metro's paratransit service supporting eligible passengers who cannot use conventional fixed-route transportation because of qualifying disabilities or mobility limitations. Its operations are supported by a dedicated LIFT facility.

• 2018Assume operation and maintenance of the El Paso StreetcarOther

  The streetcar was developed under the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority and used restored PCC vehicles associated with El Paso's historic streetcar system.

  What changed. After major construction was completed, the system was transferred to Sun Metro for operation and maintenance. Passenger service opened on November 9, 2018.

  Aftermath. Sun Metro added streetcar operations to its existing bus and paratransit responsibilities.

  Projected construction cost. $97 million (2016 projection)

  Source
• 2014Introduce Brio express bus serviceProduct launch

  Sun Metro sought to provide more frequent, higher-capacity service along the Mesa Street corridor between Downtown El Paso and the Westside Transfer Center.

  What changed. The agency launched Brio with branded articulated compressed-natural-gas buses, station infrastructure, pre-boarding fare equipment, real-time information, and transit signal priority.

  Aftermath. The Brio concept was extended toward Mission Valley through a second corridor, while further corridors were identified in the cited material as potential future projects.

  Implementation cost. $27.1 million (2014 launch)

  Source

• 2025Sun Metro reported 6.19 million passenger trips in 2025

  The transit system recorded 6,186,400 passenger trips during 2025, according to the cited reference material.

  Other
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• 2018Sun Metro began operating the El Paso Streetcar

  The restored PCC streetcar system opened to passengers on November 9, 2018, with Sun Metro responsible for operations and maintenance after construction transfer.

  Product launch
  Source
• 2014Sun Metro opened its first Brio express bus route

  Brio began service on October 27, 2014, connecting Downtown El Paso with the Westside Transfer Center along the Mesa Street corridor.

  Product launch
  Source

1. Sun Metro
2. Sun Metro official website