Transmetro

Transmetro is a bus rapid transit system in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The first line opened on 3 February 2007. The fleet consists of modern Volvo buses made by Ciferal in Brazil. The buses have fixed stops and partly run on dedicated lanes, avoiding other traffic. Both stops and vehicles are guarded by municipal police. Service began in 2007 with a route between the City Hall (Municipalidad) and a market place at Centra Sur (Southern Transfer Station). The second route, Eje Central, started operations on August 14, 2010. This route serves the central corridor between 6th and 7th Avenue of Zones 1, 4, and 9.

Buses run down the middle of the street, are separated from other traffic, and stop at stations approximately every kilometre. The stations are in the middle of the street, near areas of heavy pedestrian activity. Platforms are elevated so as to be level with the floor of the bus. Passengers may access the station via stairways, street crossings, or in some places tunnels. Elevator access for the disabled is not presently available. However, individuals requiring accessible entry can cross the street to access transportation through gates painted with a wheelchair logo. Roofs in the stations are covered with a transparent plastic covering.

The buses are articulated Brazilian-made vehicles manufactured by Volvo and can carry approximately 100 passengers, including standing passengers.

Security is provided by Guatemala City's transit police, with officers in fluorescent yellow vests deployed at most stations on the route. Sometimes security personnel ride on the Transmetro.

History
In January 1999, mayor Fritz García Gallont proposed implementing the Transmetro BRT project. However, it would not be until January 2004 when then mayor Álvaro Arzú confirmed that he had considered the Transmetro as a solution to alleviate congestion in the city. By June of the same year, city council said the first phase would be completed by the end of the year. However, several construction delays would push back its completion date from late 2006 to early 2007. The opening date was pushed to February 2007 when phase one, named "Eje Sur" (South line), began revenue service in the city. When the buses started to operate on the southern line, regional buses or "chicken buses" were banned from entering the city from the south. The change effectively made travelling the CA1 much faster compared before the line began to work.

After a successful 3-years of operation on the initial line, a second line opened in August of 2010, named "Eje central" also known as "Corredor Central" (Central line, or also known as Central corridor). This second phase coincided with the revitalization project of 6th Avenue in the historic downtown, and received support from private sector developers.

A number of lines would be opened without the dedicated right of way, between 2014 and 2016. "Centro Historico" which operates in the Historic centre was the first of these new lines to open in 2014. The "Eje Nor-oriente" line began operation in 2014 to serve Zone 18 from the Atlantida neighbourhood and the Downtown core. At the same time, construction of stations was ongoing for the new line "Eje Norte". This line opened in April of 2015 and was later renamed line 6 after the Zone in which it terminates from the downtown core. In January of 2016 a new short line named "Hipodromo" opened to serve the Hipodromo neighbourhood and the downtown core. This line would also serve as a sister line to "Eje Central", and introduced express services to the UMG university campus.

Later in 2016, all lines were renamed after the zones they operate in or serve. Eje Sur was renamed Line 12 as it mainly operates in zone 12, Corredor Central was renamed Line 13 as it connects Zone 13 with the Downtown Core, Centro Historico was renamed Line 1 as it serves Zone 1 Downtown, Eje Norte was renamed Line 6 as it terminates in Zone 6, Eje Nor-oriente was renamed Line 18 as it terminates in Zone 18, and Hipodromo was renamed Line 2 as it serves Zone 2.

In 2017 a new line, named "Line 21" began operating as a pilot project to improve transportation to and from the USAC University campus. Although it was a temporary line, it was marked on the system map as the pink line.

2019 saw the opening of "Line 7", even though some stations were still under construction. Line 21 was made permanent at this time, after proving to be popular as a connection to Trebol station. It would not be until 2020 when all Line 7 stations are open to the public. At the same time, the new mayor announced plans to phase out cash-fares. This process would be completed in 2021 with the introduction of a new payment card named "Tarjeta Ciudadana" which became the default payment method, meaning cash payments were no longer accepted.

In 2023 several service changes were made to the network, including the official removal of all direct interchanges, with the exception of those on lines 6 & 18 and lines 1 & 2, as well as the addition of new stations on Lines 1, 2, 12, 13, and 18, and the discontinuing of line 21.



Fare payments
When the Transmetro first opened, it accepted only coins, as the fare was set at Q1.00. After the national government began service of the Transurbano, a local bus service similar to the ones in North American cities, it also began to accept the SIGA smart card which had to be tapped to a reader. Passengers must pay the fare each time they enter the Transmetro, which means a two-way trip costs Q2.00, regardless of how far one goes. In November 2015, payments by the SIGA smart card were no longer accepted because of a multitude of problems and disagreements.

A shift to contactless payment options was announced in early 2020. However, implementation of new fare gates, including accessible ones, was only completed at some stations on line 12 and 13. The modernization project, also included support for the SIGA smart card, which had been accepted until 2015. Additionally, the new gates would also feature support for NFC payments, as well as debit and credit cards. The gates received public support due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which discouraged many from the use of cash payments to reduce the risk of transmission.

In early February 2021, payment by coins was no longer accepted, and payment by the new Tarjeta Ciudadana (Citizen Card) became the default payment method. The card can be acquired at stations along line 12, line 13, and convenience stores that have been allowed to sell it across the city. After purchasing the card at a cost of GTQ.20.00, users will receive 5 free rides and can register their name on to it using a system similar to cards such as the SUICA card in Japan. As an additional incentive for riders to purchase the card, the card offers 4 free rides daily for users with a disability. Along with the introduction of the new payment system, fares remained the same for the existing lines but increased for "Rutas Express," regional express services between Mixco and Guatemala City, to GTQ2.00.

Line 12 (Centra Sur)
Line 12 starts from Zone 1 in Guatemala City, it runs through the Civic Centre, Bolivar Avenue, Trebol Station, Raul Aguilar Batres Way, and finally terminating at Centra Sur in Zone 12 of neighbouring Villa Nueva city. The line was certified as "Gold" under the BRT Standards in 2014. In the 2023 service update, all direct transfers were removed, meaning passengers traveling on the line can only connect to other lines by walking a short distance to nearby stations. Additionally, several stations in Zone 1 were closed, while Santa Cecilia station was added.

Line 13 (Corredor Central)
The second line to be opened, Corridor Central or Eje Central, runs through zones 4, 9, and 13 of Guatemala City. The buses are similar to the ones on Line 12, except for the Bi-articulated buses. The change in bus types was done to allow the line to travel through the historic centre as the streets are narrower compared to those of the CA1.

Another interesting difference between Line 12 and Line 13 is that, when Line 13 was still a proposal, the developer promised to revitalize the areas where the Line would eventually operate. This revitalization included new monuments, better sidewalks, improvement of street vendor spaces, and others.

Line 13 connects with Line 12 at "Plaza Barrios" and "El Calvario", creating seamless connections to the downtown and the southern areas of the city. Stations on this line are equipped with accessibility features such as braille that tells users the name of the stations and the connecting lines.

This line, as mentioned earlier, runs through the historic downtown, this means that during its journey it will pass by popular landmarks of the city such as the Torre del Reformador, the Acueducto de Pinula, the Bank of Guatemala, Civic Centre, and 6th Avenue, a popular pedestrian-only section of the city. The line was certified as "Silver" under the BRT Standards in 2014. In 2022, Line 13's Hangares Station became an interchange station with the inauguration of the TransPinula service. In the 2023 service update, Line 13 had its termini changed to Tipografia in the north and Hangares in the south after a number of stations closed, south of Plaza Argentina. Fuerza Aerea station was opened and all direct transfers were removed.

Line 1 (Centro Historico)
Line 1 works in mainly in Zone 1 of Guatemala's Downtown. This line was built soon after Line 13 began operations. The main goal of this line was to make the historic centre more accessible through safe and reliable public transportation. This line travels from 3rd Street in Zone 1, towards 18th Street in Zone 1, passing through 5th Street and 8th Street. This line started service on December 19, 2012. In the 2023 service update, its southern terminus was changed from Tipografia Station to Centro Civico, and a new Sur 2 station was opened.

Line 2 (Hipodromo)
Line 2 was another line that had some private sector support, the goal was to increase ease of travel between the Hipodromo district and the historic district. The colour for this route is similar to the one for Line 1, as they serve very similar areas. Line 2 also has an express service to provide direct connections between Zone 1, and the UMG university campus. The express service does not serve any other stations. In the 2023 service update, the express service was removed entirely, ending service to the UMG university campus. In place of the express service, San Jose de la Montaña station was opened near the campus.

Line 6 (Norte)
L6 or Eje Norte, runs from 18th Street in Zone 1 to Cementos Progreso Stadium in Guatemala's Zone 6, on its journey, it passes by the popular Colon Park (Parque Colon). Its stations began construction in October 2014 and the route was fully functional by April 25 of 2015. A trip from one end to the other takes an average of 50 minutes.

Line 18 (Nor-oriente)
As its name in Spanish describes, this line travels to the North West corner of the city. Departing from Plaza Barrios-FEGUA Station at 18th Street in Zone 1, ti travels through very important, high traffic areas and sites of interest like Colon Park. This line began operating on April 25, 2014, and continues to be under construction specially in the northern segment of the route to improve road conditions and exclusive traffic lane. This line also has an express service which bypasses most stations and travels directly to Paraiso Station, stopping at San Rafael Station on the way. Geographically, Paraiso is further than Atlantida, making it the northernmost station in the system. In early 2020, Transmetro completed the newest terminal station at Atlantida, renaming the terminal to "Centra Atlantida ". This new terminal also provides direct transfers to local Transurbano Routes in the 300 Series. In the 2023 service update, the express service was replaced with all-day local service, stopping at Centra Atlantida along the way. Additionally, FEGUA and Plaza Barrios were no longer noted as interchange stations, despite a walking connection remaining available to Line 12.

Line 21 (discontinued)
Line 21 started as a pilot project to measure sustainability, and conduct a user needs assessment for service to the USAC university campus, in the southern end of the city. The project began as an Express service between the temporary Trebolito Station, which was close to the Trebol Station, and a temporary Station at the municipal office in Zone 21. The service become a permanent line which provides easier access to the university campus from Line 12. In 2019, the service was complemented by the opening of the Line 7 service which provides students with options for westbound service. The line was named after its southern terminus, located in Zone 21. In the 2023 service update, Line 21 was discontinued in its entirety.

Line 7
Line 7 began service in late 2019. The is intended to cover more suburban service, as well as provide more direct access to the USAC university campus. The line travels between Colon Station in Zone 1, through Zone 7, Zone 11, and terminates at the new USAC Periferico Station. Along the way, it makes direct transfers to Line 6 and 18, while also providing walking connections to Line 1 and 12. In the 2023 service update the line's termini were changed, and all direct transfers were removed, meaning passengers traveling on the line can only transfer by walking to a nearby station.

Line 17
Line 17, along with Line 5, was announced to be under development by the Municipality of Guatemala in March 2021. This line would use a different rolling stock from the standard Marcopolo BRT, instead using a set of city-style buses which are 100% electric. The goal of the line was to provide a connection for North-west and West-end residents to the Centra Atlantida station and Line 18. The line would also intersect with some Transurbano Routes and was expected to share some stations. This project was put on hold as the city moved forward with Line 15 instead. Since the announcement of TuBus operations by the city, this previously proposed line and its alignment will now be used for the route traveling between Centra Atlantida and Lomas del Norte in Zone 17.

Line 5
Line 5, along with Line 17, was announced to be under development by the Municipality of Guatemala in March 2021. This line will use a different rolling stock from the standard Marcopolo BRT, instead using a set of city-style buses which are 100% electric. While original design of this line was to provide a connection for West-end residents to Centra Atlantida station and Line 18, the routing has since changed to operate entirely within Zone 5 through using Diagonal 14 for most of its route. The line is expected to face challenges with smaller turn ratios and steeper grades on its route. The route will be 12 km in length, feature 16 stations, and connect with Lines 6, 7, 12, 13, and 18.

Line 15
Line 15 was announced to be under development by the Municipality of Guatemala in July 2021 The project is to be launched alongside Line 5, leaving the previously announced Line 17 on hold. Line 15 will be 13.5 km in length, feature 14 stations, and connect with Line 13.

TuBus
TuBus was unveiled in March 2023 as part of the 16th anniversary conmemoration of Transmetro operations. The system is set to serve as an urban bus system, like the existing Transurbano, however, it will be operated entirely by the Guatemala municipality instead of SIGA. The system will also take over previously proposed Transmetro routes in Zone 17, as well as new alignments serving connecting to existing Transmetro routes.