ATI chief highlights progress in public transit

The Integrated Transit Authority (ATI by its initials in Spanish) has made significant progress in the transformation of public transport systems on the island, with a focus on innovation, sustainability, and efficiency, ATI Executive Director Josué Menéndez Agosto said during a transition hearing late last week.

“These years have been fundamental in promoting changes leading to a more reliable, accessible and efficient metropolitan transit system,” Menéndez Agosto said. “We are proud of the achievements obtained, but aware that there is still much to be done to guarantee a service that fully responds to the needs of our people. The ATI chief emphasized that from 2021-2024, ATI has implemented crucial changes that have improved the quality of life of thousands of users and have strengthened socioeconomic development, mainly in the San Juan metropolitan area.

The agency has made essential capital improvements during the past four years, Menéndez Agosto said. The maritime transit system has been rehabilitated by renovating existing terminals and acquiring specialized maintenance equipment. In addition, the purchase of four new vessels and a barge for service to the offshore island municipalities of Vieques and Culebra will exponentially increase the capacity and stability of cargo and passenger transportation, reducing operational costs and ensuring an even more efficient and safe service for users, he noted.