SITRAS, officially, Sistema Integrado de TRAnsportación del Sur (Southern Integrated Transportation System), is the mass transit system in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The service was inaugurated on 14 February 2012.Nuevo Sistema de Transporte en Ponce: Guaguas recorreran 26 comunidades de la Perla del Sur. Sandra Caquías Cruz. El Nuevo Dia. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 15 February 2012. Page 34. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
History As "a large city that feels like a small town",Ponce. Harry S. Parise. Explore Puerto Rico. Page 239. Retrieved 8 July 2012. Ponce's public mass transportation system consisted only of a shared taxi service providing public cars and vans known as públicos.Let's Go:Home > North America > Puerto Rico > Southeast > Ponce : Intercity Transportation. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
Since the 1940s,Temen 'golpe de muerte' con SITRAS. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 29. Issue 1453. Page 10. 5 October 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2012. Weblink updated 2 February 2018. the network of públicos, numbering some 20 "lineas" (lines), had emerged and positioned itself along various downtown city streets.Estudio de Transportación. A. M. Figueroa. University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Page 3a. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012. The 20 or so lineas served both intra-city and inter-city transportation needs. Lineas providing inter-city service, that is, those heading to other towns such as San Juan,Temen 'golpe de muerte' con SITRAS. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 29. Issue 1453. Page 10. 5 October 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2012. Weblink updated 2 February 2018. Mayaguez, Guayama, Peñuelas, Adjuntas, and Juana Diaz, were stationed around the perimeter of Plaza Las Delicias and numbered eight, with a fleet of 38 vehicles.Estudio de Transportación. A. M. Figueroa. University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Page 3a. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012. Intra-city lines, namely those heading to various communities in the city of Ponce (Jardines del Caribe, Cantera, Glenview, etc.)Temen 'golpe de muerte' con SITRAS. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 29. Issue 1453. Page 10. 5 October 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2012. or to its barrios, including, Guaraguao, Anón, Coto Laurel, etc., projected further out from the city center, were located mostly in the area surrounding Plaza del Mercado de Ponce, and numbered 12 lineas, with a fleet of 109 vehicles.Estudio de Transportación. A. M. Figueroa. University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Page 3a. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
The entire shared taxi network covered some 8-10 city blocks of downtown Ponce. This decentralized system changed in 1990 when all these líneas scattered throughout downtown Ponce were centralized at the 3-story high Terminal de Carros Públicos Carlos GarayPorta Caribe: Ponce and around. Stephen Keeling. "The Rough Guide to Puerto Rico." Rough Guides Limited. 2008. Page 221. Retrieved 10 July 2012. upon the Terminal's inauguration.Porta Caribe: Ponce and around. Stephen Keeling. "The Rough Guide to Puerto Rico." Rough Guides Limited. 2008. Page 211. Retrieved 10 July 2012.Temen 'golpe de muerte' con SITRAS. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 29. Issue 1453. Page 10. 5 October 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2012.Ponce Public Transportation. Frommer’s Getting Around. Retrieved 5 July 2012. When at its peak, the Carlos Garay terminal accommodated over 100 públicos.Viven pesadilla choferes en Ponce. Reinaldo Millán. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 31. Issue 1545. Page 16. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013. Yet, while the 1990 públicos centralization at the Carlos Garay Terminal building relieved congestion in some downtown streets, it did little to provide relief from other públicos-related problems: the system continued to be plagued by unpredictable and sporadic service, limited or no service on weekends, no evening service, and similar weaknesses.
In 2008, the administration of mayor Maria Melendez, commissioned a study to seek a solution to these problems. After the necessary studies and permit phases were completed, the bus-based mass transit system known as SITRAS was launched.Estudio de Transportación. A. M. Figueroa. University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.Nuevo Sistema de Transporte en Ponce: Guaguas recorreran 26 comunidades del la Perla del Sur. Sandra Caquías Cruz. El Nuevo Dia. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 15 February 2012. Page 34. Retrieved 5 July 2012. The new system cost $4 million to develop.Nuevo Sistema de Transporte en Ponce: Guaguas recorreran 26 comunidades del la Perla del Sur. Sandra Caquías Cruz. El Nuevo Dia. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 15 February 2012. Page 34. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
SITRAS was scheduled to start operating in November 2011, El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 16 September 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2012. at the WayBack Machine on 15 March 2013. but various factors kept it from inaugurating then. After a 3-month delay the mass transit system was launched in February 2012 with 11 buses and three routes.Nuevo Sistema de Transporte en Ponce: Guaguas recorreran 26 comunidades del la Perla del Sur. Sandra Caquías Cruz. El Nuevo Dia. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 15 February 2012. Page 34. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
Unlike the shared taxi system, SITRAS provides predictable, scheduled service as well as weekend and evening service.Nuevo Sistema de Transporte en Ponce: Guaguas recorreran 26 comunidades de la Perla del Sur. Sandra Caquías Cruz. El Nuevo Dia. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 15 February 2012. Page 34. Retrieved 5 July 2012. However, the advent of SITRAS did not do away with the use of públicos altogether. Instead SITRAS was designed to complement the shared taxi service, with SITRAS taking over several city proper routes while públicos were expected to provide "connections" along the SITRAS routes to more remote and rural areas where SITRAS buses could not reach.Estudio de Transportación. A. M. Figueroa. University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Page 10b. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.Nuevo Sistema de Transporte en Ponce: Guaguas recorreran 26 comunidades del la Perla del Sur. Sandra Caquías Cruz. El Nuevo Dia. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 15 February 2012. Page 34. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
The Melendez administration envisioned Ponce's mass transit system to consist of three phases altogether, with future phases including a light rail system. Phase II of the project envisions adding route to La Playa, Coto Laurel, El Tuque and Calle Villa.Más cercano el estreno de SITRAS. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 5 October 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2012. According to a 30 June 2012 news report, a fourth SITRAS route was to be added to serve the El Tuque sector.Rebaja $46 millones la Alcaldía ponceña. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 30. Issue 1487. Page 14. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2012. The El Tuque route, scheduled to start service in September 2012, El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012. started on 12 September 2012.Exitosa ruta de SITRAS en Ponce: De Ponce Centro a El Tuque. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
Fare and routes There is no cost for riding in the system.Nuevo Sistema de Transporte en Ponce: Guaguas recorreran 26 comunidades de la Perla del Sur. Sandra Caquías Cruz. El Nuevo Dia. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 15 February 2012. Page 34. Retrieved 5 July 2012. As of July 2012, the system routes are as follows:Debuta en Ponce la red de transporte. Jason Rodríguez Grafal La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012.Rutas del SITRAS en Ponce. 17 February 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
Route colorRoute nameBus letter ID(s)StopsTerminalsCommunities ServedGreenNorthwestA, B, C39Estudio de Transportación. A. M. Figueroa. University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Page 6. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012. Ponce - Las DeliciasLas Delicias, Jardines del Caribe, Quebrada del Agua, Villa Paraíso, Quebrada Limón, Casa Mía, Río Canas, Marueño, Magueyes, El Madrigal and Nuevo MameyesAtención ponceños: SITRAS arranca el 15. Carmen Cila Rodríguez. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 30. Issue 1471. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012.PurpleNorthD19Estudio de Transportación. A. M. Figueroa. University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Page 7a. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012. Ponce - Ponce HousingPonce Housing, Barriada Borinquen, Cantera, Jaime L. Drew, Tibes, Río Chiquito and La LulaAtención ponceños: SITRAS arranca el 15. Carmen Cila Rodríguez. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 30. Issue 1471. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012.OrangeNortheastE, F, G36Estudio de Transportación. A. M. Figueroa. University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Page 8a. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012. Ponce - GlenviewLa Yuca, Glenview, Santa Teresita, La Rambla, Jardines de Fagot, Tormos Diego, El Paraíso, Vallas, Las Monjitas and MarianiAtención ponceños: SITRAS arranca el 15. Carmen Cila Rodríguez. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 30. Issue 1471. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012.YellowSouthwestH(?)20(?)Exitosa ruta de SITRAS en Ponce: De Ponce Centro a El Tuque. 13 September 2012. El Vocero. San Juan, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 26 September 2012. Ponce - El TuqueBaldorioty, Ponce de León, Pedro Juan Rosaly, Canas, Río Canas, Bosque Señorial, Baramaya, Bello Horizonte, Las Margaritas, La Matilde, Punto Oro, Punta Diamante, Cooper View, Golden View, Silver View, La Cotorra, Las Batatas, Brisas del Caribe, and Nueva Vida - El TuqueExitosa ruta de SITRAS en Ponce: De Ponce Centro a El Tuque. 13 September 2012. El Vocero. San Juan, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
In 2016, a sixth route was added.municipio-de-ponce-inaugura-nueva-ruta-de-sitras-para-el-casco-urbano/. Jose Rivera. Noticias Somos Ponce: La Nueva Voz del Pueblo. 19 October 2016. Accessed 3 February 2018.
Service notes
An informal early 2012 study by the local newspaper La Perla del Sur concluded that riders were satisfied with the SITRAS mass transit service.Generalizada la aprobación a SITRAS. Carmen Cila Rodríguez. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2012. As with all public transportation services throughout the Island, SITRAS suspended operations on 20 September 2017 upon the passing of Hurricane Maria through Ponce. Operations were resumed on 1 October 2017.HURACÁN MARÍA - Ponce (Puerto Rico) después del paso del huracán María: últimas noticias. Univision. 22 September 2017. Accessed 7 March 2017.
Fleet