Jun. 1--EL PASO -- Every day, it takes Northeast resident Tom Saunders about 30 minutes to commute approximately 8.5 miles home via Sun Metro.

Saunders lives near Hercules Avenue and works at a small fabrication shop Downtown.

Saunders said after four years using the city's bus service, he has begun to see some improvements including more and faster routes.

However, the Virginia native said, El Paso has "got nothing" compared to public transportation services he has used in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland.

But Saunders' public transportation experience could change in a couple of years when the plans to build a rapid-transit bus system develop.

"I'll believe it when I see it," he said while boarding a bus on Franklin Street.

Dyer Street was identified by the "El Paso Transit Corridors Feasibility Study" as a major transportation thoroughfare for the proposed rapid-transit bus system.

The study was performed in 2000 by Jacobs Engineering Group, a national company.

Now the company is performing the "Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis" to find the proper routes, stops and projected ridership, city engineer Alan Shubert said.

Montana Avenue, Alameda Avenue and Mesa Street are included in the analysis as high-capacity priority corridors.

When asked how Dyer Street was selected among the four main corridors for the contemplated transit system, Shubert said, "Routes are very obvious."

The Dyer corridor extends Northeast from Downtown. It

intersects Fred Wilson Road, the main artery north of Fort Bliss, while Copia Street forms the axis of the corridor between Downtown and Fred Wilson.

City officials will host a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Main Library, 501 N. Oregon, as part of the analysis.

This will be the initial community meeting to share the layout illustrating the routes and alternatives being considered, as well as additional project information. The meeting will also provide an opportunity to elicit community feedback as part of the initial phase of the study.

Shubert said the analysis is the first step toward the city's goal to make El Paso the least car-dependent city in the Southwest.

Aileen B. Flores may be reached at aflores@elpasotimes.com; 546-6362.

Make plans --What: El Paso Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis public meeting.

--When:"5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

--Where:"Main Library, 501 N. Oregon.

--Information: www.eptcaa.org

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