San José's transport future: No BRT, but upgrades are coming

While the metropolitan transport reform spearheaded by Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi focuses heavily on Montevideo and Canelones, the department of San José faces a different path. Although San José is part of the Metropolitan Transport System Agency established by the latest budget law, it will not benefit from the two new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines, which are slated exclusively for Montevideo and Canelones.

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But in this new stage the intendenta Ana Bentaberri wanted to take this step.

Despite the absence of BRT, San José's public transport is set for significant upgrades. The department currently lacks the STM system and ticket validation machines, forcing passengers to pay fares in cash. A key objective of the reform is to implement these modernizations, allowing residents to use payment cards similar to those in Montevideo.

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All companies and lines that enter the agency will have to have the machines in their vehicles.

Marcos Reyes, deputy secretary of the intendancy and San José's representative on the new agency, explained that while the department had previously considered joining the STM system, it was deemed inconvenient at the time. However, under the current administration led by intendenta Ana Bentaberri, the decision was made to proceed. The introduction of validation machines on all buses is a technological shift that will enable the intendancy to gather real-time data on citizen mobility.

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We want to give the neighbors the possibility to manage themselves in the same way within the department of San José.

This data will be invaluable for conducting in-depth mobility studies, allowing the intendancy to analyze passenger flow on different lines and identify needs. Based on this information, San José will assess whether adjustments are necessary for its internal transport lines, such as increasing frequency or introducing new routes to serve previously unserved areas. The reform also opens the possibility for future improvements to the connection between San José and Montevideo along Route 1, though substantial changes are projected for the long term.

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With the machines you are obtaining real-time information and you see how citizens move. You can have a database of what happens on the different lines.