EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A new and free transportation service is coming to Fort Bliss members and their families in 2027.
On Monday, officials with the City of El Paso and Fort Bliss signed an agreement for a new on-base transportation service called “Torch Transit by Sun Metro,” which will be free for soldiers, their families, and any military ID card holder.
“Torch Transit by Sun Metro” fleet renderings. Credit: KFOX14/CBS4
Sun Metro Director Anthony Dekeyzer said the program was custom-made for Fort Bliss.
“The biggest feedback that we got is, ‘my soldiers have to walk up to eight miles,’ or ‘my soldiers have to pay up to $30 just to get to the commissary to get some groceries,'” Dekeyzer said, adding that once the program is up and running, those problems will be in the rearview mirror.
Sun Metro Director Anthony Dekeyzer. June 29, 2026. Credit: KFOX14/CBS4
So how will the service work? Dekeyzer answered simply, “just like an Uber.”
“All you have to do, if you’re an ID card holder, is go on the app, book a trip,” Dekeyzer said. “The van will show up and it’ll pick you up, it might pick up some people along the way and drop some people off along the way, but everybody will get their ride to where they’re going to.”
Meanwhile, Fort Bliss Garrison Commander Michael Soika called the program a “huge step for our communities,” emphasizing how many soldiers, when they arrive, don’t have a car or even a driver’s license.
“So it means that our soldiers, that some of them live 12 miles from our commissary and our PX, can now get there for free rather than spending money on an Uber or trying to bum a ride from their friends,” Soika said.
Fort Bliss Garrison Commander Michael Soika. June 29, 2026. Credit: KFOX14/CBS4
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Sergeant Marasia Anne Graham is one of those soldiers excited for the service, saying that besides saving time and money, it opens up a “huge rainbow of things” to do on Fort Bliss.
Sergeant Marasia Anne Graham. June 29, 2026. Credit: KFOX14/CBS4
“So I know we used to have to ask friends or even our NCOs for rides, but now we can actually get to our appointments on time. We can be able to enjoy ourselves during lunch. We can get to the dining facilities,” Graham said. “We can even try a different dining facility here on post that may not be the one for your brigade, but there are just so many opportunities.”
Fort Bliss map. June 29, 2026. Credit: KFOX14/CBS4
The service hours have not been set in stone yet.
Dekeyzer said that on weekdays, the service will start “early in the morning” and end at around 10 p.m., running around 84 hours a week; however, weekend hours will differ.
The program will have a total of 12 vans, but eight will be in use and could employ from 25 to 27 people, from drivers to dispatchers and supervisors.
Dekeyzer added that this is the first phase, and as the program moves into future phases, electric vehicles or a fleet that runs on compressed natural gas could be used.
The service is expected to start in six months, so around the beginning of 2027.
According to the City of El Paso, Fort Bliss is funding the service through the intergovernmental service agreement.
Dekeyzer said the service is the first in Fort Bliss’ history and the first agreement between the Department of War and a public transportation municipality.
Officials with the City of El Paso and Fort Bliss sign an agreement to partner up for a new free on-base transportation service. June 29, 2026. Credit: KFOX14/CBS4
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