SOCORRO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 After the City of Socorro ended its deal with the El Paso Transportation Authority (ETA) in 2025 to launch its own bus service, Socorro is now rejoining ETA so it can run that new service. <\/p>\n
According to El Paso County, starting October 1, ETA will operate and maintain Socorro’s \u00a1Avanzando! microtransit service, after Socorro’s City Council accepted the proposal on Aug. 6.<\/p>\n
ETA’s subcontractor, Transdev, will run the bus service seven days a week, Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n
The County said the bus service will also expand under this new agreement to connect Socorro, San Elizario, and Clint, and will continue to be free and include Wi-Fi, bike racks, security cameras, and access to ETA’s app to schedule rides. <\/p>\n
According to the County, Socorro will contribute $5,165 for regional transit access and $253,000 for the operation and maintenance of the service.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Socorro launches new transit service offering free, on-demand rides<\/a><\/p>\n Over a year ago, on July 1, 2025, the City of Socorro launched \u00a1Avanzando! bus service after it had cut ties with ETA in 2024.<\/p>\n In a press release sent out at the time, KFOX14\/CBS4 was told the decision to end service in Socorro was guided by a formal policy developed with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.<\/p>\n Despite the pause in Socorro, ETA continued to operate in Vinton, Town of Anthony, Horizon City, San Elizario and Clint.<\/p>\n RELATED: El Paso County to end public transit in Socorro after city declines ETA participation<\/a><\/p>\n Providing written statements, officials with the City of Socorro and ETA celebrated this new partnership, which they believe will take Socorro’s bus service to “the next level.”<\/p>\n “We have worked very hard to build a new relationship with the City of Socorro and we are now partners in providing public transportation to which will allow the freedom of people the freedom to travel regionally in El Paso County without boundaries,” stated John Andoh, the executive director of ETA.<\/p>\n “Since the creation of ETA, the Board\u2019s goal has been to ensure that all jurisdictions throughout El Paso County are connected through multi-modal transportation solutions,” said Jackie Butler, Chair of the ETA Board of Directors and El Paso County Commissioner for Precinct 1.<\/p>\n “We are looking forward to a renewed continued relationship with ETA, which includes their regional transit services connecting passengers to and from the City’s newly formed microtransit service, whom ETA will operate for us, which continues to provides an enhanced level of transit services in the City of Socorro and takes passengers to areas that ETA fixed routes do not serve,” stated Adriana Rodarte, city manager of Socorro.<\/p>\n “In the past year, Socorro \u00a1Avanzando! carried 6,896 passenger trips, which shows that transit is catching on in Socorro and we look forward to ETA taking our microtransit service to the next level,” stated Alejandra Valadez, the City’s Development Director and ETA Board Member.<\/p>\n For more information about ETA, you can call 915-533-4731 or visit ETAElPaso.or<\/a>g or email director@etaelpaso.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more information on Socorro’s \u00a1Avanzando! bus service, call 915-860-8615 or visit costx.us\/transit\/<\/a> or email vreta@costx.us<\/a>.<\/p>\n