El Paso, Feb 26, 2011 - El Paso may have an ally for its Mesa Bus Rapid Transit System corridor during the coming federal budget hearings.

That person is Peter Rogoff, the administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, who toured the corridor on Friday and said he liked what he saw.

He will be testifying before Congress on the Department of Transportation's budget proposal, which includes a $13.5 million recommendation for El Paso's project. The entire project cost is $27 million.

"The Mesa Corridor bus rapid transit project will truly be a gateway of opportunity for the citizens," Rogoff said.

"And with so many El Paso-area residents already dependent on transit to get to work or to school, improved transit is essential to bringing economic recovery to the region. This project is at the heart of President Obama's vision to win the future by investing in our own infrastructure."

During his visit to El Paso, Rogoff said the project was a good example of how federal stimulus dollars should be spent.

"It's not a make-work project," Rogoff said. "It creates jobs now when we need them and on a high-value project. The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT) really is a game-changer for El Paso."

U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, and El Paso Mayor John Cook, and local transportation officials accompanied Rogoff on a Sun Metro tour to key transit corridors.

Rogoff said the BRT project is ideal because it improves the quality of life for El Pasoans who use mass transit and helps to stimulate economic development.

In addition to generating construction jobs, the corridor helps to encourage businesses to move into the corridor areas or expand their existing businesses.

The new BRT corridor would extend 8.6 miles northwest along Mesa Street, from the Downtown Transfer Center at 601 Santa Fe, near the Paso del Norte Bridge, and end at the new Westside Transfer Center, at 7535 Remcon.

Ten low-floor, 60-foot compressed natural gas accordion buses would provide service every 10 minutes during weekday peak periods.

The Bus Rapid Transit System is a service that offers benefits similar to light-rail transit, such as improved speed and reliability, but at a much lower cost.

The Downtown Transfer Center cost $8.5 million, including $6.6 million in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds. The Westside Transfer Center, which cost $5 million, received $3.8 million in FTA money.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently announced funding recommendations for new capital transit construction projects as part of the president's fiscal-year 2012 budget request, which includes the $13.5 million for El Paso.

"The Mesa Corridor rapid transit project is a great example of how a targeted transportation investment contributes to America's economic success," LaHood said in a statement. "The project has already captured the imagination of both policy makers and private investors who see tremendous potential for new development along the Mesa Corridor."

Cook credited Roy Gilliard, executive director of the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization, for inspiring him to push for a bus rapid transit system in El Paso.

"Nationally, there is a decrease in ridership, but we are seeing a yearly 8 percent increase in ridership," said Cook. He attributed the increase to the city's wide-ranging improvements in mass transit.

Reyes, who's pushed for federal money for Fort Bliss and El Paso, said El Paso has received about $100 million in federal stimulus money that helped to generate more than 2,300 jobs.

"This is a very exciting day for people who depend on mass transit," Reyes said.

Officials estimate that the Mesa corridor project will be completed in September 2013, and it is expected to carry nearly 12,000 riders daily on weekdays by 2015.

After touring the Mesa corridor, Rogoff was taken elsewhere in El Paso to see parts of the proposed Alameda and Dyer Bus Rapid Transit corridors and the proposed Northgate Transit Oriented Development. At a stop during the tour, El Paso and Fort Bliss officials presented Rogoff a key to the city.

Diana Washington Valdez may be reached at dvaldez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6140.