SCRTD highlights Sunland Park facility, electric buses, microtransit and microgrid plans

David Armijo, executive director of the South Central Regional Transit District, updated the board on recent capital and service developments, including a newly purchased Sunland Park parcel, delivery of electric buses, federal and state grant activity, and upcoming microtransit and microgrid projects.

Armijo said the district held a ribbon-cutting event the previous day for a mobility-and-energy hub. He reported that the district now has five electric buses from manufacturer Gillig and two additional EVs; he showed photos and described the boarding ramp and accessibility features. Armijo said El Paso Electric has committed roughly $100,000 in cash support to the project, and that the district had received a check at the event while awaiting an additional $33,000 check.

Armijo described the Sunland Park purchase as approximately 3.2 acres — identified as parcel A — and said the parcel contains an administrative building, a maintenance building, and 107 parking spaces; the parcel also includes an area the district plans to develop as a transfer location with bus shelters and layover parking. He said the parcel would support multiple routes, including the Blue route to Sierra County, a Hatch Green route and possibly the Copper route.

On grants and appropriations, Armijo said a previously reprogrammed $5,000,000 C-MAX grant should become available in July and that the district expects operating and capital funds of about $1.3 million from other sources across the 2024–25 period. He also said legislative appropriations included $200,000 from Senator Haviland, $200,000 from Representative Rubio and $50,000 from Representative Joanne Ferrary; he credited Ferrary with consistent support.

Armijo said the district’s NEPA document for the Sunland Park project has been submitted to the Federal Transit Administration and he expected approval by the end of the month. He said the next phase would be property acquisition and site work.

Tim McDaniel, staff lead on planning, discussed service and technology efforts the district is developing. McDaniel said the district is working toward a microtransit launch that would provide on-demand and paratransit curb-to-curb service, connect riders to fixed routes, and distinguish rider needs in dispatch. He said a tentative launch is planned for the first quarter of next year in Summit Park, with later expansion to industrial parks along T. Domenici Highway and areas around Las Cruces as staffing and equipment allow.

McDaniel also described work on a microgrid project being coordinated with the Federal Highway Administration. He said the microgrid would help power the electric fleet at the district facility, reduce reliance on the larger grid, and could — if expanded and permitted — enable sale of excess power back to El Paso Electric. McDaniel said power-generation capacity would be designed to be expandable as more grant funding becomes available.

The board asked questions about routing into the Las Cruces airport industrial park and about how costs and service responsibility might be shared between city and county partners; Armijo said staff was in conversations with Roadrunner Transit and local airport officials and that route design work will be included in the district’s 10-year plan and public outreach.

The board also introduced a new procurement specialist, Diana, who described her supply-chain background and said she will support procurement and project work.

No formal board action was required on the project updates; items described are moving through grant, NEPA and planning phases.