John Ando, executive director of El Paso Area Transportation Services (ETA), presented an overview of ETA’s fixed‑route, microtransit, paratransit and vanpool services and reviewed funding, ridership and administrative arrangements during the Oct. 6 Socorro City Council meeting.

Ando described ETA as a local government corporation formed under Texas Transportation Code (presented in the meeting as “section 4 31”) and said the organization operates countywide routes, paratransit (Access), microtransit (OnDelay) and a vanpool subsidy program. He told the council that ETA carried more than 559,000 passenger trips system‑wide in the last reporting period and that the agency’s FY24 revenues were about $9.1 million, funded primarily by federal grants (about 54%), with the remainder from state and local contributions.

Ando outlined two ways Socorro could receive ETA service: (1) Socorro could formally join ETA as a member jurisdiction and negotiate a local match; or (2) Socorro could contract for service and pay per revenue vehicle hour (Ando cited an estimated contractor rate of $54.90 per revenue vehicle service hour plus an allocated fixed cost share). He estimated Socorro’s net general fund obligation after a typical 50% federal FTA match could be roughly $100,000–$150,000 for an initial level of service, though Ando cautioned those figures will vary based on service choices and federal allocations.

Following the presentation and council discussion, the council considered an interlocal agreement to make ETA services available to Socorro residents. The agreement, retroactive to Oct. 1, 2025, sets a $5,000 annual access fee payable by Nov. 1 of each fiscal year. Council voted to approve and ratify the interlocal agreement; the motion carried with no recorded opposition.

Clarifying details: Ando provided mode‑level ridership numbers (Route 30 carried roughly 29,000 passenger trips in the referenced fiscal year) and reported that Socorro currently has 47 registered users in ETA’s paratransit system (about 32% of ETA’s registered access riders in the combined local group). He and staff emphasized that Socorro could seek to claim federal urbanized area funds if it follows reporting, transit development planning, and interagency coordination with Sun Metro.

What’s next: Socorro staff and ETA will proceed under the interlocal agreement; ETA committed to provide more precise Socorro‑specific ridership and cost data and to pursue federal funding allocations in coordination with Sun Metro and the regional agencies.