Public transport in San Miguel
By Tania Noriz, July 28, 2006

According to information provided by the Urban Transport Department of San Miguel, approximately 20,000 people use public transportation every day to go to work, school, home, or other destinations downtown or in the outskirts of the city.
 
The bus routes were established by the department in 2002, following an analysis of transit patterns. From three main access points, Salida a Celaya, Salida a Dolores and Salida a Querétaro, the buses converge in the downtown area, principally in Hernández Macías, Umarán, Colegio, Quebrada, Insurgentes, Pepe Llanos, Juárez, San Francisco, and Canal streets. 


The veins of the city

The city’s urban public transport system comprises 69 buses, operated by five different transport companies. Each of the 10 urban bus routes are serviced by 8 to 11 buses. Fares are set at four pesos, the fare set by the State Transit Department, however, the orange line, operated by Urban and Suburban Transports of San Miguel, charges only three pesos, to be more competitive. 

The buses must be in a condition to circulate for at least 10 years, with six-monthly mechanical maintenance checks. Companies pay an annual circulation permit of 540 pesos per bus to the city. All buses must have a length of 8 meters.
Route from Palmita de Landeta to Centro, purple line (no number)

Transportes Insurgentes, A.C. offers the service from Fraccionamiento Ignacio Ramírez to Salida a Querétaro, covering the Boulevard de la Conspiración along the Salida a Querétaro to downtown. It leaves the Fraccionamiento and travels along Avenida Reforma to Boulevard de la Conspiración and Camino Real a Querétaro. The final stop downtown is on Colegio, along the Plaza Civica. It follows the same route back to the starting point. Service is from 7am to 9pm.


Route 0, CBTIS – Segunda Glorieta (la glorieta de los Insurgentes at the new administration building) 

Buses on this route leave from Colonia Mexiquito and travel along calle Ignacio Ramírez to the the new administration building via el Caracol. This route does not enter Centro. Nine buses service Route 0: seven from the blue line, one from the purple line and one from the yellow line. Schedule is from 7am to 9pm.


Route 1, Santa Julia – San Antonio, blue line

The route from Santa Julia to San Antonio leaves from Avenida Álamo in the Ejido de Tirado and arrives at calle San Rafael in the San Antonio neighborhood. This route has 10 buses, all from the blue line. Schedule is from 7am to 9pm. 


Route 2, Estación del tren to San Felipe Neri, blue line

This route travels through the colonias of Olimpo, Santa Julia, Independencia, San Felipe Neri and San Rafael. It leaves from Avenida Ferrocarriles and travels along Calzada de la Estación, Avenida Guadalupe, Canal and Insurgentes. The route has 10 buses and a schedule of 7am to 9pm.


Route 3, San Luis Rey – Unidad Deportiva, blue line 

This route crosses the city from north to south and has the biggest demand. Ten vehicles operate the route, which begins in calle Plutarco Elías Calles in the San Luis Rey neighborhood and passes along Calzada de la Aurora and the streets of Hidalgo, Pepe Llanos, Mesones, Insurgentes, Quebrada, Umarán, Zacateros, Ancha de San Antonio and Salida a Celaya, ending at the Unidad Deportiva (the Municipal Sports Complex). The returning route crosses Ancha de San Antonio, Codo, Hernández Macías, Mesones, Pepe Llanos and Hidalgo, ending in the San Luis Rey neighborhood. Service is from 7am to 9pm.


Route 4, Centro – El Malanquín, blue line 

Route 4 starts in the Malanquín subdivision and ends in Centro. This route, with eight buses begins at Avenida Los Arcos at El Malanquín, then travels along the Manuel Zavala libramiento, Calzada de la Estación, Avenida Guadalupe, Insurgentes, Pepe Llanos, Mesones, Insurgentes, Quebrada and Canal, arriving again at El Malanquín. Buses run from 7am to 10pm.


Route 6, Centro – Insurgentes, purple line

This route services the Infonavit la Luz neighborhood, the Insurgentes subdivision, Jardínes II and the city center. It leaves from colonia Insurgentes and travels along the Boulevard de la Conspiración, Salida Real a Querétaro, Nuñez and Puente de Umarán. The final stop is located at the corner of Colegio and Mesones, along the Plaza Civica. The returning route follows the same path. Eleven buses service this route from 6:40am to 10pm.


Route 8, Malanquín – Centro, yellow line

This is the shortest route, and has only six buses. The route starts in El Malanquín and follows the libramiento Manuel Zavala to enter the city via Salida a Celaya and Ancha de San Antonio. It passes through the city center along calle Hernández Macías and it returns to El Malanquín along Canal and Calzada de la Estación streets. It has a schedule from 6am to 10pm.


Route 9, Centro – Gigante, yellow line

The Centro–Gigante route serves the Valle del Maíz, Ojo de Agua, Guadiana and Centro. It starts at Gigante and travels along El Caracol toward Centro, passing through colonia Guadiana along calle Prolongación Aldama and continuing through calles Nueva, Codo, Hernández Macías, Insurgentes and Pepe Llanos. It then returns along Mesones, Insurgentes, Quebrada, Umarán, Zacateros, calle Nueva, Prolongación Aldama and along El Caracol toward Gigante. It has eight buses and its schedule is from 6am to 10pm.


Route 13, Colonia Allende – Colonia Insurgentes, orange line

This is the longest route, serving the neighborhoods of Guadiana, Barrio la Palmita, and the subdivisions of La Luz, Infonavit La Luz, Itzquiniapan and Jardines II. The route starts in colonia Allende and travels along the streets of Paloma, Rosa, Las Flores, Guadiana and 5 de Mayo. It then joins Ancha de San Antonio and travels along Codo, Hernández Macías, Pepe Llanos, Juárez, San Francisco, finally connecting with the calle Salida Real a Querétaro, and it ends its route in the Jardines II subdivision. The route has 11 buses and its schedule is from 6am to 9:30pm.