Public transportation in Puerto Rico

Hi all,

What do you think about the means of transportation in Puerto Rico ?

Is the network of means of transportation well developed? What modes of transport are available?

Do you use them?

How much is a fare?

Are they relatively safe?

What is the mean of transportation you use the most in Puerto Rico?

Thanks in advance for participating!

Public transportation in PR is virtually nonexistent, so it is best to stop dreaming and budget for a second hand car - which are plentiful, and the best prices - though higher in the USA - are  in the late spring and at the beginning of summer when "snow birds" left the island.

Puerto Rico is an island with the most cars per square mile in the world: 146 vehicles per street mile and 4,300 vehicles per square mile.   You will get OLD very quickly waiting for any BUS!!  The train, however is VERY good and better than a car BUT be sure you live at one train stop and work at another train stop..... it can take you twice as long to get the bus than the ride on the train.
Cars are the way to go but then we have TAPONs ( TRAFFIC JAMS) which could take you 2 hours to get home especially when it rains!!

Maria is probably right about trains in San Juan. I never tried them. I was talking about a situation everywhere else on the island. I traveled to San Juan both from the west coast and south coast, but only occassionally, so no experience with daily communiting there. And yes, wherever I would go to or from San Juan I tried to plan to avoid looong rush hours there.

If you live in San Juan Metro area & live very close to either the metro bus or train routes, those modes of transportation are quite reliable.  I just moved to PR  a lil over 3 weeks ago & wanted to explore the public transportation despite how bad the online reviews were.  I had to experience 1st hand.

I live in Santurce off of Ponce de Leon Ave & luckily  for me, the Metro 3 bus comes almost every 5-10 min.  The Metro 3 bus goes from Old San Juan through Santurce mainly via Ponce de Leon Ave & ends at the Sagrado Corazon bus/train station which is the 1st train station stop. Rather than take a taxi to OSJ worth about $10-$15, I'll just take the M3 for $.50 & it's roughly about a 20 minute ride which isn't too bad.

At the Sagrado Corazon station, I can transfer to a train which comes every 6-8 minutes & it has stops in Hato Ray, Rio Piedras, Guaynabo, & Bayamon.  The station also has many busses passing through.  For example, if I need to travel to San Patracio area (Guaynabo) or Plaza Las Americas, I'll just transfer to the Metro 2 bus, but there are other bus routes that I can take to the same destination.

Metro 1, 3, & Express routes are $.50 & all other bus/train routes are $.75.  I understand public transportation is non existent outside of the metro area, but it's pretty reliable if you do live within the metro area.

To my disappointment, TUAMA, the bus union, continues to be on strike causing much disruption to the lives of many who patronize their service.