El Paseo - The Heartbeat of the Southwest Region

About

A Transit Authority With a Long History of Service

Scope of Services and Operations:

SWART is federally and state funded through the Federal Transit Administrating (FTA) and the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Section 5311 Rural Public Transportation Program. Our agency is also required to raise local funds to match the federally allocated funds each year.  SWART contains a fleet of fifty-two (52) vehicles and operates in an eight (8) county service area. Over 150,000 one-way trips are performed on an annual basis traveling over 1,490,000 miles. SWART’s fleet of vehicles contains sizes from low floor mini-vans to large passenger buses that can seat up to 28 riders.  All of the vehicles are wheelchair accessible and are equipped with on-board security cameras.  SWART is unique in its vehicle maintenance program as all maintenance is performed in-house at two locations, Uvalde and Eagle Pass.  

Local and out-of-area routes are provided in each county based on the needs of the riders. Door-to-door, deviated routes and para-transit services are offered throughout the region. Although SWART provides unique transit alternatives to its riders, it has set a state-wide precedence in the area of coordination. Through inter-local agreements with the City of Del Rio Transportation program and a close relationship with inter-city providers, SWART is able to offer seamless modes of transportation for residents in the region to anywhere in the United States.

SWART’s in-house trainer enables the organization to train, monitor, and re-train as needed in a more cost-effective manner and individual basis.  The trainer is certified to provide training in both adult and child CPR, Basic First Aid, Defensive Driving, Passenger Assistance, Drug & Alcohol Awareness, Customer Service, and emergency vehicle evacuation. SWART also provides in-house drug and alcohol collections through certified collectors in order to meet the Federal Transit Administration regulations.  The agency contracts with CMI, Inc. as its 3rd party administration to oversee the Drug & Alcohol Testing Program. 

SWART’s offices are located in Uvalde (Main Office) and Eagle Pass.  Vehicle Operators are located in Uvalde, Eagle Pass, Crystal City, and Brackettville in order to meet the transportation needs of the region.  

Governing Board:

Through statute detailed in the Texas Transit Code, SWART’s Board of Directors is comprised of the county judges in each of the counties that receive rural public transit services.  The table below lists the current Board of Directors:

CountyBoard MemberProxy
DimmitJudge Martha Alicia Ponce
EdwardsJudge Souli A. Shanklin
KinneyJudge John Paul Schuster
La SalleJudge Leodoro Martinez III
MaverickJudge Ramsey English Cantu
RealJudge Bella A. Rubio
UvaldeJudge Willian Mitchell
ZavalaJudge Cynthia Martinez-Rivera