Trip to Mexico City 🇲🇽
From: 5.17.26 - 5.20.26
Pre-Trip:
From CHS -> SEA
via 1 Line 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃
Luckily no disruptions!! 🥳
Kind of sad I have to hope for this, but I guess the same could be had for driving and traffic.
🛫 Departing SEA
~5 hrs of flying
🛬 Arriving to GDL
~3 hrs layover
🛫 Departing GDL
1.5 hrs of flying
This airport had numerous construction projects ongoing, but still easy to navigate around.
🛬 Finally!
Arriving to MEX
Hoping we would take this route per Google Maps suggestion:
Metrobus Line 4 stop at Terminal 1
Luckily my 2 years of high school Spanish was paying dividends at finding the bus stop near Terminal 1.
SURPRISE! bus never showed after waiting for 30+ minutes. 🤬
Instead, we found new temporary friends visiting from Chicago and shared an Uber ride. 🚙
Win! for making it to our destination.
Fail for taking the car.
Apparently local festivities and Sunday service played a factor at reduced service.
Later, we learned taking the train (Metro) would've probably been more reliable, despite the station location and indirect design.
Observations:
Metrobús (Metro + bus, their version of Bus Rapid Transit) is a high quality surface transit system using dedicated Right Of Way (ROW), Transit Signal Priority (TSP), level boarding platforms, and real time information displays. Shouldn't every bus system have these amenities?
The ROW design shown below looks fun. Buses were driving on the left side, but since the doors are still on right, buses had to cross over to reach their station.
View from hop on/off tour bus. Wished I was on those buses instead.
Other stations had platform doors preventing passengers from falling into the ROW while waiting. Probably because these buses have high-floor design.
Why they drive on left side within this segment, I'm not sure. Must be related to their routes and intersection design up ahead. Driving in this country is still on the right side.
Yes, dedicated ROW is maintained throughout their routes, thus contributing to reliable on-time schedule. I haven't used these routes enough to rate their reliability, but I bet it's really high.
These signals are also fancy! They're using the Metrobús logo so you can't mistake who this signal is for.
Finally, I get to try it!
Metrobús Line 7 🚌
My route from the Anthropology museum to Palace of Arts using Google Maps
Signage to help accessibility wayfinding
Sign to refer people to use the other side for accessibility issues
I noticed this was common, if not standard, on all stops on this line.
Tap to pay is also available on most systems. So modern!
Waiting for the bus, these shelters are platform level. Bueno! 👍 Because you can roll onto the bus without waiting for the bus kneel or deploy a ramp. But only one side of the station is accessible roll onto?? No bueno 👎.
No pic of the bus, but it was a double tall! Giving off London vibes but in Spanish. Sitting in the front was a great opportunity to capture timelapse footage.
Double tall buses along this route look like they were hitting tree branches.
They installed yellow delineators to remind drivers to scoot over and avoid.
YIKES!
What about trains?
Somewhere on our hop on/off bus tour, we bailed because it was stuck in traffic. They can't use bus lanes, obviously.
More reasons to take public transport.
We hopped on Metro Line 2 from the south and back into Zócalo, the historic center.
Metro Line 2 route on Google Maps
Tap-to-pay on fare gates and 3-minute frequency made it easy and convenient use.
Unlike most light-rail designs, this system is built as conventional metro, meaning it's all grade separated. Without conflicting mix traffic, service is far reliable with high frequency.
The rubber tire train design was also borrowed from Paris Metro. No wonder it was so quiet!
Unlike the beginning of this trip, going back to the airport was far easier on the train than bus than I initially thought.
Why I didn't consider taking the train before was this weird back-tracking alignment to the south-east and transferring between Line 1 and 5 at Pantitlán Station.
Later I observed other passengers were using the same route to access Terminal 2, to work for operations and maintenance at the airport. Not bad!
Metro Line 1 had newer train cars. The manufacturer is a Chinese company which gave me the impression that China's belt-road initiative was at play. China is also invested at electrifying the Metrobús fleet.
Can't blame Mexico for doing business with China. The US isn't in the industry for trains and buses. With the addition of tariffs, it's a missed opportunity at foreign trade relations and marketshare. I'm sure global EV car market follows this theme as well.
