Federal District Transport Authority
Federal District Transport Authority | |
| Locale | Cárdenas, Nouvelle Alexandrie |
|---|---|
| Transit type |
Bus Bus rapid transit metro tramways regional rail |
| Daily ridership | 2,720,822 |
| Annual ridership | 971,000,000 |
| Chief executive | Amaryu Sayhuili |
| Headquarters | Avenida Parap 48, Cárdenas |
| Began operation | 4.II.1692 AN |
| Operators |
FDTA (rapid transit, commuter rail, and most bus routes) |
The Federal District Transport Authority or FDTA (Martino: Autoridad de Transporte del Distrito Federal, ATDF) is the public agency in charge of operating most public transport in Cárdenas, the capital of Nouvelle Alexandrie. Its services include the Cárdenas Metro with nine metro lines (Lines A to I) and one light rail line (Conzalito Tram-Train); Cárdenas Tramways with sixteen lines; Capital Bus with 256 routes; and Cárdenas Cércanias commuter rail with five lines. In 1738 AN, the organization had an annual ridership of over 971 million, or about 2.72 million per weekday, of which rapid transit lines averaged about 2.38 million, and tramways averaged about 340,000. This means it is the busiest Rapid transit system in Nouvelle Alexandrie.
History
Early History
Before the creation of FDTA, the public transport operations of the newly-built capital of Cárdenas was separated into four distinct organizations: Capital Buses, Cárdenas Metro Agency, Cárdenas Public Trams, and the regional Santander Transport Authority. The formation of the Federal Capital District in 1690 AN gave rise to the wish of an integrated transport authority that would operate both metro, tram, bus, and heavy rail services for the capital. Under the advocacy of Fredérico d'Ahvaz, the FDTA was finally formed in 1692 AN. Under the civic phase of the Cárdenas Plan, it gained significant operational powers and funding to allow the administration of the new burgeoning metro and rail network of the capital. Some of its earliest decisions was the instalment of advanced signalling, as well as developing the 'North-South Connection Plan' in 1694 AN.
Expansion and Consolidation (1700-1730)
During the premierships of the Presidents from the Social Democratic and Liberal Alliance, the FDTA received relatively modest investments, however it was successful in expanding the metro and tram networks. In 1705 AN, it began operating the Cércanias service, contracting the Cárdenas-Conzalito-Moradon and Cárdenas-Jedillo Lines from the Nouvelle Alexandrie Railways, with extensive investment into quad-tracking and creating new stations for the service. It added further Cércanias lines, including the vital Airport Express Line, between 1710 AN and 1726 AN. The Recession of 1709 hit the FDTA hard, with falling ridership and lost fare income, as well as higher maintenance costs and reduced marketing. During that time, expanding the metro and tram networks became less the focus, instead opting for more in-fill stations and new rolling stock. Only the Line I was a major addition, opening in 1716 AN.
Recent History
Under the National Infrastructure Plan, the FDTA received an investment of over €2 billion to expand the metro, rail, tram, and bus networks. While the bulk of the investment went to the Metro and Cércanias services, especially to the ambitious Gran Orbital Line, the bus network was also greatly expanded, with more than 10 new in-urban lines. This included the procurement of more than 150 new electric buses, which meant that more than 25% of the whole FDTA bus fleet was electrified.
Services
Subway
The metro system has 9 heavy rail rapid transit lines (Lines A to I) and one light rail line (Conzalito Tram-Train). The system operates in two configurations: north-south and west-east lines, with multiple lines meeting in major station hubs; as well as one orbital line (Line D). The subway uses alphabetic line names, with a further indicator of unique colors. The network currently has six multi-line hubs, including Grande Unión Station, the central hub for all FDTA operations.
Lines D, F, and I run strictly in a west-east configuration. Lines G and H in a strictly north-south configuration. Line A runs northwest to southeast. Line B runs southwest, with a loop through the center, and out southeast. Line C is the orbital line. Line E runs southwest to northeast.
Buses
The Capital Bus system is Nouvelle Alexandrie's largest by ridership, with a total of 256 bus routes. Most routes provide local service in the urban core; there are smaller local networks centered around Conzalito, Laguzalito, Albaño, and Choba. The system also includes longer routes serving less-dense suburbs, including several express routes. The buses are colored red on maps and in station decor. Most routes are directly operated by the FDTA, although several suburban routes are run by private operators under contract to the FDTA.
The Capital Bus also operates inter-city bus routes, with two bus hubs: one at Grande Unión and one at Cárdenas International Airport. These include bus routes to Wechuahuasi, Potosí, Santiago, and Ciudad Real. These carry about 282,700 passengers on an average weekday.
Commuter Rail
The FDTA operates the Cércanias commuter rail service, reaching from Cárdenas unto the suburbs and major cities in Santander. The system consists of five main lines, with one orbital route. The network operates mostly as a spoke-hub distribution paradigm, with the lines running outward from Grande Unión. The NAX operates regulalry scheduled intercity rail services over two lines: the Keltian Bulk Line and Santander Bulk Line. The FDTA also operates the Airport Express Line, using the Keltian High Speed line to reach Cárdenas International Airport with 15 minutes.
The NAX previously operated the Federal District ExpresoReg over much of the network before the FDTA acquired passenger transport rights in 1705 AN. Since then, the FDTA has opened more than 30 new stations on the network, and created two new wholly new lines: the Cárdenas-Pirogan and Gran Orbital Line.
Ferries
The FDTA operates several ferry routes in Cárdenas, all of them on the River Altona. A total of six lines operate from the Harbour Ferry Terminal, with a further four from the Isla de Oro Ferry Terminal, the location of the Ciudad de los Deportes. Most of these are in-city services, moving between the downtown waterfront and other districts, but there are also two outbound services to the cities of Pigoran and Prégal. All boat services are operated by private sector companies contracted by FDTA. In 1738 AN, the ferry system carried 38,400 passengers (1.5% of total FDTA passengers) per weekday. The service is provided through contract of the FDTA by Cárdenas Capital Ferries (CCF).
Parking
As of 1738 AN, the FDTA operates park and ride facilities at 229 locations with a total capacity of 104,000 automobiles. The number of spaces at stations with parking varies from a few dozen to over 4,000. There are three dedicated P+R parks with over 5,000 spaces: Gustierrez (6,300); Quebrada (7,700) and Aeropuerto (12,400). The parking fee ranges from €2.5 to €8 per day, and overnight parking (maximum 7 days) is permitted at some stations. The FDTA provide mobile parking payments by smartphone, including when boarding a train, bus, or commuter boat. Monthly parking permits are available, offering a modest discount. The FDTA has also pursued the creation for EV-charging stations, offering a total of 565 in various parking spaces.
Organization
The FDTA is overseen by a Board of Directors, consisting of a minimum of six members, with one Chairperson; as well as a permanent seat of the Secretary of Civil Works and Transportation. It is in charge of overseeing the transit authority. The FDTA's executive management team is overseen by a General Manager, overseeing all public transit in Cárdenas.
The FDTA has an Advisory Board, with its members senior experts or representatives from the barrios and suburbs in the FDTA's service district. The barrio councils are assessed a total of €129 million annually (as of 1738 AN). In return, the advisory board has veto power over the FDTA operating and capital budgets, including the power to reduce the overall amount.
General managers
- Frederico d'Ahvaz - 1692 AN-1698 AN
- Domingo Valmorín - 1698 AN - 1703 AN
- Gaspar Peralza - 1703 AN - 1708 AN
- Inti Qaripuma - 1708 AN - 1714 AN
- Isidoro Zabalve - 1714 AN - 1721 AN
- Mayu Ninaco - 1721 AN - 1731 AN
- Leandro Ferraldi - 1731 AN - 1738 AN
- Amaru Sayhuili - 1738 AN-Present
Employees and unions
As of 1738 AN, the FDTA employs, 12,349, of which roughly 1,780 are in part-time jobs.
The FDTA has three separate trader unions: the National Federation of Bus Workers; the National Train Workers Union; and the National Union of Ferrymen. A total of 78% of all employees are unionized, as of 1738 AN.
