Medellin's Public Transportation System
How to Get Around One of Colombia's Most Memorable Cities
Jun 21, 2009
The easy to use metro system makes getting around a city as large as Medellin a piece of cake. It is safe and one of the cleanest metros in the world.
The metro system includes a line that follows the river and intersects with a line that leads through the city center into the west part of the city. The system also includes the only cable cars in the world that are used for public transportation.
Why the Metro in Medellin is Such a Success: Cultura Metro
The metro system began running in 1995 in Medellin, but in order to ensure its success and make it more efficient, the city created a program, “Cultura Metro” (Metro Culture). Before the metro was functioning, they implemented this educational program that took students and business people into a model metro system to educate them on how to maximize the efficiency and take care of the metro. The program was complete with slogans about how it makes things easier to let people out before getting into the metro.
The people of Medellin are proud of the metro and it shows. There is no graffiti and the stations and the metro itself are almost spotless. Around each stop are public parks and areas for social development.
Cost of the Metro in Medellin
A one-way ticket on the metro costs 1,500 pesos (a little less than $.75). There are cheaper options if one is going to be in the city for a long time. There are two types of metro cards called “tarjeta civicas” (civic cards) that allow users to save money and not have to wait in line to buy one-way tickets. The first option is a card with a traveler’s photo on it, and rides on this card cost 1,050 pesos. The second option is a card without a photo so it can be used by anyone, and each way on this card costs 1,250 pesos.
The Cable Car in Medellin’s Metro System
Medellin is a city in a valley. Urban sprawl has pushed homes farther up steep mountains. It was difficult for citizens to reach their homes with many of the streets being too steep for buses. To solve this problem, Medellin created this revolutionary cable car system which is part of the public transportation in the metro to take people up the mountains, bypassing the steep streets. The cost of the cable car is included in the cost of a ticket to the metro, so one can ride the metro line and then get on the cable car without purchasing another ticket.
The metro system in Medellin is easy to use and a great option to access all the points that a tourist would want to see. It is safe and even someone who does not speak Spanish will have no problems using it to get around.
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