El Paso and Fort Bliss leaders have cut a deal to roll out "Torch Transit by Sun Metro," a free, on-post, app-booked van service for soldiers, their families, and other military ID holders. The service is slated to launch around the beginning of 2027 and will be run by Sun Metro under an intergovernmental arrangement with the installation. Officials say the goal is simple: make it easier to get around a massive base where many troops arrive without cars and often end up hoofing it long distances to commissaries and medical facilities.
Sun Metro Director Anthony Dekeyzer described the new service as tailor-made for Fort Bliss and said it will work "just like an Uber," with riders using an app to request trips and vans potentially picking up multiple passengers along the way, according to KFOX. In the first phase, 12 vans will hit the streets, with eight assigned to regular service and a staff of about 25 to 27 people covering drivers, dispatch, and supervision. The system is set to operate roughly 84 hours a week on weekdays, with adjusted hours on weekends. Fort Bliss Garrison Commander Michael Soika called Torch Transit "a huge step for our communities" and pointed to the immediate relief for soldiers who now pay out of pocket for rides or trek across the post on foot.
What Riders Need to Know
For now, the service is being designed strictly for military ID holders, which means active-duty soldiers, families, and dependents, and officials emphasize that on-post rides will be free. Riders will book trips using an app and can expect to be picked up either at designated Super Stops or at curbside points, according to Sun Metro, which already operates a city microtransit pilot. The microtransit model is set up for short trips within a community and is meant to link riders to fixed-route hubs and larger transit centers.
Why It Matters Locally
Fort Bliss is one of the Army's largest installations, and its sheer size turns basic errands into logistical missions for many families. According to Army coverage, the installation has been working on partnerships and programs that expand services and strengthen civilian-military ties. Local leaders say Torch Transit fits squarely into that push by cutting both costs and time for troops who live miles from commissaries, medical offices, and other on-post resources.
Jobs And Next Steps
City officials say Fort Bliss will pick up the tab for Torch Transit through an intergovernmental service agreement and that the pilot is expected to start in about six months, around the beginning of 2027, per KFOX. The rollout could bring roughly two dozen new positions to the installation, and Sun Metro has indicated that later phases may introduce electric vehicles or a compressed-natural-gas fleet as the system grows. Officials plan to share details on how to enroll as a rider, where Super Stops will be located, and when the official app will go live as the launch date approaches.
In the meantime, soldiers and families are being told to keep an eye out for official sign-up information from Fort Bliss and Sun Metro over the summer. Leaders say the new service is expected to better link residents to commissaries, medical care, and day-to-day on-post life as the base continues to expand.
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