The Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (GMA) is an urban area covering 2,734 square kilometres, located at the centre of the State of Jalisco. It is the second largest metropolitan area in Mexico in terms of population (4.8 million) combining a modern and diversified industrial base with a strong sector of services, especially education and tourism. In the last two decades the GMA has emerged as a popular choice for investments in aerospace, electronics manufacturing and information and communication technologies: it is often referred to as the Mexican “Silicon Valley”.

Public transport in the GMA consists of 300 bus and trolleybus routes; two lines of light rail and one Bus Rapid Transit line, the Macrobus commenced operating in 2009. Currently additional BRT lines are being designed and installed, however, the GMA’s mass transit system is still limited. The commuting population of the GMA is triple in size compared to other metropolitan municipalities in Mexico, and a floating population of approximately 1,120,000 travels to the GMA every day to work, study or socialize.

The Metro Line 3 is scheduled to be in service by mid-2018.  Civil engineering commenced in August 2014, after feasibility studies were conducted, including public demand, financial and legal studies and environmental and socio-economic analyses and impacts. The first test train arrived at Guadalajara Station on 16 December 2016, while testing of new rail cars will continue until March 2017.

18 trains will operate on Line 3. The train carriages have state-of-the-art technology for communications and command operations and are fitted with LED lighting and air conditioning.

The State Government has granted economic concessions for public transportation to the Urban Electric Train System (SITEUR), a public company. SITEUR is a decentralized public entity, which aims to regulate the operation as well as to organize and manage the resources in its charge. SITEUR’s primary objective is the efficient delivery of the public service of massive urban passenger transport.

SENER, the construction company, is responsible for the following elements of the project:

• Layout, implantation, architecture and structure of the stations
• Electro-mechanical installations of the stations, structural design of the tunnel and viaducts
• Urban integration of the line, track design, as well as railway electrification;
• Control and communications facilities, and rolling stock
• Design of the railway operation model and the financial model
• Design of patios and workshops
• Re-modelling of the existing bus network and design of transport interchanges

The Federal Government of Mexico is the lead agency for the project and is largely responsible for financing the project with fiscal revenues coming from Jalisco State Government.

• increase mass transport capacity
• alleviate traffic congestion
• decrease transit times for commuters
• reduce pollutant emission
• employment - an estimated 7,000 direct and 15,000 indirect jobs will be created during the course of the project

• Metro line 3 has had limited to no community or citizen input.
• metropolitan municipalities in Mexico have little influence in the decision-making process of projects managed by the national/regional government.

In highly fragmented governance situations with strong “silo mentality”, metropolitan priorities run the risk to go by the wayside. Metropolitan governance needs to reflect a core vision between government, business and civil society (“what is to be accomplished?”) and a mission among the involved parties (“what needs to be done and how to get there?”) in order to have a chance to be enduring and produce successful outcomes for residents and businesses. Articulating and documenting the commitments that all parties are making is also essential. Leaders must maintain transparency and communications among the stakeholders and engage in active, adaptive decision-making.

- Case study: Metropolitan Governance, Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, Mexico (http://unhabitat.org/case-study-metropolitan-governance-guadalajara-metropolitan-area-mexico/)

- Construcción de la Línea 3 (http://www.siteur.gob.mx/proyectos/construcción-de-la-línea-3.html)

- Línea 3 del metro de Guadalajara (http://www.revistanoticias.sener/news/linea-3-del-metro-de-guadalajara/47/)

- Prueban tren para Línea 3 en Barcelona (http://www.informador.com.mx/jalisco/2016/685755/6/prueban-tren-para-linea-3-en-barcelona.htm)

- La Línea 3 ya va a la mitad; presentan réplica del vagón (http://www.informador.com.mx/jalisco/2016/676438/6/la-linea-3-ya-va-a-la-mitad-presentan-replica-del-vagon.htm)