Visitor Information South Padre Island is a 34-mile long sub-tropical Island located on the Gulf Coast of Texas, 25 miles north of the Mexican border. The Island is a halfmile wide at its widest point and only the Island’s southernmost five miles are developed. More than 5,000 residents call South Padre Island home, with approximately five million overnight visitors each year. The Island is on the same latitude as Fort Lauderdale.
Valley Metro
TRANSPORTATION The summer of 2019 brought the opening of the new Island Metro Multimodal facility on South Padre Island. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $3.5 million to the City of South Padre Island for the project, which is a beautiful two story facility offering intermodal connections between automobile and bus; providing a better transfer location for visitors. The facility also provides riders the safety of a secured building with lighting and a security officer. People will be able to park their cars in one of 125 parking spaces – FREE of charge; get out to take pictures, park their car while on the Island and utilize the Island Metro buses, or catch a bus for a day trip to the upper Valley. Save yourself a little extra money for fun on the Island. Whether you are flying into Brownsville or Harlingen there is convenient transportation to the Island. From Brownsville you can board the Valley Metro (800.574.8322) outside baggage pick-up. You will transfer to the Island’s FREE Island Metro shuttle at the Island Metro Multimodal facility on the Island, and be dropped off at the closest point to your lodging location anywhere along Padre Blvd. or Gulf Blvd. If you are flying into Harlingen – taxi service, rental cars and private transportation are available. Private transportation numbers can be found on page 8 of this book. While on the Island enjoy the services of the Island’s FREE Island Metro shuttle bus. Leave your car at home or just parked upon arrival. Island Metro can pick you up and drop you off anywhere along the route on the Island, and there are routes that can take you back across the bridge to Port Isabel where you will use the bus stop closest to your destination. Island Metro runs 7 days a week 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Island Metro
Island Metro and Valley Metro buses are also available if you would like to take a trip up the Valley to shop, eat or visit. Take Island Metro to the Island Metro Multimodal facility on the Island, and transfer to Valley Metro. Valley Metro will take you to the Brownsville Bus Station, Valley Transit Station in Harlingen, the Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlet Mall in Mercedes, or the McAllen bus station for a small fee. For a downloadable copy of the Island Metro schedule go to www.myspi.org - for more information call 956.761.8178, follow them on Facebook @Island Metro, Twitter @SPIIslandMetro or download the RIDE SYSTEMS APP which will provide live location of buses, arrival predictions, and other important bus route information.
sopadre.com
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