Monterrey
UMR Index
Score: 34.9%
Sustainable Mobility
Score: 33.7%
Public Transit
Score: 32.3%
| Population | 5.4 million |
| Surface area (km2) | 896 |
| Population-density (people/km2) | 6,027 |
| GDP per capita ($) | 19,992 |
What Monterrey Does Well in Urban Mobility
Mexico is a global leader in mobility-related spending, much to Monterrey's benefit. The city has a network of well-maintained and interconnected roadways. Under a six-year, $5.4 billion Mobility Master Plan announced last year, the state of Nuevo Leon aims to nearly double the size of the city’s metro by building three new lines and investing in a new fleet of low-emission buses.
The share of car ownership among residents is moderate, limiting emissions. The Master Plan’s “Complete Streets” initiative aims to further support active mobility by modifying certain streets with wide sidewalks, urban furniture, green areas, and other amenities.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index, Sustainable Mobility and Public Transit scores
Challenges and Opportunities for Monterrey’s Transportation System
With limited enforcement of traffic laws and transport safety rules, many residents feel unsafe on the roads. The Complete Streets initiative should enhance safety by improving roadway design, discouraging the use of private vehicles, and reducing commuting times.
Given high ticket prices relative to local income levels, public transit remains out of reach for Monterrey's poorest residents.
Dimensions of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index score
How Monterrey Can Improve Its Public Transportation and Sustainable Mobility
Monterrey lags behind many of its peers in terms of incentives for electric vehicles (EVs). To help close this gap, Monterrey could increase its purchase subsidies or tax exemptions, or introduce non-monetary incentives such as dedicated EV lanes. In addition, the city can expand the No-drive days (Hoy No Circula) program to further limit combustion engine car usage and encourage EV adoption via priority access lanes.
With its relatively high fares, Monterrey underperforms its regional peers on affordability. To help close this gap with other Latin American cities, Monterrey can provide government-backed subsidies for transit fares. This can be accomplished in multiple ways, including lowering the price of fares for everyone, lowering fares on an income basis, or selling long term passes (such as monthly or quarterly) that discount fares for heavy transit users. The city’s metro currently offers discounts for multi-trip tickets.