If approved, a proposal before the House of Representatives would link national monuments, eco-friendly trails, historic ruins and nature reserves, among many other attractions, as part of a road and pedestrian route that would circle Puerto Rico and serve as an alternative to car travel.
To reduce implementation costs and preserve the Island's historical legacy, House Bill 2141, driven by an alliance of nongovernmental and social-welfare organizations under the name Ruta Borinquen, seeks to protect and repurpose the land of the former ferrocarril de circunvalación (the Island's old circumferential railway) for contemporary use.
"The great opportunity we have here is that much of this infrastructure, which is already more than 100 years old, still exists, so it was designed by civil engineers to last as long as possible. Obviously, the route has benefited somewhat from the conservation of the agricultural valleys that limited development, but yes, you can walk this route," David Soto Padín, executive director of Ruta Borinquen, told Platea PR.
What is Ruta Borinquen?
As engineer Soto Padín explained, Ruta Borinquen is a coalition of environmental and historic preservation organizations, community self-management groups and entities in favor of sustainable mobility that joined forces to push for the recovery of the right-of-way of the now-defunct railway, meaning its former land and infrastructure.
Although much of the right-of-way passed into private hands after the railway's collapse, a considerable portion of the land it crossed is still in use today, mainly in less urbanized parts of the Island.
"For example, in communities in Vega Baja," said the urban planner, "people still walk these old routes, so we would be saving a lot of investment. What we have to do is adapt the space."
Likewise, through agreements with municipal governments or institutions such as the conservation land trust Para La Naturaleza, Ruta Borinquen seeks to incorporate local attractions and protected land into the route, so that they can benefit from the added volume of visitors without incurring excessive financial costs.
"The spaces we are proposing are spaces that communities have adopted. That is, in nature reserves that for some reason have not been able to receive maintenance, communities reach agreements with agencies because those communities have an interest in using the spaces. That working model, where there are partnerships between the government and communities, is perfect for maintaining Ruta Borinquen," Soto Padín said.
Will Ruta Borinquen become law?
With the legislative calendar full before it closes on Sunday, June 30, there is a possibility that H.B. 2141 will not reach La Fortaleza before the November general elections, which would mean reintroduction in January 2025.
However, since the proposal was submitted with the backing of the so-called "Caucus del Consenso," a group made up of representatives from all five parties, Soto Padín expects it will not face much opposition along party lines in legislative discussions.
He also added that, as an initiative, Ruta Borinquen has received the approval of the executive branch.
These are the legislators who sponsored H.B. 2141:
José "Pichy" Torres Zamora, Partido Nuevo Progresista
Juan José Santiago Nieves, Partido Popular Democrático
Dennis Márquez Lebrón, Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño
José Bernardo Márquez Reyes, Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana
Lisie Burgos Muñiz, Proyecto Dignidad
"Ruta Borinquen is going to visit the Capitol and we are going to brief legislators on the importance of making heritage trails viable and preserving the old railroad right-of-way. It has to be approved in the House and then it would go to the Senate, where senators will also weigh in. After that, it would go to the governor for a possible signature," the executive director explained.
Want to learn more about the route?
If you want to learn more about Ruta Borinquen's mission, or stay up to date on how its legislative efforts are moving through the legislature, you can visit its information portal or its social media pages on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram.
Cover photo: Ruta Borinquen (via Instagram)
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
