Transportation Minister Miri Regev laid the cornerstone for the Blue Line this morning (Wednesday) - an advanced mass transit system that will connect Tel Aviv, Rishon LeZion, Ness Ziona and Rehovot and carry approximately 77,000 passengers a day.
The ceremony was held in Rishon LeZion, in the presence of Minister Miri Regev and with the participation of Rishon LeZion Mayor Raz Kinstlich, Ness Ziona Mayor Shmuel Boxer, Ayalon Routes Board of Directors Chairwoman Maxine Fassberg and Ayalon Routes CEO Orly Stern, and senior officials from the Ministry of Transportation.
The Blue Line is a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) line, based on advanced, high-capacity electric buses that operate on an exclusive, segregated transportation lane. The rapid buses are given priority at intersections and traffic lights, ensuring passengers are on time and arrive on time, with reliable and accurate arrival times, and an improved travel experience. Electronic displays will be installed at the stations and on the vehicle to provide real-time information on the location of the line and arrival time.
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In Israel, a BRT system has been operating for ten years with great success in the Haifa metropolitan area: the Metro. However, the Ministry of Transportation emphasizes that the Blue Line will operate more advanced vehicles, with quiet and clean electric propulsion, and with innovative technologies that have come into use in recent years.
The line will be built by the Ayalon Highways Company, and is expected to open in 2028. The construction cost is estimated at 2.9 billion shekels.
The Blue Line is 23 km long and during peak hours it will operate at a high frequency of every 6 minutes.
The line will carry approximately 77,000 passengers per day and 56 million passengers per year. The line will include 44 stations, some of which interface with the Green Line light rail stations, the Israel Railways Rehovot and Rishonim stations, regional transportation terminals and, in the future, the metro network.
With the launch of the line, it will be possible to get from the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot to the center of Rishon LeZion in 26 minutes, and from the Science Park in Rehovot - in just 13 minutes. A trip from HaBanim Street in Ness Ziona to the Volcanic Institute in Rishon LeZion will take only 15 minutes.
The Blue Line will provide connectivity to commercial, employment, educational and residential centers, including the Science Park in Rehovot. The line will serve higher education institutions, including the Weizmann Institute, the Faculty of Agriculture and the College of Administration, where 17,600 students study.
The Blue Line will pass through the city centers of Rehovot (Herzl St.) and Ness Ziona (Weizmann St.), with the aim of improving the urban experience and encouraging walking, cycling, and commercial and cultural life. Private vehicle traffic will be banned in the city centers, and diesel-powered buses that cause noise and air pollution will be phased out. In their place, residents will enjoy a calm and inviting urban space, where a clean and quiet public transportation system will operate. Along the route, the street environment will be upgraded, including the placement of smart and accessible stations, the renewal of drainage, sewage, and electricity infrastructure, the construction of wide and safe sidewalks and bike paths, and landscape and urban development.
At its southern end, the Blue Line will depart from the Bilu Intersection, and will travel on Highway 412 via Herzl St. in Rehovot, Weizmann St. in Ness Ziona, and Herzl St. in Rishon Lezion. At the Beit Dagan Intersection, the line will turn west onto Highway 44 toward the Holon Intersection, where it will interface with the Green Line and the Israel Railways stations.
Minister of Transportation Miri Regev: "My vision of connectivity and connectivity is coming true before our eyes. We are connecting the southern area of Gush Dan, from Rishon LeZion to Nes Ziona and Rehovot, with an advanced, convenient and reliable electric mass transit system. Rishon LeZion is becoming the transportation 'hub' where the Blue Line will meet with the Brown Line that comes from Ramla and Lod and connects to the Red Line. Light and heavy trains, express buses, and bike paths of course. This is the solution to congestion and lowering the cost of living.""
""After we are connected by trains from anywhere to anywhere, we will be able to enable social and transportation mobility. The day is approaching when every resident of Rehovot or Rishon will be able to leave their home, reach the nearest station on foot, by bicycle or by electric scooter, and reach Tel Aviv within ten or twenty minutes. We have heard claims in the past that the light rail line to Rishon LeZion was canceled - today we see that they were baseless. Instead of building a light rail line, at a high cost and with a very long construction time, and without transportation and economic justification, we are bringing a BRT system here that will meet the needs of the residents and be completed in a shorter time," added Minister Regev.
Mayor of Rishon Lezion, Raz Kinstlich: "Today we are turning the vision into reality and bringing good news to the city of Rishon Lezion and its residents. Rishon Lezion is in the midst of a transportation revolution leading projects worth approximately 18 billion shekels, and the Blue Line is part of a complete transportation fabric being woven in the city - alongside the Brown, Green, Red Lines, bike paths and a long list of projects that are expected to significantly improve the quality of life of the city's residents and the entire population. Important and large revolutions, no matter how big, also entail challenges and inconvenience, but ultimately, in about five years, the city of Rishon Lezion will become the leading city in transportation in the entire region. I thank Sarah Regev and the people of her office for their trust in us and the city and for their partnership in the transportation vision that we are leading here.".
Ness Ziona Mayor Shmuel Boxer: "Since taking office, I have worked to promote sustainable public transportation in Ness Ziona. With the understanding that laying a solid infrastructure of advanced and forward-looking transportation solutions is the mandatory basis for any other urban plan. As part of this huge project, we will change the face of Weizmann Street, return the heart to the city center and improve the quality of life of residents beyond recognition. I thank the Ministry of Transportation, which has been with us for a long time, Sarah and Netevi Ayalon for this large and important project.".
Ayalon Routes CEO Orly Stern: "The Blue Line is a flagship project of the Ministry of Transportation being implemented by Ayalon Routes. The line will connect the cities of the Shephelah with the Tel Aviv metropolis and create a new standard of accessible and reliable public transportation. This is a unique public transportation system that will improve the quality of life, create employment and trade opportunities for millions of residents, provide a worthy, reliable and sustainable alternative to the private car and help reduce congestion on the roads. Ayalon Routes has set itself the goal of shortening the timelines for implementing this important national project for the residents of the center and all of Israel.""
