Serving the capital of the Dominican Republic, it is the most extensive metro system in the insular Caribbean and Central American region by length and number of stations.

The first line was planned to relieve traffic congestion on the Máximo Gómez and Hermanas Mirabal Avenue thoroughfares, which connect Santo Domingo.

[6] On December 22, 2008, non-commercial operation of the metro system began and provided free service to the public during the Christmas holiday season.

President Leonel Fernández stayed in power and promised to continue the expansion of the Metro across the Greater Santo Domingo.

[10] President Leonel Fernández proposed and started the construction of the first subway system in the Dominican Republic and the second in the Caribbean.

The actual first phase of the overall "Master Plan" for the Metro took place once Fernandez had proposed the construction of the Juan Bosch Bridge.

The economic burden that it would place on the national budget caused the decision, which was officially announced in September 2009, to construct it in two phases.

A second phase will complete the line from Puente de la 17 [12] to San Isidro, in the eastern portion of Santo Domingo Este.

Images gathered in news sites and forums show that construction is more advanced than what the government initially wanted to inform the press.

[citation needed] Ultimately, the project has been reduced to ensure the conclusion and operation of a second line by the end of the 2008-2012 presidential term.

The Boleto Viajero is a reloadable contactless smart card used for electronic transit fare payment by riders of the Santo Domingo Metro.

The card must be reloaded in person at a ticket vending booth, as OPRET does not offer Internet or phone-based top-up services.

However, only the card's manufacturer information (sector 0) is readable by the general public, as all of the remaining blocks are encrypted by using an unknown key.