ABQ RIDE
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| Founded | 1928 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Service area | Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, and southeastern Sandoval County, New Mexico |
| Service type | Public transportation |
| Routes | 40 |
| Hubs | Alvarado Transportation Center Uptown Transit Center Northwest Transit Center Central and Unser Transit Center |
| Fleet | 156 |
| Daily ridership | 20,200 (weekdays, Q1 2025)[1] |
| Annual ridership | 6,854,200 (2024)[2] |
| Fuel type | Gasoline, CNG, Diesel-electric hybrid |
| Operator | City of Albuquerque |
| Chief executive | Leslie Keener |
| Website | cabq |
ABQ RIDE, formerly known as the City of Albuquerque Transit Department, is the local transit agency serving Albuquerque, New Mexico. ABQ RIDE operates a variety of city bus routes including two Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) bus rapid transit lines. It is the largest public transportation system in the state,[3] serving 6,854,200 passengers in 2024, or about 20,200 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2025.
The name "ABQ RIDE" and a new logo depicting the Alvarado Transportation Center clock tower were chosen in a contest, replacing the previous name SunTran in September 2004. The current ABQ RIDE color scheme is yellow-green, white, and turquoise, though most of the existing fleet wears the previous maroon, white, and gold livery.
History
[edit]What is now ABQ RIDE began in 1928 as the Albuquerque Bus Company. Before this, transit in the city was provided by an electric streetcar system, but it was forced out of business by declining ridership and expensive paving bills charged by the city government. City leader Clyde Tingley was a strong opponent of the streetcar system and led the effort to have it replaced with buses.[4] The streetcar stopped running at midnight on December 31, 1927, and the bus company began operation the next morning.[5] The company started with five White Motor Company buses and had four routes: Central Avenue, Fourth Street, Sawmill-Edith Street, and East Silver Avenue.[6][7] ABQ RIDE still owns one of the original buses and uses it for special occasions.[8]
By 1944, the company had 32 buses, 65 employees, and 37 miles (60 km) of routes. Nine years later, in 1953, the route network had grown to 167 miles (269 km) and there were 51 buses and 120 employees.[9] But the company was not able to maintain profitability as private car ownership increased in the 1950s and 1960s,[10] and in 1963, the Albuquerque Bus Company notified the city it planned to cease operation within a few months.[11] In order to maintain service for bus riders, the city ultimately bought out the assets of the bus company and turned it into the city Transit Department. The official handover took place on February 1, 1965, with the city retaining all existing routes and equipment and most of the personnel.[12]
The bus system operated under the name Albuquerque Transit System,[13] and then Sun Tran starting in the 1970s. It adopted the current name, ABQ RIDE, in 2004, the same year the first Rapid Ride route began operating.[14] In 2019, two of the three Rapid Ride routes were replaced with the Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) bus rapid transit system. The remaining Rapid Ride route was rebranded as ARTx in 2020.
In January 2022, ABQ RIDE launched a pilot program, eliminating fares on all of the agency's transit services for the year.[15] The program, supported by a federal grant, was later extended to June 2023, and later September 2023.[16] On November 9, 2023, fares were permanently eliminated on all ABQ Ride services.[17]
In August 2022, ABQ RIDE launched their ABQ Ride Forward [1], starting with the Phase 1, which included the Existing Conditions Report and later in February 2023, the release of the outreach summary for Phase 1.[18][19] During the same month, Phase 2 launched, which included two draft plan concepts, one which prioritized frequency and one which prioritized coverage.[20] In August 2023, the outreach summary for phase 2 had also released.[21] In May 2024, Phase 3 launched, which had replaced both draft networks with a Recovery Network, which combined concepts of both the Ridership and Coverage draft networks.[22]
Service
[edit]
The ABQ RIDE system includes regular service routes on most of the city's major streets as well as commuter routes that ferry workers between residential areas and the city center. Many routes terminate at the Alvarado Transportation Center downtown, where riders can connect to the New Mexico Rail Runner Express and other intercity modes of transportation. ABQ RIDE also operates the Rapid Ride and ART services.
ABQ RIDE fixed bus service operates four types of routes: Rapid Ride, regular, commuter, and BRT. Service times on each route may vary from every 15 minutes to every hour, but the system generally runs from 5:30 am until 6 pm, with some routes running later. A notable exception is route #66 which runs from 5:30 am until 12:30 am weekdays and Saturdays. Commuter routes only have a few run times during weekdays, usually towards Downtown Albuquerque or Kirtland AFB during the mornings and away from during the evenings. D-Ride service ended on May 12, 2018, and was replaced by various local routes, such as 12th Street/Rio Grande (routes #36 and #37) and Menaul (route #8). All inbound routes to the Alvarado Transportation Center, except route #66 and Rapid Ride routes, have a fare-free zone.[23]
Routes 96, 155, 222, 250, 251, 551, and 790 are either partially or fully funded by the Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG), and either service areas outside of Albuquerque's city limits, create connections to its Rail Runner Express stations, or supplement service on the expanding west side. Routes 10, 51, 53, and 54 are either partially or fully funded by Bernalillo County, since these routes largely serve the county's unincorporated areas.
In addition to its fixed route services, ABQ RIDE also operates a paratransit service called SunVan (known as Mini Ride from 2003 to 2006) that runs curb-to-curb service.
Routes
[edit]ABQ RIDE operates 20 regular fixed routes, 2 commuter routes, 2 Bus Rapid Transit routes.
| Route Name | Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 | via | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Juan Tabo | Academy Hills Park Eubank @ Academy |
Singing Arrow Wenonah @ Tramway |
Juan Tabo Boulevard | 9.3 miles (15.0 km) | |
| 2 Eubank | Manzano Mesa Eubank @ Gibson |
Eubank Boulevard | 8 miles (13 km) | ||
| 5 Montgomery/Carlisle/Lomas | Downtown Alvarado Transportation Center |
Glenwood Hills Spanish Bit @ Montgomery |
Lomas Boulevard, Carlisle Boulevard, Montgomery Boulevard | 13 miles (21 km) | |
| 8 Menaul | Menaul Boulevard | 15.1 miles (24.3 km) | Weekend service bypasses Indian Pueblo Cultural Center | ||
| 10 North Fourth Street | Los Alamos Montano @ 4th |
North 4th Street | 4.8 miles (7.7 km) | Alternate trips, all evening trips and all Sunday trips | |
| North Valley Raymond G Sanchez Community Center P&R |
8.4 miles (13.5 km) | ||||
| 11 Lomas | Chelwood Vista Copper @ Chelwood Park |
Lomas Boulevard | 11.2 miles (18.0 km) | No Sunday service east of Tramway Boulevard | |
| 16 Broadway/University/Gibson | San Jose San Jose @ Broadway |
Elder Homestead Kentucky @ Gibson |
Broadway Boulevard, University Avenue, Gibson Boulevard | 14.2 miles (22.9 km) | |
| 31 Wyoming | Arroyo Del Oso North Wyoming @ Academy |
Trumbull Village Wyoming @ Susan |
Wyoming Boulevard | 5.5 miles (8.9 km) | Sunday service |
| Nor Este La Cueva High School |
8.3 miles (13.4 km) | Monday-Saturday service | |||
| 36 12th Street/Rio Grande | Downtown Alvarado Transportation Center |
12th Street, Rio Grande Boulevard | 10.8 miles (17.4 km) | Operates in a counterclockwise loop No Sunday service | |
| 50 Airport/Downtown | Downtown Alvarado Transportation Center |
Sunport Albuquerque International Sunport |
M.L. King Boulevard, Yale Boulevard | 4.2 miles (6.8 km) | Nonstop service via I-25 between the Airport and Downtown provided by Route 250 |
| 51 Atrisco/Rio Bravo | Atrisco Atrisco @ Central |
South Valley Prosperity @ Williams |
Atrisco Drive, Rio Bravo Boulevard | 8.3 miles (13.4 km) | No Sunday service |
| 53 Isleta | Downtown Alvarado Transportation Center |
South Valley Isleta @ Malpais |
Isleta Boulevard | 11.3 miles (18.2 km) | |
| 54 Bridge/Westgate | Sundance Central & Unser Transit Center |
Bridge Boulevard, 98th Street | 11.7 miles (18.8 km) | ||
| 66 Central Avenue | Singing Arrow Wenonah @ Tramway |
Central Avenue | 14.2 miles (22.9 km) | Limited-stop service provided by 766 Red Line and 777 Green Line | |
| 97 Zuni | Downtown Alvarado Transportation Center |
Trumbull Village Zuni @ Wyoming |
Lead Avenue (WB), Coal Avenue (EB), Zuni Road | 6.8 miles (10.9 km) | No weekend service |
| 140 San Mateo/CNM Work Force | Siesta Hills VA Hospital Kirtland |
Wildflower Area Eagle Rock @ CNM Workforce Training Center |
San Mateo Boulevard, Jefferson Street | 12.5 miles (20.1 km) | No off-peak service |
| 141 San Mateo | Alamedan Valley Jefferson @ Osuna |
San Mateo Boulevard | 7.4 miles (11.9 km) | ||
| 155 Coors | Seven Bar Ranch Northwest Transit Center P&R |
Valley Gardens Gun Club @ Isleta Drain |
Coors Boulevard | 16.2 miles (26.1 km) | Limited stop service north of I-40 provided by 790 |
| 157 Montano/Uptown/Kirtland | Siesta Hills San Pedro @ Gibson |
Golf Course Road, Montano Road (Montgomery Boulevard), Louisiana Boulevard | 19.4 miles (31.2 km) | All Sunday and select Monday-Saturday service | |
| Kirtland AFB 5th @ G |
20.3 miles (32.7 km) | Other times | |||
| 198 98th St/Dennis Chavez | Sundance Central & Unser Transit Center |
Southwest Mesa Dennis Chavez @ 118th (Atrisco Heritage Academy High School) |
98th Street | 5.7 miles (9.2 km) | Select school hour trips |
| Southwest Albuquerque Lamonica @ Loris |
6.7 miles (10.8 km) | ||||
| 222 Rio Bravo/Sunport | Southwest Albuquerque Coors @ Rio Bravo |
Kirtland AFB 11th @ V |
Rio Bravo Boulevard, University Boulevard, Gibson Boulevard | 15 miles (24 km) | Weekday peak direction only Operated by Rio Metro |
| 251 ABQ-Rio Rancho/Rail Runner Connection (limited service) | Rio Rancho Unser @ Southern |
Group Nine Industrial Park Office @ Pan-American |
Southern Boulevard, Rio Rancho Boulevard, Paseo Del Norte Boulevard, Jefferson Street | 16.4 miles (26.4 km) | Weekday peak direction only Operated by Rio Metro |
| 766 ART Red Line | Sundance Central & Unser Transit Center |
Uptown Uptown Transit Center |
Central Avenue, Louisiana Boulevard | 12.3 miles (19.8 km) | Local service provided by Route 66 Concurrent with 777 Green Line west of Louisiana Boulevard |
| 777 ART Green Line | Singing Arrow Tramway @ Wenonah |
Central Avenue | 14 miles (23 km) | Local service provided by Route 66 Concurrent with 766 Red Line west of Louisiana Boulevard | |
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report First Quarter 2025" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. May 15, 2025. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
- ^ "13 Million Passengers use ABQ RIDE in 2012". City of Albuquerque. 2013-01-11. Archived from the original on 2013-02-10.
- ^ "City Commission Moves To Get Bus Lines Here". Albuquerque Journal. December 9, 1926. Retrieved August 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Doleful Clanging of Gong as George Roslington Drives Car on Last Trip—Into Oblivion". Albuquerque Journal. January 1, 1928. Retrieved August 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "New Bus Line to Hire Local Men for Drivers". Albuquerque Journal. January 1, 1928. Retrieved August 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Permanent Schedules". Albuquerque Journal. February 4, 1928. Retrieved August 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Our Department". City of Albuquerque Transit Department. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- ^ "Bus Company's Larger Fleet and Longer Routes Reflect Albuquerque's Growth". Albuquerque Progress. 20 (12): 3. December 1953.
- ^ McAlpin, Dick (October 23, 1963). "Lecher Says Bus Must Meet Car's Challenge". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved August 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ McAlpin, Dick (November 20, 1963). "City Plans Bus Company Study; Firm to Quit". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved August 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Albuquerque Now Running Public Buses". Albuquerque Journal. February 2, 1965. Retrieved August 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Official City Seal". Albuquerque Journal. February 14, 1965. Retrieved August 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "ABQ RIDE Celebrates Golden Anniversary". City of Albuquerque. Archived from the original on 2022-04-21. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- ^ "ABQ Ride, Art and Sun Van will be zero fare as part of pilot project starting Jan. 1". Mass Transit. 2021-12-22. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
- ^ "Editorial: ABQ's free bus fares show promise; more security is needed". Albuquerque Journal. 2022-08-02. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
- ^ "Zero Fares is Here to Stay; Albuquerque City Council passes permanent Zero Fare program". City of Albuquerque. 2023-11-16. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Transit Existing Conditions Report, August 2022" (PDF). ABQ Ride. August 9, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ "February 2023 ABQ RIDE FORWARD NETWORK PLAN: Phase I Engagement Summary" (PDF). ABQ Ride. February 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ "Volume 2: Concepts Report February 2023" (PDF). ABQ Ride. March 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ "August 2023 ABQ RIDE FORWARD NETWORK PLAN: Phase II Engagement Summary" (PDF). ABQ Ride. August 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ "Volume 3: Recovery Network Report May 2024" (PDF). ABQ Ride. May 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ "ABQ RIDE Implementing Route and Schedule Changes on May 12". City of Albuquerque. Retrieved 2018-04-29.