ABQ RIDE Capital Projects in Progress

West Side Transit Facility

In 1990, ABQ RIDE acknowledged the future impact the rapidly developing West Side would have on urban area development and the subsequent need to provide expanded transit service to this area. The additional new vehicles required for transit service could not be based and maintained at the South Side Transit Facility which is already over capacity. Consequently, the Department began a process for the selection of an appropriate site for a new facility. Site selection factors included: location on Albuquerque's West Side, appropriate zoning, access to principal arterials and/or interstate, and sufficient acreage for an operations facility. A site in the Atrisco Business Park has been selected for the new facility.
A Master Plan for this facility was completed in 1994. This plan recommended an operations facility that will house 125 fixed - route vehicles and 35 paratransit vehicles. Full build-out could take place over a 2-3 year period, depending on funding. In 1997, an architectural and engineering design team lead by DWL, a local architectural firm, was hired for facility programming and design efforts.

The initial construction phase for the West Side facility is designed to relieve the overcrowded conditions at the South Side facility. This will be accomplished by transferring 60 revenue vehicles, and some support vehicles to this facility. Routes serving Albuquerque's West Side, including most of the existing express routes, and some of the Central Avenue local routes would be served by buses pulling out from this facility.

Bus Stops and Amenities

ABQ RIDE has a two-person crew using a truck and attached trailer with supplies to maintain bus stop curbs, signage, benches, and shelters at approximately 3,200 bus stop locations. Stops are identified with a bus stop sign, route sign, ADA (Braille) sign, and a yellow-painted curb. A total of 1,400 recycled plastic benches have been installed along with 15 trash receptacles. The Department owns and maintains 17 shelters. There are 20 privately owned shelters, designed to City specifications, which are also maintained by the Department. A total of 54 rotating information tubes provide bus schedule information at each Downtown bus stop. Separate sign racks for schedule information are installed at designated bus stops. Regular maintenance includes: updating bus schedule information, graffiti removal, repainting of curbs, and replacing bus stop poles and benches that have been damaged.

High Capacity-Strategic Corridor Transportation System Study

ABQ RIDE, in coordination with the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department and the Middle Rio Grande Council of Governments, has undertaken a High Capacity-Strategic Corridor Transportation System Study. The Albuquerque Metropolitan Planning Area is forecasted to have a 48% increase in population by 2020. To maintain the area's attractiveness for residents and economic development, a combination of transportation improvements need to occur. Alternatives that are being studied include: No-build, roadway improvements, new roadways, Travel Demand Management/Transportation System Management, including Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) applications, bus service improvements, express bus and park-and-ride service, High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, busways, commuter rail, light rail, and a combination of modes. These high capacity means of transporting people will be examined for appropriateness for the corridors being studied. The high capacity-strategic corridors plan will be incorporated into the region's updated Metropolitan Transportation Plan. Planning for the HCTS will be completed in two phases. Phase I will develop a 20-year high capacity-strategic corridors plan by June 2000. Phase II will identify a set of corridors for detailed analysis. A Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) will be selected and a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be prepared. Senator Domenici initiated this project with a congressional earmark of $5 million in federal fiscal year 1999. Through federal fiscal year 2000, Congress has appropriated $12 million in Section 5309 New Starts Funds for this effort.