During a recent visit to Albuquerque and Santa Fe, I had the opportunity to ride the ART (Albuquerque Rapid Transit) and New Mexico Rail Runner. The Rail Runner was comfortable and convenient. The ride between Albuquerque and Santa Fe is scenic too, which is a bonus to the transportation aspect. Otherwise, it was very similar to other commuter lines I’ve been on in South Florida (Tri-Rail) and Dallas-Fort Worth (TRE).
I was most excited about riding ART. Albuquerque has a fare-free transit system, which has its trade-offs. Some may see lack of fare as a welcome mat for “undesirables” but I see it as a simple way to make jobs, school, and services more accessible to everyone. Additionally, the two interlined routes were direct and connected major destinations such as Old Town, Downtown, BioPark, University of New Mexico, and Transit Centers (including Rail Runner downtown). The stations were simple yet distinctive. No seating was included but with the frequency of the buses,
I didn’t see this as a problem. Also, there are bus-only lanes and signaling throughout much of the route which meant the bus could go pretty fast.
Overall, this makes me even more excited about Raleigh’s BRT system. The City of Raleigh is on the right track with TOD zoning. Land use is key to ensuring the system is successful.
