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57-587: The original Rapid Ride line was inaugurated on December 21, 2004, serving an 11-mile (18 km) route along the Central Avenue corridor. It was intended to provide a faster and more efficient means of public transit in Albuquerque and to serve as a pilot project for a potential light rail line. Growing ridership led to the opening of a second route in 2007 and a third route in 2009. By March 2008, Rapid Ride had carried five million passengers. In 2019,

114-568: A 13% gain. Bus ridership as a whole was up 9.3% in Albuquerque in fiscal 2007. The Blue Line had over 20,000 boardings per month as of early 2008. Rapid Ride service began on December 24, 2004, with the Route 766 line, which ran along Central Avenue from Unser to Wyoming, North to Interstate 40, then west to the Uptown Transit Center. Buses ran every 11 minutes from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. On August 20, 2006,

171-443: A faster and more convenient east–west route through Albuquerque, while the new Winrock and Coronado shopping centers drew customers away from the older retail districts on Central. The large downtown Alvarado and Franciscan hotels were demolished in the early 1970s and Albuquerque High School moved to a new location in 1973, leaving its old campus at Central and Broadway boarded up. The street's fortunes began to turn around in

228-722: A large number of surviving Route 66-era commercial buildings as well as earlier buildings downtown and in Old Town. Unlike most of downtown Albuquerque, the streetscape of Central Avenue has remained mostly intact since the early 20th century. Notable buildings include the Pueblo Deco-style KiMo Theater , the Sunshine Building , and the First National Bank Building , which was Albuquerque's first skyscraper. Robinson Park,

285-525: A multicolor route number display and orange route name display. The route number was displayed in red for the Rapid Ride Route 766 , blue for Route 790 , and in green for Route 777 . The side and rear destination signs were orange-only. Ridership on the Red Line was 1.6 million boardings for fiscal year 2007, up 28% over fiscal year 2006, and was projected to finish fiscal year 2008 with

342-645: A new West Side route (Route 790) connecting the University of New Mexico to a portion of Albuquerque's Westside, via Lomas Boulevard, Rio Grande Boulevard, Interstate 40, and Coors Boulevard to the Montano Plaza shopping center. This new route replaced the 156 route and went into service on July 7, 2007, with 15-minute frequency on weekdays and 20-minute frequency on Saturdays. With the creation of this line, ABQ Ride began to give Rapid Ride routes color designations (Red for 766, Blue for 790). On August 16, 2008,

399-620: 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. What is now ABQ RIDE began in 1928 as the Albuquerque Bus Company. Before this, transit in

456-622: A rare remnant of the railroad era, is located on a triangular block between Eighth and Tenth Streets. La Glorieta , a Spanish hacienda dating back to the seventeenth century, is believed to be the oldest building on Central. It is now a part of Manzano Day School. Two major landmarks on East Central are the University of New Mexico main campus and Expo New Mexico, the site of the New Mexico State Fair . The former Albuquerque High School campus at Central and Broadway has been converted to loft apartments. The Nob Hill neighborhood

513-704: A true BRT system extending from Tramway Blvd. to 98th St. The system went into service in November, 2019, replacing the Rapid Ride Red and Green Lines. The following transit connections are made at the Alvarado Transportation Center :   Route 766 - Red Line (From West to East)   Route 777 - Green Line (From West to East)   Route 790 - Blue Line (From Northwest to Southeast) ROUTE 156 From north to south: (no longer in service) Central Avenue (Albuquerque, New Mexico) Central Avenue

570-530: A week except on city-observed holidays. Yale operates on weekdays only. On May 1, 2015, the 900-series buses were moved temporarily to Daytona due to renovations at Yale; however, they went back to operating out of the Yale facility beginning October 19, 2015. The Yale Transit Department is now equipped with unleaded fuel to fuel shuttle cars. In November 2011, ABQ RIDE announced plans for true bus rapid transit service along Central Avenue . The service differs from

627-527: Is a major east–west street in Albuquerque , New Mexico , which historically served as the city's main thoroughfare and principal axis of development. It runs through many of Albuquerque's oldest neighborhoods, including Downtown , Old Town , Nob Hill , and the University of New Mexico area. Central Avenue was part of U.S. Route 66 from 1937 until the highway's decommissioning in 1985 and also forms one axis of Albuquerque's house numbering system. It

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684-790: Is home to a number of Route 66-era commercial buildings including Jones Motor Company , the Nob Hill Business Center , and the Lobo Theater . The 17-story Bank of the West Tower at Central and San Mateo is a highly visible landmark. Some of Albuquerque's most famous former landmarks were located on Central, including the Alvarado Hotel , the Franciscan Hotel , the Castle Huning mansion, and

741-570: Is one of the designs being explored for BRT service, and is the longer 60 foot version of the current XN40 buses being delivered to ABQ RIDE. On May 15, 2014, ABQ RIDE introduced a new logo and paint scheme for the organization. In October 2014, the City of Albuquerque unveiled conceptual designs for construction of Albuquerque Rapid Transit , a true BRT system including dedicated lanes, traffic signal priority, level boarding, and off-bus fare payment. Public input from meetings will allow engineering of

798-422: 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 and a currently suspended ARTx express bus line It is the largest public transportation system in the state, serving 6,907,500 passengers in 2023, or about 24,600 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. The name "ABQ RIDE" and

855-665: The Amtrak Southwest Chief , and the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter train . Formerly, Central was also served by an electric street railway between 1904 and 1928. The City Electric Company owned twelve streetcars and provided service on a three-mile route between Old Town Plaza and the university. Another former transportation facility on Central was the West Mesa Airport , which operated from 1929 to 1967. In 2006,

912-750: The Cottonwood Mall to the Northwest Transit Center. The Blue Line operates from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays with buses scheduled every 12 to 30 minutes depending on time of day, with more limited service on Saturdays. The other two routes, the 766 Red Line and 777 Green Line were discontinued in November, 2019, when the Albuquerque Rapid Transit system went into operation along the same Central Avenue corridor. The Red Line ran along Central Avenue from Unser Boulevard to Louisiana Boulevard, then north to

969-470: The University of New Mexico on the East Mesa in 1889. The early 20th century saw an influx of tuberculosis patients seeking the healthful effects of Albuquerque's dry climate, and a number of sanatoria were established on a stretch of East Central that came to be known as "TB Avenue." One of these survived to the present day as Presbyterian Hospital . With the increasing usage of the automobile in

1026-417: The grade crossing downtown was eliminated with a new underpass. Dozens of new motels, diners, and filling stations sprang up along East and West Central to cater to the steady stream of travelers passing through the city. By 1955, there were 98 motels along Central Avenue. Central entered an economic decline in the 1960s as Albuquerque became increasingly decentralized. Interstate 40 provided travelers with

1083-463: The 1920s, Central became a hub for car dealerships, service stations, and related enterprise. This role increased dramatically in 1937 when, with New Deal funding secured by governor Clyde Tingley , Route 66 through Albuquerque was realigned from Fourth Street to a more direct east–west route along Central. The road was extended west across the Rio Grande and paved along its entire length, while

1140-426: The 1970s. It adopted the current name, ABQ RIDE, in 2004, the same year the first Rapid Ride route began operating. 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

1197-615: The 400 series buses. The 300 series buses were retrofitted with the system in 2004 (alongside the TwinVision LED destination signs), and all deliveries since then has had the system factory-installed. On October 4, 2010, the Federal Transit Administration approved a $ 3 million grant request from ABQ RIDE to provide money for bus replacement. On February 7, 2014, ABQ RIDE placed an order for 21 New Flyer Xcelsior XN40 CNG Buses, with deliveries starting in

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1254-471: The 766 started Sunday service with 22-minute frequency from 6:43 a.m. to 6:41 p.m. On April 17, 2006, a second Rapid Ride route, the West Side Rapid Ride (156) started service. It ran as a commuter with four (two northbound and two southbound) runs in the morning and three (two northbound and one southbound) runs in the evening on weekdays. The route ran on Coors Blvd from Cottonwood Mall to

1311-723: The ABQ RIDE system, with the exception of #222 and #34, connects to a Rapid Ride or ART route, either at one of the Transit Centers, or along its route (usually either on Central Avenue or on Coors Boulevard). The Rapid Ride consisted of 18 New Flyer DE60LF and 6 New Flyer DE60LFR 60-foot low floor articulated buses , which were painted in ABQ RIDE's red and gold color scheme. All Rapid Ride buses had free wireless internet access and were also equipped with Digital Recorders automated stop announcement systems and TwinVision LED destination signs. The front destination signs featured

1368-733: The Alamosa Community Center. This route served as a pilot project for a potential full-time route for the Albuquerque West Side, and was later replaced by a new route (mentioned below) in July 2007. ABQ RIDE placed an order for six additional Rapid Ride buses on July 20, 2006. The six buses were once again the New Flyer DE60LF , and were delivered in February 2007. These new buses were put to use on

1425-675: The Alvarado Transportation Center, except route #66 and Rapid Ride routes, have a fare-free zone. 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

1482-501: The BRT system and redesign of the roads it will travel on. Following delays from equipment problems, BRT service started in November 2019. In October 2014, ABQ Ride also revealed plans for a transit-oriented development (TOD) on the site of the Uptown Transit Center. The land for the transit center was originally purchased with a grant from the FTA with the intent of someday building a TOD on

1539-464: The Blue Line was extended to Cottonwood Mall and weekday frequency changed to 20 minutes. When the new Northwest Transit Center opened on September 2, 2008, all buses serving Cottonwood Mall moved there, although a stop at Cottonwood Mall on 7 Bar Loop still remains for mall commuter traffic. For several years, ABQ RIDE operated the Red Line from 8:00pm until 1:00am on Fridays during Saturdays during

1596-543: The Four Hills area at Central Avenue and Tramway Boulevard, and help relieve overcrowding on the Rapid Ride Red Line and the Route 66 Central Avenue bus. In preparation for the new route, ABQ RIDE added six additional Rapid Ride buses to the fleet. The Rapid Ride Green Line went into service on August 15, 2009. The 766 route was adjusted from using Wyoming Boulevard to using Louisiana Boulevard to connect to

1653-561: The New Flyer buses are able to display route numbers in different colors (as the Rapid Ride buses do for the three Rapid Ride routes, the Red Line, Blue Line, and Green Line). All other signs, including the front destination signs on all 300 and 400 series buses, display in orange only. The 300 series buses formerly featured flip-dot destination signs, however, they were retrofitted with the orange TwinVision LED signs in 2004 alongside

1710-530: The Rapid Ride Red and Green Lines were replaced by a true BRT system, Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART). The Rapid Ride Blue Line, which serves the West Side, remains in operation, but was rebranded as ARTx Blue Line in 2020. As of 2021, the only active Rapid Ride/ARTx route is the 790 Blue Line , which runs from the University of New Mexico west down Lomas Boulevard, north on Rio Grande Boulevard, west on Interstate-40 , and then north on Coors Boulevard past

1767-482: The Rapid Ride based on the fact that it would be considered a true BRT service based on adding more aspects of BRT service such as a dedicated travel lane or queue jumps, platforms level with the bus floor, and off-board ticketing so that passengers can load at any door. On March 24, 2014, ABQ RIDE demonstrated a New Flyer XN60, which was built for RTC in Las Vegas, NV, and was en route for delivery. This type of bus

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1824-570: The Uptown Transit Center, while the Green Line ran along Central Avenue from Downtown Albuquerque to Tramway Boulevard . The service offers some BRT -like elements, including limited stops about 1 mile (1.6 km) apart instead of two blocks and high-capacity articulated buses with quick-deploying ramps and other accessible features. However, unlike a true BRT system, the buses run in regular traffic and do not have off-bus fare payment. The buses also no longer have signal priority , though this

1881-461: The Uptown Transit Center. Frequency on the 766 was adjusted from every 11 minutes on weekdays to every 15 minutes, and the schedules are designed to overlap so that between the 766 and 777, service on Central Avenue between Louisiana and Downtown is every 7 minutes. On an election on October 6, 2009, Albuquerque voters approved a quarter-cent transportation tax extension lasting until 2019. 36% of this tax will be allocated for ABQ RIDE, up from 20% for

1938-416: The automated voice annunciator system. ABQ RIDE did not order the color LED destination signs for the 600 series buses, citing ongoing reliability issues, opting instead to go with orange LED signs. All buses are also all equipped with a Clever Devices automated voice annunciator system, which announces the major intersections (or on the Rapid Ride buses, the stops). The system was first introduced in 2001 on

1995-471: The city council decided to rename the street to better reflect this fact. As reported in the Albuquerque Journal , "The name of 'Central Avenue' it is believed, will at once convey the idea that it is the city's main business street and the center of town." A new electric streetcar line was installed in 1904. Meanwhile, the city grew eastward along Central, driven in part by the establishment of

2052-458: The city it planned to cease operation within a few months. 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. The bus system operated under the name Albuquerque Transit System , and then Sun Tran starting in

2109-521: The city proposed building a new streetcar line along Central between Old Town and Nob Hill. With no clear source of funding, the project eventually fell victim to widespread opposition from the City Council and the public. Albuquerque Rapid Transit was introduced in 2017, bringing bus rapid transit service to Central Avenue via dedicated bus lanes and transit priority signals. ABQ RIDE ABQ RIDE (City of Albuquerque Transit Department)

2166-604: 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. The streetcar stopped running at midnight on December 31, 1927, and the bus company began operation the next morning. The company started with five White Motor Company buses and had four routes: Central Avenue , Fourth Street, Sawmill-Edith Street, and East Silver Avenue. ABQ RIDE still owns one of

2223-593: 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

2280-504: The city's western limits. The route that is now Central Avenue has existed in some form since prehistoric times, linking Tijeras Canyon and points east with a good ford of the Rio Grande near present-day Old Town. Originally a Native American trading route, the trail later connected Albuquerque with the outlying settlement of Carnuel. It was upgraded to a wagon road by the U.S. Army in 1858. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway reached Albuquerque in 1880, but for logistical reasons

2337-507: 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. ABQ RIDE operates 21 regular fixed routes, 2 commuter routes, 2 Bus Rapid Transit routes. Since 9 November 2023, fares were permanently eliminated on all ABQ Ride services. All rides are free. 748–758 All buses feature TwinVision LED destination signs . The front destination signs on

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2394-516: The early 1980s with the successful renovation of the KiMo Theater , a treasured landmark which had been threatened with demolition. Over the next two decades, downtown Central Avenue was gradually transformed into an arts and entertainment district with a variety of bars, restaurants, galleries, and live music venues, as well as new residential space. Nob Hill has also rebounded, with an eclectic mix of mostly locally owned businesses. Central has

2451-737: The fleet comprises numerous smaller vehicles like the SunVan paratransit vans, and formerly, the Old Town trolley. CNG buses (300- and 600-series buses) and the 900-series buses operate out of the Yale Transit Department on 601 Yale Blvd. SE, while the 700-series buses, Rapid Ride buses (6400-series, 6600-series, and 6900-series), and the paratransit fleet operate out of the Daytona Transit Facility on Daytona Rd near Unser Blvd. and I-40 . Daytona operates seven days

2508-504: The middle of March. 17 of these buses will replace 17 of the 300 series buses, while the remaining 4 have been used to replace the last of the 400 series buses. 300 Series now operate the routes the 400 Series once did. In January 2015, bus 617 and bus 747 were involved in separate accidents, resulting in the complete write-off of 747. 617 was repaired at the Yale Transit Yard, and returned to active service in early 2016. No one

2565-783: The old Bernalillo County Courthouse in Old Town. More recently the list has also grown to include the Castle Apartments on West Central and the Aztec Motel in Nob Hill. The Central Avenue public transit corridor is the most heavily traveled in the city with 350,000 monthly boardings in 2006. ABQ RIDE operates three city bus routes on Central: the 66 Central local route and the 766 Red Line and 777 Green Line Rapid Ride express routes. The Alvarado Transportation Center , located at First and Central, provides access to many other ABQ RIDE routes as well as Greyhound Lines ,

2622-433: The original buses and uses it for special occasions. 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. But the company was not able to maintain profitability as private car ownership increased in the 1950s and 1960s, and in 1963, the Albuquerque Bus Company notified

2679-508: The past 10 years. On October 8, 2009, outgoing ABQ RIDE transit director Greg Payne indicated the possibility of a new Rapid Ride route on San Mateo Blvd. In November 2011, ABQ RIDE announced plans for true bus rapid transit service along Central Avenue. The service differs from the Rapid Ride based on the fact that it would use a dedicated travel lane, and thus can be considered a true BRT service. In October 2014, The City presented to voters its final proposal for Albuquerque Rapid Transit ,

2736-484: The primary east–west route through Albuquerque. Along the way Central passes through the historic Old Town , Downtown , EDo , Huning Highlands, Silver Hill , University, Nob Hill , and Highland neighborhoods. The street crosses the Rio Grande just southwest of Old Town, passing through the old neighborhood of Atrisco. Central then passes through the heart of Albuquerque's west side before climbing Nine Mile Hill on

2793-504: The same month, Phase 2 launched, which included two draft plan concepts, one which prioritized frequency and one which prioritized coverage. In August 2023, the outreach summary for phase 2 had also released. 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. The ABQ RIDE system includes regular service routes on most of

2850-400: The site. The plans call for a parking garage above the island where buses stop and will continue to stop, a building with retail on the ground floor and several levels of living units above that, and the possibility of a multi-generational center above the parking garage. These plans were created with the help of a public meeting earlier in 2014. ABQ Ride intends, with FTA approval, to enter into

2907-542: The summer months. The route was called Rapid After Dark, and given its own route number, 767, even though the route did not deviate from the daytime route. The city disbanded the service in 2011 in favor of a new service, 66 Late Night. The New service utilizes the 66 route, allowing for more stops and traveling the full length of Central Ave. On February 26, 2009, ABQ RIDE announced a third Rapid Ride route, Route 777 (the "Green Line"), which would run every 15 minutes on weekdays along Central Avenue from Downtown Albuquerque to

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2964-524: 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

3021-510: The tracks were routed some two miles east of the existing town. This led to the establishment of a separate "New Town" around the railroad depot, which was built on the preexisting Carnuel road. When the original downtown street grid was laid out that same year, this road between Old Town and New Town became Railroad Avenue. A mule-drawn streetcar line was soon established. By the turn of the century, Railroad Avenue had been clearly established as Albuquerque's main commercial corridor, and in 1907

3078-552: The year. The program, supported by a federal grant, was later extended to June 2023, and later September 2023. On November 9, 2023, fares were permanently eliminated on all ABQ Ride services. 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. During

3135-417: Was a feature of the original Rapid Ride line until 2009. Stops are equipped with distinctive branded shelters and signage, including digital message boards to announce upcoming arrivals. When all three lines were in operation, buses reached stations roughly every 7-10 minutes between Downtown and Louisiana, and every 10-15 minutes between Wyoming and Tramway and between Rio Grande and Unser. Every route within

3192-570: Was also signed as Business Loop 40 until the early 1990s when ownership of Central Avenue was transferred from the New Mexico State Highway Department to the City of Albuquerque. Central follows a primarily east–west alignment from Paseo del Volcán (Atrisco Vista Boulevard) on the western outskirts of the city to Four Hills Road just east of Tramway Boulevard ( NM 556 ) near the mouth of Tijeras Canyon . Both ends terminate at Interstate 40 , which replaced Route 66 as

3249-416: Was seriously harmed in either accident, and both accidents were caused by other vehicles failing to stop at a red light. The 600-series buses purchased in 2015 (622–641) all have open WiFi networks available for public use. In addition, they have a screen installed behind the driver that displays the current security camera feed from the camera looking down the aisle from the front of the bus. In addition,

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