Comment by Dan M on November 27, 2012 at 3:19pm

Phil_0: I agree completely.  I strongly recommend that you attend one of the meetings and say these very things.  Without our feedback, the city can only guess what we as citizens want and need.  

The justification behind this Central project is that the Rapid Rides are already at capacity during many portions of the day.  Considering this corridor has been growing consistently in ridership, with more projected ridership, the existing Rapid Ride type service just doesn't cut it.  Once this new Central corridor project is completed, new vehicles will be purchased for Central and the existing Rapid Ride buses can then be used on other corridors. 

The Montgomery/Montaño corridor has been heavily studied by ABQ Ride and they have hinted that it will be the next Rapid Ride corridor.  However, it all comes down to funding.  ABQ Ride would like to expand frequency and capacity on many routes; right now, they just can't.  

Also related to funding, this new project on Central would probably qualify for federal funding.

Remember that just a few weeks ago the citizens of ABQ strongly voted to spend millions of dollars on a single interchange.  Transit was not even mentioned in regard to the Paseo project.  Until priorities change, ABQ Ride will have a hard time effectively serving the citizens of ABQ.  

Comment by Krista on November 27, 2012 at 4:58pm

Most people ride the Central line because it's so reliable--you never wait 30 minutes for a bus (even if you just missed one).  It's so well served because the city has invested so much in that one line.  Invest in the others and ridership will increase overall.  I'd like to see some routes going North-South as well as all the other lines folks have talked about here.  We're going to a meeting tonight and hopefully something good will come out of it.  

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I think that most people want to take public transit--it's easier, no parking hassle and less expensive--but no one wants to wait forever for a bus to come.

Comment by hettie on November 27, 2012 at 9:16pm

Dan, I'm aware that the Central routes have long had more substantial ridership than other parts of the city, but the increase in those numbers in the last few years is the result of consistent, reliable service. As Krista points out, people use those buses in droves because they don't have to wait 30 (or 40 or 50) minutes to do so. The reliability of the routes increases ridership. It's time for the city to focus resources elsewhere.

I disagree with the idea that the city should have to wait until an entirely new system (a system which appears to be spatially infeasible for sections of Central) is installed along an already well-served route in order to free up rapid ride buses to use on other routes. The city should be investing in new buses for new rapid ride routes. While there might be federal dollars available, the city will certainly have to contribute and I think those funds are better spent increasing service in other parts of the city, which will have the same effect of increasing ridership there as the addition of rapid ride to Central did.

Comment by Kenny on November 27, 2012 at 9:38pm

Don't forget that a big part of the decision making process on where to increase bus service in this town is how much of a drain on the city budget it is. The Central corridor has the infrastructure to support the bus system it has. People have acclimated to the existence of reliable bus service and adjusted their lives accordingly. Businesses have located there at least partially because of the bus service. While it's possible to recreate that scenario along another major route, it would take decades before those new bus lines would even begin to stop being a major burden on the city budget. It could be done but it would be painful for a long time.

Comment by Krista on November 27, 2012 at 9:58pm

We went to the meeting and the general public consensus seemed to be that we all love public transit, but we want to see new lines open up elsewhere in the city--take off some of the pressure from Central and see ridership increase elsewhere.  And the feel that I got from the representative was:  "It's Central or nothing."  (I'm obviously over-simplifying things and including my opinions here).  

He did say that other entities such as the County, MRCOG, Rio Rancho, etc. are doing studies on other major streets, but that ABQ Ride was only focused on Central.  So, maybe someday Rapid Rides will be implemented on other streets, but it won't be the doing of ABQ Ride.  

Comment by Dan M on November 28, 2012 at 10:00am

Kenny hit the nail on the head here but there's even more to it.  Transit in general is most successful in places where parking costs money.  Downtown and UNM happen to be the only two major nodes in town that I can think of which have this policy (Nob Hill also to a certain extent).  They also happen to be the core of the Central corridor and the main reason this corridor is so successful.   

The other reason why UNM is such a huge transit trip attractor is due to the free service ABQ Ride provides to them; this is the only reason there is crowding on the 5.  However, ABQ Ride does not receive additional revenue for each additional UNM passenger; they receive a fixed sum from the university which does not come close to covering the cost of these riders.  Unless UNM increases the subsidy they pay to ABQ Ride, ABQ Ride will be reluctant to increase capacity to serve these people.  

Krista and Hettie, I do agree; why wait to add Rapid Ride?  If you added these services to Montgomery and San Mateo today, I think these corridors would definitely see more ridership.  Would the ridership match Central?  It's doubtful.  So, in an era of scare resources, the city focuses on the corridor where it's guaranteed ridership will increase, a corridor where parking costs money.    

Hettie, regarding the other entities: when (if?) the Montaño Rail Runner station gets built, Rio Metro will beef up the buses on Montgomery/Montaño.  Until then, probably nothing.    

In my opinion, parking policy is a huge part of all of this.  For more info, read stuff by Donald Shoup.  His book, The High Cost of Free Parking, details how "free parking" has ruined many elements of our urban areas.  

Comment by Benny the Icepick on November 28, 2012 at 12:22pm

//The other reason why UNM is such a huge transit trip attractor is due to the free service ABQ Ride provides to them; this is the only reason there is crowding on the 5.//

I beg to differ there, Dan.  The #5 was the second busiest route in the system for years before the UNM bus passes.  I think it's popular because it serves a route with a great deal of destinations.  You have food service and retail (both for buying and working), public schools and the university, apartment buildings, and hospitals.  Improving public transit - on that corridor and the overall system - would probably have a terrific impact on economic development and quality of life.

San Mateo is another route that meets that criteria, and many other major corridors mentioned in this thread.  Thankfully, it appears that local agencies are investigating the feasibility of improved transit on those streets.

The city's transit map, unfortunately, is built almost entirely on a radial model where the routes thread east and west from the Alvarado Transit Center.  While the ATC is immensely valuable to the system, the lack of north-south routes forces people to bus all the way into downtown to transfer to another route.  If the city is truly committed to improving ridership and increasing convenience of service, they need to find a way to overlay more of a grid on top of the radiants.

Ultimately, the presenters at the public meeting failed to explain how a BRT system can solve any of the problems the bus system has that the current Rapid Rides cannot.  In my mind, the justification for the level of improvements they seek is nonexistent.

Comment by shotsie on November 28, 2012 at 12:51pm

I'm on the Transit Board, and adding parallel routes to Central was discussed - we thought that increased service on Lomas might take the pressure off of Central, since every NE north/south route crossed that route, and it runs to UNM and the hospital, as well as downtown.  I do think that transit dept is thinking that increasing service on Central is the way to go, but I think it would disrupt parking/traffic too much.   And increasing service on Montgomery was also discussed.  

Comment by Phil_0 on November 28, 2012 at 2:50pm

Dan, I've got to back Benny up here: your supposition about UNM's impact on traffic on the #5 bus is totally wrong. I've been a regular rider along most of that route for almost 6 years. The areas with the most crowding are consistently between Carlisle and Menaul (lots of traffic to and from the Walmart there) and about Montgomery and Wyoming.

Your points about density are well-taken, but the #5 passes through several relatively dense areas. From I-25 to about Wyoming, Montgomery is basically lined on both sides by large apartment complexes, many of which house seniors, immigrants, lower-income folks, and others who may not have access to cars. The bus is frequently standing-room-only at rush hour as it passes through this corridor, and is quite crowded throughout the day as well. During the academic year the #5 carries quite a few students on their way to CNM Montoya (Montgomery/Morris), but otherwise the influence of CNM or UNM on ridership is pretty negligible.

Because of the lower-income areas it serves, the #5 is increasingly a lifeline for people who don't have other easy transportation options. The more dependable and frequent it becomes, the more the residents of the apartment complexes and other nearby areas will rely on the bus for shopping, errands, and just general getting around. To me, that is more important and meaningful for transit in Albuquerque than doubling or tripling down on transit along Central. Central is already very well served. There are other areas that sorely need transit improvement that should be addressed before we start elaborating service in areas that don't necessarily need it.

Comment by hettie on November 29, 2012 at 9:25am

The conversation here reminds me that part of why I like this city so much is the people who live here. Discussions like these are something I've long missed on DCF. Here's hoping someone from ABQ Ride has checked out this thread!

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