ABQ RIDE

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.{{cite news |date=December 9, 1926 |title=City Commission Moves To Get Bus Lines Here |work=Albuquerque Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55204833/albuquerque-journal/ |accessdate=August 1, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} The streetcar stopped running at midnight on December 31, 1927, and the bus company began operation the next morning.{{cite news |date=January 1, 1928 |title=Doleful Clanging of Gong as George Roslington Drives Car on Last Trip—Into Oblivion |work=Albuquerque Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55087437/albuquerque-journal/ |accessdate=August 1, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} The company started with five White Motor Company buses and had four routes: Central Avenue, Fourth Street, Sawmill-Edith Street, and East Silver Avenue.{{cite news |date=January 1, 1928 |title=New Bus Line to Hire Local Men for Drivers |work=Albuquerque Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55096822/albuquerque-journal/ |accessdate=August 1, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |date=February 4, 1928 |title=Permanent Schedules |work=Albuquerque Journal |agency= |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56484539/albuquerque-journal/ |accessdate=August 1, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} ABQ RIDE still owns one of the original buses and uses it for special occasions.{{cite web |title=Our Department |url=https://www.cabq.gov/transit/our-department |publisher=City of Albuquerque Transit Department |accessdate=August 1, 2020}}

File:ABQ RIDE 200 Series Bus 2004.jpg Rapid Transit Series bus, in service from 1989 to 2008]]

By 1944, the company had 32 buses, 65 employees, and {{convert|37|mi|km}} of routes. Nine years later, in 1953, the route network had grown to {{convert|167|mi|km}} and there were 51 buses and 120 employees.{{cite journal |title=Bus Company's Larger Fleet and Longer Routes Reflect Albuquerque's Growth |journal=Albuquerque Progress |date=December 1953 |volume=20 |issue=12 |page=3 |url=https://nmdc.unm.edu/digital/collection/abclibrary/id/6572}} But the company was not able to maintain profitability as private car ownership increased in the 1950s and 1960s,{{cite news |last1=McAlpin |first1=Dick |title=Lecher Says Bus Must Meet Car's Challenge |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56504609/albuquerque-journal/ |accessdate=August 1, 2020 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=October 23, 1963 |via=Newspapers.com}} and in 1963, the Albuquerque Bus Company notified the city it planned to cease operation within a few months.{{cite news |last1=McAlpin |first1=Dick |title=City Plans Bus Company Study; Firm to Quit |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56504425/albuquerque-journal/ |accessdate=August 1, 2020 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=November 20, 1963 |via=Newspapers.com}} 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.{{cite news |title=Albuquerque Now Running Public Buses |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56384332/albuquerque-journal/ |accessdate=August 1, 2020 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=February 2, 1965 |via=Newspapers.com}}

The bus system operated under the name Albuquerque Transit System,{{cite news |title=Official City Seal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56507116/albuquerque-journal/ |accessdate=August 1, 2020 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=February 14, 1965 |via=Newspapers.com}} 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.{{cite web |title=ABQ RIDE Celebrates Golden Anniversary |url=https://www.cabq.gov/transit/news/abq-ride-celebrates-golden-anniversary |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421173137/https://www.cabq.gov/transit/news/abq-ride-celebrates-golden-anniversary |archive-date=2022-04-21 |accessdate=August 1, 2020 |website=City of Albuquerque |publisher=}} 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.{{Cite web |date=2021-12-22 |title=ABQ Ride, Art and Sun Van will be zero fare as part of pilot project starting Jan. 1 |url=https://www.masstransitmag.com/technology/fare-collection/press-release/21251087/city-of-albuquerque-abq-ride-art-and-sun-van-will-be-zero-fare-as-part-of-pilot-project-starting-jan-1 |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=Mass Transit}} The program, supported by a federal grant, was later extended to June 2023, and later September 2023.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-02 |title=Editorial: ABQ's free bus fares show promise; more security is needed |url=https://www.abqjournal.com/2521187/webhedline-113.html |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=Albuquerque Journal}} On November 9, 2023, fares were permanently eliminated on all ABQ Ride services.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-16 |title=Zero Fares is Here to Stay; Albuquerque City Council passes permanent Zero Fare program|url=https://www.cabq.gov/transit/news/zero-fares-is-here-to-stay |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=City of Albuquerque}}

In August 2022, ABQ RIDE launched their ABQ Ride Forward [https://abqrideforward.com], 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.{{cite web|url=https://abqrideforward.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ABQ-Choices-Report-20220908.pdf|title=Transit Existing Conditions Report, August 2022|date=August 9, 2022|publisher=ABQ Ride|access-date=September 16, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://abqrideforward.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ABQ-RIDE-Forward-Phase-I-Engagement-Summary.pdf|title=February 2023 ABQ RIDE FORWARD NETWORK PLAN: Phase I Engagement Summary|date=February 2023|publisher=ABQ Ride|access-date=September 16, 2024}} During the same month, Phase 2 launched, which included two draft plan concepts, one which prioritized frequency and one which prioritized coverage.{{cite web|url=https://abqrideforward.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ABQ-RIDE-Forward-Phase-I-Engagement-Summary.pdf|title=Volume 2: Concepts Report February 2023|date=March 2023|publisher=ABQ Ride|access-date=September 16, 2024}} In August 2023, the outreach summary for phase 2 had also released.{{cite web|url=https://abqrideforward.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ABQ-RIDE-Forward-Phase-II-Engagement-Summary-August-2023.pdf|title=August 2023 ABQ RIDE FORWARD NETWORK PLAN: Phase II Engagement Summary|date=August 2023|publisher=ABQ Ride|access-date=September 16, 2024}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://abqrideforward.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ABQ-RIDE-Forward-Recovery-Network-Report-High-Res-20240507.pdf|title=Volume 3: Recovery Network Report May 2024|date=May 2024|publisher=ABQ Ride|access-date=September 16, 2024}}

File:ABQ RIDE logo.svg

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cabq.gov/transit/news/abq-ride-implementing-route-and-schedule-changes-on-may-12|title=ABQ RIDE Implementing Route and Schedule Changes on May 12|website=City of Albuquerque|language=en|access-date=2018-04-29}}

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.

ABQ RIDE operates 20 regular fixed routes, 2 commuter routes, 2 Bus Rapid Transit routes.