ABQ RIDE Shares Transit Safety Successes with Sun Tran

ALBUQUERQUE – ABQ RIDE hosted 17 officials from the City of Tucson for a two-day exchange focused on transit safety, operations, and Albuquerque’s zero fares program. The delegation included Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz; Council Members Miranda Schubert and Selina Barajas; Chief of Staff Manisha Bewtra; Tucson Police Department Assistant Chief Stacie Schaner; and transit, community safety, and council staff. 

“Transit agencies nationally are recognizing the progress we’re making in public safety across our transit system,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “It’s encouraging to see cities like Tucson taking note of how we’ve made zero fares work in our community. We still have a long way to go, but it’s important to recognize the safety gains we’ve made along the way.”

Over the two-day visit, Tucson officials joined facility tours, ride-alongs, presentations, and safety panels focused on long-term planning, technology, community engagement, cleanliness, employee support, leadership, and cross-departmental collaboration. ABQ RIDE also outlined key steps in its safety work: launching the Transit Safety Officer Program in 2023, the See Say app in 2024, the ABQ RIDE Ambassador Program in 2025, and continued implementation of the Albuquerque Long-Range Transit Security Plan in 2026.

“ABQ RIDE has taken a comprehensive approach to transit safety, including the APD Transit Safety Officer team, a real-time reporting app, and the Ambassador program,” said Transit Director Leslie Keener. “Those efforts are beginning to show up in the data, with serious incidents falling 17% in fiscal year 2026, to four serious incidents per 100,000 rides. The City of Tucson reached out after seeing that progress, and this visit gave both systems a chance to share what is working and what we’re still learning.”

Albuquerque and Tucson share many of the same transit challenges, and both operate zero-fare systems. Tucson officials identified several takeaways from the visit, including the value of centralized security operations, strong internal communication, support for drivers, volunteer and customer-service programs, cleaner stops and facilities, and a long-term approach to building a safety culture.

"We are very grateful to the ABQ RIDE team for their hospitality and generosity,” said City of Tucson Transportation & Mobility Deputy Director Andy Bemis. “Our two cities have a lot in common, and we are dealing with many of the same challenges. We learned a lot from each other and came home with ideas we look forward to replicating in Tucson."

“From a law enforcement perspective, it was valuable to see how ABQ RIDE approaches safety holistically bringing together transit operations, security, community partnerships, law enforcement, and other resources to create a safer environment for riders, employees, and community members,” said Tucson Police Department Assistant Chief Stacie Shaner. “I look forward to continued collaboration between our teams and future opportunities to work with Albuquerque.”

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ABQ RIDE’s mission is to provide the community with clean, safe, and reliable transportation.