ABQ RIDE Working to Serve More Riders

ALBUQUERQUE: Ridership for the State’s largest public transportation system continues to increase, despite recent challenges including short staffing and service reductions. Within the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2024, ABQ RIDE served an average of 26.3 riders per hour, up from 24.8 during the first quarter of fiscal year 2019. ABQ RIDE continues to move forward and ensure passengers have reliable service to their important destinations.

“While working to solve the staffing shortage, improve safety across the system, and maintain clean buses and stops, residents and visitors of Albuquerque continue to utilize and trust ABQ RIDE for their transportation needs,” said Transit Director Leslie Keener. “We are confident in our ability to serve more riders once our new hires complete their training period.”

For the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, ABQ RIDE has served over 1.7 million riders, a 66% increase compared to the first quarter of fiscal year 2020. Even though total ridership numbers have yet to reach pre-pandemic levels, ART has seen significantly more riders than the former Rapid Ride service it replaced. Since its inception in November 2019, the rapid transit service has served more riders each fiscal year and is on track to reach its highest ridership in fiscal year 2024.

While total ridership is still down, data shows that this gap is largely due to reduced service on all major routes. As more Motorcoach Operators are hired and complete the training process, ABQ RIDE is preparing to add service to routes that had previously seen reductions due to staffing shortages.

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ABQ RIDE strives to be the first choice in transportation services for the Albuquerque Metropolitan area. By using this alternative to the single-occupant vehicle, riders are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and alleviate traffic congestion while building a strong, resourceful, and sustainable community.