Come With Us & Ride the Bus!

ALBUQUERQUE – ABQ RIDE’s new campaign, Come With Us & Ride the Bus!, launches January 26 aimed at getting people back on buses.

“Our City’s public transit system is an amazing free resource,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “A lot has changed and improved, so I hope folks will give buses another try.”

In December of 2025, ABQ RIDE launched the first phase of ABQ RIDE Forward, a generational update to city bus routes tailored to evolving rider needs and travel patterns. ABQ RIDE Forward will drive the city’s transit system back up to pre-2019 levels of bus service over a multiyear implementation. Each phase will bring more flexible and frequent service to the community, including more weekend and evening buses. 

“ABQ RIDE Forward is the future of our transit system,” said Transit Director Leslie Keener. “This implementation is modernizing the way Albuquerque moves. Between improved reliability through ABQ RIDE Forward and our huge strides in safety and cleanliness, this is a great time to encourage people to get back on the bus!”

Come With Us & Ride the Bus! invites the Albuquerque public to try the new ABQ RIDE given its recent upgrades. The campaign promotes improved service, safety, reliability, frequency, and sanitation and will be promoted across multiple platforms.

“Our team has gained major ground on increasing staffing levels, which has allowed us to improve the overall system,” said Marketing Manager Raul de Lara. “The vision for this campaign is to remind the public what a great option the bus is for getting around town – at no cost. It’s easy in our car-centric world to forget about taking transit, so we hope to inspire folks to hop onboard.”

ABQ RIDE’s data shows high demand for bus service: on average 28 people served per operating hour, and from December 2024 through the end of November 2025 a total of 7,467,894 rides on fixed-route buses (regular buses and Albuquerque Rapid Transit). 

“We are thrilled to be in a position to better serve Albuquerque, such as the 370 hours of service added in the first phase of the new route network,” said Transit Deputy Director Mike Davis. “We now have capacity to meet the high demand for bus service and hope to see our ridership numbers grow in the new year.”

Find additional information about this campaign, ABQ RIDE Forward, and more at ABQRIDE.com. 

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