Help is on the way

With the stratospheric cost of gas these days, it appears the bus is the new car in Albuquerque. Or at least it seems that way reading that the bus ridership is rising so rapidly that the Duke City's bus system, ABQ Ride, is expecting to buy 10 more buses with $25 million in federal money and dollars from voter-approved bonds, according to KOB.com.

The TV station goes on to tell viewers/readers:
 

“We’re going out, we’re buying 10 more Rapid Ride vehicles,” says Greg Payne, the city’s transit director. ‘We’re looking at 30 to 40 buses and we’re going to have to use each and every one of them and get them in [use] as soon as we possibly can.”

ABQ Ride officials report that ridership has grown 121 percent since April of 2007. The Third Street and Rio Bravo stop, which connects the bus system to the Rail Runner commuter train, saw the city system provide 3,300 rides in the past two months.

Payne says that he hopes the additional 10 rapid Ride buses will be operational and on the street by the end of the year.

So here's your chance to contribute to lowering of carbon emissions. And there's the side benefit of  getting to know more of your New Mexicans.

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