ABQ bus rides still haven’t recovered to pre-pandemic level
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Across the city, reliance on public transportation is lower than it was before the pandemic. Data shows that Albuquerque buses lost thousands of riders and still haven’t gotten them back since the pandemic, although ABQ Ride is working on boosting transit use.
“Since the Zero Fares Pilot Program was implemented in January 2022, ridership has increased steadily year over year. We are slowly making our way back to pre-pandemic levels and are hopeful to see higher ridership as we work to increase staffing levels for drivers and vehicle mechanics,” Megan Holcomb, the department’s public information officer, told KRQE.
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Before the pandemic, it was common to see over 800,000 bus riders in the city each month, data shows. Now, combined bus and Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) riders rarely pass 600,000 riders per month.
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Charts from ABQ Ride show how transit ridership has struggled to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Ridership numbers have slowly risen in the last two years, however, and Holcomb said offering free bus rides likely helped.
“It is difficult to determine which exact factors have had the greatest impact, however zero fares has likely played a significant role in ridership growth since it was implemented in 2022,” Holcomb said.
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But Holcomb notes that “many factors play into bus ridership including gas prices and overall cost of living, weather, routes and schedules, locations of bus stops, fares, work from home options.”
ABQ Ride has been focusing on safety as a way to boost ridership. While some say making bus rides free didn’t increase most crimes, some bus drivers have spoken out about violent crime.
To limit crime aboard buses and at bus stops, Holcomb says the city has implemented:
Security cameras on all buses, platforms, and facilities that are connected to the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) Real Time Crime Center
Bi-weekly meetings with public safety partners from APD, Albuquerque Community Safety, Metro Security, and contracted security company GuardaWorld
Updated Rules to Ride
Updated passenger removal process policy
Launched an APD transit safety unit
Long range security study in process
Improved maintenance and cleanliness of the network
painting all bus shelters; ART platforms
improved bus stop signage
improved lighting at facilities
contracted bus washing and custodial staff for detailing
The reduction in ridership could also be tied to the fact that the city shut down some bus routes in 2023. Holcomb says those cuts were necessitated by staffing shortages and could be restarted once staffing improves.
To that end, the city has had several rapid hire events to get more motorcoach operators and van chauffeurs. Holcomb says since last October, ABQ Ride has seen a net gain of 31 drivers. ABQ Ride is also working with IntelliTec College and Central New Mexico Community College to help recent graduates join ABQ Ride.
