[mwadswor]

Study will explore adding public transit to Paseo corridor

There will be two public meetings May 8 regarding a transit study that would create new public transportation connecting northwest Albuquerque and Rio Rancho with Journal Center and other major destinations.

The Mid-Region Council of Governments and the Rio Metro Regional Transit District are conducting the study along Paseo del Norte. The first round of public open houses will discuss potential routes, destinations and the type of services being proposed. The meetings will take place at 11:30 a.m. at the Journal Center Auditorium, 7777 Jefferson St. NE, and at 4 p.m. at APD Northwest Substation, 10401 Cibola Loop Road NW.

“We think transit will play an increasingly important role in the region, and this study gives us a chance to figure out what the service in this area should look like,” said Terry Doyle, Rio Metro director, in a news release.

The Westside is projected to add 250,000 residents in coming decades, Doyle noted, and traffic along Paseo is expected to grow from 82,000 vehicles per day to 180,000 by 2035.

“We can’t build enough roads to carry all Westside residents, so it’s important to explore other options such as premium transit service,” Doyle said.

Dan Lewis, an Albuquerque city councilor who represents the Northwest Mesa, said changes in land-use patterns and improvements to existing roadways and transit systems are needed.

“I’m excited about the potential this study has to lay the groundwork to expand our transit system and provide an attractive alternative to the single-occupancy vehicle,” he said in a news release.

The transit study will consider a range of modes and routes and will select a “locally preferred alternative” that will be considered by transit providers for funding and implementation, according to MRCOG.

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Not sure what happened to the Albuquerque threads or if this is the right subforum to put them in, but I can't find any so this makes sense to me.