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And the very first week the service was running (part of a larger time-frame in which there was no charge) is going to be a really typical sample for ridership numbers!
And the very first week the service was running (part of a larger time-frame in which there was no charge) is going to be a really typical sample for ridership numbers!
There was no guarantee that ART would attract new ridership at all. The fact that it doubled ridership is notable and entirely valid to report and comment about.
The local media and people like you want to report, comment and dwell on every little negative thing about ART, and I'm allowed to post and comment about positive things about it as well.
I wonder how they are counting riders when they are not buying tickets. I heard that the doors where people board the ART buses have some kind of technology that counts people, but I wonder how accurate it is. It may be comparing apples to oranges-- comparing the number of tickets sold and passes flashed on the Rapid Ride system, to the electric eye (or whatever) system used on the multiple entryways of ART buses.
I like city councilor Pat Davis' proposal, that fares should be reduced or even free. Kansas City recently made all its buses free.
I was on Central last week going to the Two Fools and record shop (got a parking ticket too). Doing a U turn in front of the bus was a little unnerving but ok. It takes a little getting used to.
I was on Central last week going to the Two Fools and record shop (got a parking ticket too). Doing a U turn in front of the bus was a little unnerving but ok. It takes a little getting used to.
I live and work in the Nob Hill area and once you get used to it it's not that big of a deal as a driver. It's a little more inconvenient for pedestrians since the crosswalks are a ways apart and crossing at corners without crosswalks feels somewhat less secure. Overall, though, not a huge inconvenience and the bus still seems to be attracting lots of riders.
I live and work in the Nob Hill area and once you get used to it it's not that big of a deal as a driver. It's a little more inconvenient for pedestrians since the crosswalks are a ways apart and crossing at corners without crosswalks feels somewhat less secure. Overall, though, not a huge inconvenience and the bus still seems to be attracting lots of riders.
What else was confusing(to me anyway) is going east by the fairgrounds the thru traffic lane at the light says buses only but that only takes effect once you go through the traffic light. Does that make sense?
What else was confusing(to me anyway) is going east by the fairgrounds the thru traffic lane at the light says buses only but that only takes effect once you go through the traffic light. Does that make sense?
Yeah, that spot is confusing, and even more so if you're heading west on Central. I always see at least two or three cars pulling into the bus-only lane where it begins just west of Louisiana thinking they're in the lane to turn south onto Louisiana. The city needs to put up much bigger signs a lot earlier (like at Wyoming) warning people they're approaching the bus-only lane.
How have you all been enjoying ART? What have your experiences been like?
So, I've always been a transit user (as well as cyclist/ped/motorist) here. And ART has really changed my habits. It's become pretty instinctual for me to just walk to the ART station and take it up and down Central, even for little things. Before, Rapid Ride was mostly a to/from work thing for me. The step-on and step-off aspect of ART really speeds things up, particularly at the train station. The ART has also extended my bike riding, as I could never get my cumbersome bike to fit into the racks on the Rapid Ride or standard city buses due to its fenders and basket. Now, I roll it right on and it fits perfectly. All in all, ART has been great for reducing my gas/maintenance budget on my VW! Not to mention, the stations feel a lot safer, brighter and less sketchy, even when they're really busy (or completely empty!).
Tonight, I took it westbound at rush hour to go to the west side. From the biopark area past Atrisco, Central had it's usual rush hour traffic over the bridge. It felt so satisfying being on ART, it really flew by all the car traffic. It felt like taking the Orange Line in DC at rush hour. There are still some hiccups here and there, but overall, I've been very, very pleased with ART.
That said, I still haven't been stopped by a fare inspector, though there are notices about them on all the ART buses. I do like the idea of free public transit as well, though there is the argument that a nominal fare helps the population feel more motivated to maintain it/take ownership of it. Idk if that is a concern here. Either way, free fares would certainly help speed up the other bus routes as well. Another issue I have, is that the hours aren't as long as they had been advertised by the past administration. The buses generally stop around 930-10. Which is a bit better than the Rapid Ride, though the original proposal called for ending the service at midnight and at 1am on the weekends. I'm not sure if that's Keller's administration cutting that particular corner or if it's due to the driver shortage, but they really need to have those extended hours.
How have you all been enjoying ART? What have your experiences been like?
So, I've always been a transit user (as well as cyclist/ped/motorist) here. And ART has really changed my habits. It's become pretty instinctual for me to just walk to the ART station and take it up and down Central, even for little things. Before, Rapid Ride was mostly a to/from work thing for me. The step-on and step-off aspect of ART really speeds things up, particularly at the train station. The ART has also extended my bike riding, as I could never get my cumbersome bike to fit into the racks on the Rapid Ride or standard city buses due to its fenders and basket. Now, I roll it right on and it fits perfectly. All in all, ART has been great for reducing my gas/maintenance budget on my VW! Not to mention, the stations feel a lot safer, brighter and less sketchy, even when they're really busy (or completely empty!).
Tonight, I took it westbound at rush hour to go to the west side. From the biopark area past Atrisco, Central had it's usual rush hour traffic over the bridge. It felt so satisfying being on ART, it really flew by all the car traffic. It felt like taking the Orange Line in DC at rush hour. There are still some hiccups here and there, but overall, I've been very, very pleased with ART.
That said, I still haven't been stopped by a fare inspector, though there are notices about them on all the ART buses. I do like the idea of free public transit as well, though there is the argument that a nominal fare helps the population feel more motivated to maintain it/take ownership of it. Idk if that is a concern here. Either way, free fares would certainly help speed up the other bus routes as well. Another issue I have, is that the hours aren't as long as they had been advertised by the past administration. The buses generally stop around 930-10. Which is a bit better than the Rapid Ride, though the original proposal called for ending the service at midnight and at 1am on the weekends. I'm not sure if that's Keller's administration cutting that particular corner or if it's due to the driver shortage, but they really need to have those extended hours.
According to the published schedules, the buses run till 10 M-Th, till 11 Friday and Saturday, and till 7 on Sunday. I've seen buses running on Central after 10 on weekends, so I think they're keeping pretty close to that. 11 is definitely not as good as 1 AM, but much better than what ABQ Ride was saying back in November...at that point their draft schedule had the buses running till 7 daily.
They've said repeatedly they're in "wait and see" mode and will reassess the schedule in the spring. Hopefully at that point they'll announce late-night service through the summer months at least.
Ever since I moved back downtown I don't use the buses as much as I used to when I lived in the Southeast Heights. I accomplish most of my daily needs by walking around Downtown, Barelas and the Raynolds Addition. My trips on ART have mostly been leisure and going shopping, to the Atrisco area and in Uptown, especially to the urban Target. I've yet to ride the entire length of ART, which is something I want to do. The farthest west I've been is the Atrisco station and the farthest east is the Uptown Transit Center. I've never gone up Central past Louisiana. I love ART, though, and it is an absolute improvement to Albuquerque's transit system!
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