ABQ RIDE, formerly known as the City of Albuquerque Transit Department, is the local transit agency serving Albuquerque, New Mexico. ABQ RIDE operates a variety of city bus routes including two Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) bus rapid transit lines. It is the largest public transportation system in the state, serving passengers in , or about per weekday as of .
The name "ABQ RIDE" and a new logo depicting the Alvarado Transportation Center clock tower were chosen in a contest, replacing the previous name SunTran in September 2004. The current ABQ RIDE color scheme is yellow-green, white, and turquoise, though most of the existing fleet wears the previous maroon, white, and gold livery.
History What is now ABQ RIDE began in 1928 as the Albuquerque Bus Company. Before this, transit in the city was provided by an electric streetcar system, but it was forced out of business by declining ridership and expensive paving bills charged by the city government. City leader Clyde Tingley was a strong opponent of the streetcar system and led the effort to have it replaced with buses. The streetcar stopped running at midnight on December 31, 1927, and the bus company began operation the next morning. The company started with five White Motor Company buses and had four routes: Central Avenue, Fourth Street, Sawmill-Edith Street, and East Silver Avenue. ABQ RIDE still owns one of the original buses and uses it for special occasions.
By 1944, the company had 32 buses, 65 employees, and of routes. Nine years later, in 1953, the route network had grown to and there were 51 buses and 120 employees. But the company was not able to maintain profitability as private car ownership increased in the 1950s and 1960s, and in 1963, the Albuquerque Bus Company notified the city it planned to cease operation within a few months. In order to maintain service for bus riders, the city ultimately bought out the assets of the bus company and turned it into the city Transit Department. The official handover took place on February 1, 1965, with the city retaining all existing routes and equipment and most of the personnel.
The bus system operated under the name Albuquerque Transit System, and then Sun Tran starting in the 1970s. It adopted the current name, ABQ RIDE, in 2004, the same year the first Rapid Ride route began operating. In 2019, two of the three Rapid Ride routes were replaced with the Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) bus rapid transit system. The remaining Rapid Ride route was rebranded as ARTx in 2020.
In January 2022, ABQ RIDE launched a pilot program, eliminating fares on all of the agency's transit services for the year. The program, supported by a federal grant, was later extended to June 2023, and later September 2023. On November 9, 2023, fares were permanently eliminated on all ABQ Ride services.
In August 2022, ABQ RIDE launched their ABQ Ride Forward , starting with the Phase 1, which included the Existing Conditions Report and later in February 2023, the release of the outreach summary for Phase 1. During the same month, Phase 2 launched, which included two draft plan concepts, one which prioritized frequency and one which prioritized coverage. In August 2023, the outreach summary for phase 2 had also released. In May 2024, Phase 3 launched, which had replaced both draft networks with a Recovery Network, which combined concepts of both the Ridership and Coverage draft networks. A few changes were made to the Recovery Network before being made official in June 2025, with plans to implement the network in phases between Winter 2025 and Winter 2029.
Service
The ABQ RIDE system includes regular service routes on most of the city's major streets as well as commuter routes that ferry workers between residential areas and the city center. Many routes terminate at the Alvarado Transportation Center downtown, where riders can connect to the New Mexico Rail Runner Express and other intercity modes of transportation. ABQ RIDE also operates the Rapid Ride and ART services.
ABQ RIDE fixed bus service operates four types of routes: Rapid Ride, regular, commuter, and BRT. Service times on each route may vary from every 15 minutes to every hour, but the system generally runs from 5:30 am until 6 pm, with some routes running later. A notable exception is route #66 which runs from 5:30 am until 12:30 am weekdays and Saturdays. Commuter routes only have a few run times during weekdays, usually towards Downtown Albuquerque or Kirtland AFB during the mornings and away from during the evenings. D-Ride service ended on May 12, 2018, and was replaced by various local routes, such as 12th Street/Rio Grande (routes #36 and #37) and Menaul (route #8). All inbound routes to the Alvarado Transportation Center, except route #66 and Rapid Ride routes, have a fare-free zone.
Routes 155, 222, 251, and 790 are either partially or fully funded by the Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG), and either service areas outside of Albuquerque's city limits, create connections to its Rail Runner Express stations, or supplement service on the expanding west side. Routes 10, 52, 53, and 54 are either partially or fully funded by Bernalillo County, since these routes largely serve the county's unincorporated areas.
In addition to its fixed route services, ABQ RIDE also operates a paratransit service called SunVan (known as Mini Ride from 2003 to 2006) that runs curb-to-curb service.
Routes
ABQ RIDE operates 20 regular fixed routes, 2 commuter routes, 2 Bus Rapid Transit routes.
Route NameTerminal 1Terminal 2viaLengthNotes1 Juan TaboAcademy Hills ParkEubank @ AcademySinging ArrowWenonah @ TramwayJuan Tabo Boulevard2 EubankManzano MesaEubank @ GibsonEubank Boulevard5 Montgomery/Carlisle/LomasDowntownAlvarado Transportation CenterGlenwood HillsSpanish Bit @ MontgomeryLomas Boulevard, Carlisle Boulevard, Montgomery Boulevard8 MenaulMenaul Boulevard10 North Fourth StreetNorth ValleyMontaño Transit CenterNorth 4th StreetAlternate trips and all evening tripsNorth ValleyRaymond G Sanchez Community Center P&R11 LomasChelwood Vista Copper @ Chelwood ParkLomas BoulevardNo Sunday service east of Tramway Boulevard16 Broadway/University/GibsonSan JoseSan Jose @ BroadwayElder HomesteadKentucky @ GibsonBroadway Boulevard, University Avenue, Gibson Boulevard31 Wyoming Arroyo Del Oso NorthWyoming @ AcademyTrumbull VillageWyoming @ SusanWyoming BoulevardEvening service and Sunday serviceNor EsteLa Cueva High SchoolMonday-Saturday service50 Airport/DowntownDowntownAlvarado Transportation CenterAlbuquerque International SunportM.L. King Boulevard, Yale Boulevard52 South Broadway/Rio BravoSouthwest AlbuquerqueLamonica @ LorisBroadway, Rio Bravo Boulevard53 IsletaSouth ValleyIsleta @ MalpaisIsleta Boulevard54 Bridge/WestgateSouthwest MesaDennis Chavez @ 118th (Atrisco Heritage Academy High School)Bridge Boulevard66 Central AvenueSundanceCentral & Unser Transit CenterSinging ArrowWenonah @ TramwayCentral AvenueLimited-stop service provided by 766 Red Line and 777 Green Line97 ZuniDowntownAlvarado Transportation CenterTrumbull VillageZuni @ Wyoming Lead Avenue (WB), Coal Avenue (EB), Zuni RoadNo weekend service140 San Mateo/CNM Work ForceSiesta HillsVA Hospital KirtlandWildflower AreaEagle Rock @ CNM Workforce Training CenterSan Mateo Boulevard, Jefferson StreetNo off-peak service141 San MateoAlamedan ValleyJefferson @ Osuna San Mateo Boulevard 155 CoorsSeven Bar RanchNorthwest Transit Center P&RSouthwest AlbuquerqueLamonica @ LorisCoors BoulevardLimited stop service north of I-40 provided by 790Monday-Saturday serviceAlamosaAlamosa Community CenterSunday service157 Montano/Uptown/KirtlandSiesta HillsSan Pedro @ GibsonGolf Course Road, Montano Road (Montgomery Boulevard), Louisiana BoulevardAll Sunday and select Monday-Saturday serviceKirtland AFB5th @ GOther times198 98th St/Dennis ChavezSundanceCentral & Unser Transit CenterSouthwest AlbuquerqueLamonica @ Loris98th Street222 Rio Bravo/SunportSouthwest AlbuquerqueCoors @ Rio BravoKirtland AFB11th @ VRio Bravo Boulevard, University Boulevard, Gibson BoulevardWeekday peak direction onlyOperated by Rio Metro251 ABQ-Rio Rancho/Rail Runner Connection (limited service)Rio RanchoUnser @ SouthernGroup Nine Industrial ParkOffice @ Pan-AmericanSouthern Boulevard, Rio Rancho Boulevard, Paseo Del Norte Boulevard, Jefferson StreetWeekday peak direction onlyOperated by Rio Metro766 ART Red LineSundanceCentral & Unser Transit CenterUptownUptown Transit CenterCentral Avenue, Louisiana BoulevardLocal service provided by Route 66Concurrent with 777 Green Line west of Louisiana Boulevard777 ART Green LineSinging ArrowTramway @ WenonahCentral AvenueLocal service provided by Route 66Concurrent with 766 Red Line west of Louisiana Boulevard790 Coors/UniversityClayton Heights-Lomas Del CieloBasehart @ University at Central New Mexico Community CollegeSeven Bar RanchNorthwest Transit Center P&RLomas Boulevard, I-40, Coors Boulevard, University BoulevardLocal service north of I-40 provided by Route 155No weekend or summer service
Former Routes 3 Louisiana (replaced by Route 157; service on Louisiana, north of Montgomery discontinued due to low ridership) 4 San Mateo (replaced by 140/141 San Mateo) 6 Indian School Commuter 7 Candelaria Commuter 9 Coors/Gibson 12 Constitution Commuter 13 Comanche Commuter 14 Airport/UNM Loop 15 17 Rio Grande 18 Broadway/University/Gibson (replaced by Route 16) 21 Old Town Trolley (formerly the 25) 21/22 Nob Hill / Biopark 23 Nob Hill Express 24 Sun Trolley 25 Copper/Chico Sundial 26 Los Volcanes Circulator 27 Montaño & Coors 32 33 Uptown/Central 34 San Pedro Commuter 35 36 12th Street/Rio Grande 37 Rio Grande/12th Street 40 D-RIDE/Free Downtown Shuttle (replaced by fare free zones on most inbound routes to Alvarado Transportation Center on May 12, 2018) 52 Sunset/South Coors 55 Southwest Heights 90 Coors (replaced by 155/158 Coors) 91 Ventura Commuter 92 Taylors Ranch Express 93 Academy Commuter 94 Unser Express 95 Montaño/Jefferson Commuter 96 Crosstown Commuter 98 Wyoming Commuter 156 West Side Rapid Ride (Coors) (upgraded and changed to 790 Rapid Ride Blue Line) 158 Coors/Golf Course (Replaced by New Route 157) 162 Ventana Ranch Commuter 163 Taylor Ranch Commuter 217 Downtown-KAFB Limited 250 Free Downtown-Sunport Nonstop Express 456 West Mesa Shuttle 766 R.A.D. Rapid After Dark (Red Line Only)
Rates Since 9 November 2023, fares were permanently eliminated on all ABQ Ride services. All rides are free.
Fleet
Current fleet Numbers Year Manufacturer ModelImage Length Powertrain Fuel type Garage 701–746 748–758 2007New FlyerDE40LFR Cummins ISL Allison EP40 Hybrid DriveSouthside & Westside 950–983 2009 601–621 2014New FlyerXN40 Cummins-Westport ISL G Allison B400R CNG Southside622-6412016 1901–1920 2019New FlyerXD60 Cummins L9 Allison B500R Diesel Westside1921-193020204101-41052021ProterraZX5351-3852024GilligLow Floor Cummins-Westport Westport L9N CNG Westside
All buses feature TwinVision LED destination signs. The front destination signs on the New Flyer buses are able to display route numbers in different colors (as the Rapid Ride buses do for the three Rapid Ride routes, the Red Line, Blue Line, and Green Line). All other signs, including the front destination signs on all 300 and 400 series buses, display in orange only. The 300 series buses formerly featured flip-dot destination signs, however, they were retrofitted with the orange TwinVision LED signs in 2004 alongside the automated voice annunciator system. ABQ RIDE did not order the color LED destination signs for the 600 series buses, citing ongoing reliability issues, opting instead to go with orange LED signs.