ABQ Ride: Your Ticket to Summer Fun!

There are 40 bus routes in Albuquerque.  How many have you ridden?

I am a big fan of the public transport & hope to take some bus rides rides around our fair city myself this summer (I'll be the one at the bus stop with the parasol to protect my delicate skin, plugged in to my iPod & reading a book).

I was checking in with ABQ Ride to start the arduous process of consulting the system map to find my routes, when I discovered this neat new (to me) service called Plan Your Ride!  It's super easy to use- just enter your starting location & your destination; indicate the desired date and time of arrival or departure; & click on the "Get Trip Plan" and get ready to ride.  For "origin" & "destination", you can even choose landmarks such as high schools, libraries, shopping centers & Rail Runner stations, instead of putting in a physical address.  Alternatively, you could just check a list of popular Albuquerque destinations, from CNM campuses to the VA Hospital to the Albuquerque Aquarium, to see which bus routes serve your destination.

Also, did you know that you can plan a trip on ABQ Ride via Google Maps by simply going to maps.google.com and selecting "Get Directions"? The public transit link is shown each time driving directions are requested by the viewer who may not be aware that transit is even an option. For those using a smartphone, you can download the latest version of Google Maps for free from your respective app store or access it in your mobile browser. A link to Google Maps can also be found on www.myabqride.com.

Not convinced that riding the bus is worth it?  Try ABQ Ride's Albuquerque Commute Calculator & learn how much commuting is costing you a month.  You can compare that with the cost for bus fares & passes here.  You could also be eligible for a Student Bus Pass or Honored Citizen Discount. Also, the Summer Fun Bus Pass entitles students ages 10 - 18 to unlimited bus rides from May 1st - Aug. 31 for only $13.

Looking forward to some late night fun? From June 4th to September 25th, Rapid After Dark (Red Line Only) runs along the Red Line every Friday and Saturday night from 9:00 p.m. until 2:30 a.m.

Don't forget the Park & Ride option!

ADA-certified riders can take advantage of the SunVan, ABQ Ride's paratransit service, provides accessible transportation to persons residing in or visiting the metro area whose impairment makes it impossible to ride the fixed route service. ABQ Ride Paratransit provides curb-to-curb service to and from any address in Albuquerque and most of Bernalillo County.

Last year in May, ABQ Ride had a Strive Not to Drive event.  During this week, ABQ Ride encouraged the public to minimize the driving of single occupancy vehicles and experience the benefits and opportunities of alternative modes of transportation, emphasizing a different mode each day, from carpooling to biking. Watch for it this year!  There probably will be more prize giveaways!