North Central RTD

North Central RTD
Overview
Area served Northern New Mexico
Number of lines 21
Annual ridership 209,750[1]
Website http://ncrtd.org/
Operation
Began operation 2007
Number of vehicles 43 [1]
System map

The North Central Regional Transit District operates a network of several local and intercity bus routes in northern New Mexico, serving Santa Fe, Española, Taos, and many smaller communities along a network of 20 fixed routes and two demand-response routes. All routes operate Monday through Friday only, with the exceptions of the "Taos Express," which operates only on weekends, and the Mountain Trail route, which operates daily. These two routes are also the only routes to require a fare; all other routes are free to ride. The service is supported primarily by transit gross receipt taxes, which provided 73% of the RTD's revenues in 2014.[1]

History

The North Central RTD was created in September 2004 by the New Mexico Transportation Commission under the Regional Transit Act, a law passed by Governor Bill Richardson that authorized the creation of Regional Transit Districts in New Mexico. The RTD first began public transit operations in 2007 after consolidating with local transit services in Rio Arriba County. In the following years, NCRTD expanded service further, aided by a gross receipts tax of one-eighth of one percent that was approved by voters in 2008.[1]

In January 2015, NCRTD took over operations of the weekend Taos Express bus service,[2] and in July took over operations of the local Chile Line bus service in the town of Taos.[3] In September 2015, the RTD opened a new route serving the Santa Fe Ski Area. And in March 2016, the RTD began service along a new route between Santa Fe and La Cienega.[4]

Current members of the district include Los Alamos County, Rio Arriba County, Santa Fe County, Taos County, and Torrance County, as well as several pueblos, including Ohkay Owingeh, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, and Tesuque.[5]

Blue Bus Tracker

In March 2015, NCRTD launched the Blue Bus Tracker,[6] which allows riders to view bus routes and stops, as well as to view service alerts and expected departure times based on real-time GPS data.[7] Each bus stop on the network is identified by a unique number, which is displayed at the stop; by inputting the number into the Blue Bus Tracker or by texting the number to an automated service number, real-time information can be viewed for that stop.[8]

Recognition

In October 2014, NCRTD was one of five rural transit agencies nationwide recognized by the Federal Transit Administration with the "Administrator’s Award for Outstanding Public Transportation Service in Rural Public Transportation."[9] NCRTD was also honored by the New Mexico Department of Transportation as the "2014 Section 5311 Rural Transit System of the Year,"[10] and was honored in both 2009 and 2012 as the "Job Access and Reverse Commute Transportation System of the Year."[11]

Planned expansion

On 28 September 2015, the new Mountain Trail route opened, providing service between the city of Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Ski Area. This route will be operating as an eight-month pilot program to determine whether full service should be pursued. Unlike most other NCRTD routes, there is a $5 fare to ride, although this is compensated for with discounts for lift tickets at the ski area.[12] Multiple stops are made at trailheads and various locations in the Santa Fe National Forest.

The 2016 budget for NCRTD also accounted for a new service from Santa Fe to Las Golondrinas and La Cienega,[13] although the specifics of this route have not yet been announced.

List of routes

100 Riverside: serving Riverside Drive in Española

110 Westside-Crosstown: serving Fairview Lane in Española

150 Chimayo: connecting Las Trampas and Chimayo to Española

160 Santa Clara: connecting Santa Fe and Ohkay Owingeh to Santa Clara Pueblo

180 El Rito: connecting El Rito and Ojo Caliente to Española

190 Chama: serving US 84 between Española and Chama

200 Santa Fe: connecting Española and Pojoaque to Santa Fe, with extended service to Taos

220 Tesuque: connecting the village of Tesuque to Española and Santa Fe

230 San Ildefonso: connecting San Ildefonso Pueblo to Pojoaque

255 Mountain Trail: serving Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Ski Area, operating on both weekdays and weekends

260 La Cienega: connecting La Cienega to Santa Fe

270 Turquoise Trail: serving New Mexico State Road 14 between Santa Fe and Madrid, with limited service to Golden

280 Eldorado: connecting the community of Eldorado to Santa Fe, with extended service to Edgewood

290 Edgewood: serving New Mexico State Road 41 between Santa Fe and Edgewood

300 Taos: serving New Mexico State Road 68 between Taos and Española, with extended service to Santa Fe

310 Red River: connecting Red River to Questa

320 Questa: serving New Mexico State Road 522 between Taos and Questa, with limited service to Costilla

330 Peñasco: serving towns south of Taos

360 Tres Piedras: once-weekly service between Taos and Tres Piedras via the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge

400 Los Alamos: connecting Los Alamos to Española and Pojoaque

Taos Express: weekend express service between Taos, Española and Santa Fe

RTD Chile Line: local service within the town of Taos

Pojoaque-Nambé Dial-A-Ride: connecting Pojoaque and the pueblo of Nambé with demand-response service

Other RTD funded services

The North Central RTD also funds two local bus networks in the area. In Santa Fe, the RTD funds Santa Fe Trails,[14] which provides service on ten fixed routes, two downtown circulator routes (the Santa Fe Pickup) and a paratransit service that provides demand-response transportation for elderly and disabled persons (the Santa Fe Ride).[15] In Los Alamos and White Rock, the RTD funds Atomic City Transit,[14] which provides service on seven fixed routes, five school bus routes, and a Dial-A-Ride system.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "NCRTD Quick Facts 2014" (PDF). Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  2. ↑ "Taos Express". Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  3. ↑ "Chile Line". Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  4. ↑ "La Cienega Route brochure" (PDF). North Central RTD. 22 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "2011 New Mexico Transit Guide" (PDF). NMDOT Transit and Rail Division. 2011.
  6. ↑ "Success Story: RTD Blue Bus rolls forward with service upgrades". Taos News. 28 April 2015.
  7. ↑ "Blue Bus Tracker". Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "How to use the Blue Bus Tracker". Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  9. ↑ McMillan, Therese (5 November 2014). "FTA recognizes five outstanding rural transit agencies". Fast Lane. US Department of Transportation.
  10. ↑ McKenna, Arin (17 March 2015). "NCRTD earns award as top system of '14". LA Monitor.
  11. ↑ "About NCRTD". North Central RTD. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  12. ↑ Grimm, Julie Ann (1 June 2015). "Bus Up". Santa Fe Reporter.
  13. ↑ "NCRTD approves budget for next year". LA Monitor. 9 June 2015.
  14. 1 2 Clark, Carol A. (11 August 2014). "NCRTD logs record ridership in FY 2014". Los Alamos Daily Post.
  15. ↑ "Transit Division". City of Santa Fe. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  16. ↑ "Atomic City Transit General Information". Los Alamos County. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
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