New Mexico Business Weekly by Damon Scott, Editorial Researcher
Date: Thursday, October 18, 2012, 7:05am MDT
Albuquerque officials were in Cleveland this week in the hopes of gathering ideas that will improve and expand the city’s transit system.
City directors and business people toured Cleveland’s bus rapid transit system Oct. 17. The transit system in Cleveland, is also known as The HealthLine. It began operations in 2008.
The HealthLine comes within a half mile of more than 200,000 employees and 58,000 households. In three years its ridership increased more than 60 percent over the regular bus routes that formerly ran along the corridor.
“We believe that The HealthLine and a potential future bus rapid transit system in Albuquerque could share many commonalities,” Bruce Rizzieri, director of ABQ Ride said in a news release. “An Albuquerque [bus rapid transit system] running along Central [Avenue] could help revitalize this corridor — similar to the revitalization [in Cleveland] and could provide more timely transit service ... ”
Some of the attributes of the system include dedicated lanes and strategically located stations, not just stops, according to officials.
The HealthLine has also helped spur new developments in the form of the rehabilitation of old buildings into housing and retail centers, as well as major expansions of a nearby university, museum and hospital.
“I’m really impressed with the renaissance of this area of Cleveland ... and the revitalization,” Kurt Browning, an Albuquerque developer/builder said. “And I think there’s probably opportunities like this along Central Avenue — [on] old Route 66 in Albuquerque.”
The trip is part of ABQ Ride's “Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit” study. Beginning November 20, ABQ Ride will schedule a series of six public meetings to get ideas and opinions from the public about the project.
Details of the time and locations of meetings are not yet available.
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