On Jan. 6, The North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD) Blue Bus will temporarily reduce portions of its fixed route bus schedules across North Central New Mexico, including Española, Taos and Chimayo and will temporarily supplement the reduced bus service schedule with a new app-based on-demand rideshare service known as My Blue. NCRTD will also temporarily suspend service to the Jicarilla Apache Nation. The sweeping changes are due to a shortage of available drivers.
Beginning Jan.8, the 340 Chile Line and the 100 Riverside routes will begin operating on a newly modified schedule, with adjustments to starting and ending times. The 340 Chile Line Route will operate from 8:45 a.m. to 2:57 p.m. The 100 Riverside Route will operate from 8:40 a.m. to 3:16 p.m.
NCRTD is also modifying service on the 150 Chimayó Route. Blue Bus service hours in the Las Trampas area will be temporarily reduced to 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6:10 p.m. There will be no service to Truchas or Las Trampas. The route will terminate at the Santuario de Chimayo. Any stops northeast of the Santuario will be served by the MyBlue on-demand rideshare service.
Service on Route 170 Jicarilla will also be reduced to Wednesdays and Fridays between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and will be an on-demand only service. According to NCRTD, passengers will need to call to make a reservation, as MyBlue is not available in the area.
In addition, due to lack of available commercial bus drivers, NCRTD’s seasonal Route 341 TSV Green service from Taos to Taos Ski Valley is not likely to operate during the ski season.
The MyBlue rideshare service uses smaller vans Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to pick up and drop off passengers who live within a designated service zone. Passengers may book a trip using the MyBlue North Central RTD mobile application. NCRTD is temporarily waiving the $1 fare for the MyBlue service. All bus and on-demand rideshare trips will be free at this time.
NCRTD notes MyBlue service is a first-come, first-served on-demand shared ride and complementary paratransit service that is made available within some of NCRTD’s service areas. MyBlue is a shared ride service and passengers may have to share vehicle space and trips with other passengers to optimize efficiency and maximize the use of the service. Shared rides may extend the travel time of passengers and all passengers should plan accordingly.
“While we are pleased to introduce our new MyBlue service to our communities, we are doing so in part because the NCRTD has had to reduce service schedules due to bus driver shortages across our system,” said Anthony Mortillaro, NCRTD executive director. “On-demand, app-based rideshare service, also known as microtransit, has become a growing trend for public transportation agencies across the country and we are proud to offer it to our customers.”
