In the lifespan of a city of Albuquerque department, 50 years may not seem like a long time. But for ABQ Ride, its first 50 have provided a lifetime of memories. The department celebrated those memories today with a Golden Anniversary event at the Montaño Transit Center at 130 Montaño Rd NW in Albuquerque.
The Cibola High School marching band began the celebration with a parade to the speakers’ area, which was backed by some of ABQ Ride’s most iconic buses, including a 1927-model White bus like the one that began Albuquerque’s first bus service in 1928. Albuquerque Police presented a color guard and vocalists Sarah Moser and Claire Wilkins from The Bosque School sang the National Anthem.
“ABQ Ride started out in 1965 with 80 drivers, 60 buses, and a mission to meet a growing city’s transportation needs,” said Alan Armijo, representing the office of Mayor Richard J. Berry. “50 years later, that mission continues with the Albuquerque Rapid Transit project that will enhance service along our busiest corridor and revitalizing the area with more and exciting development.”
Bus service in Albuquerque actually began as a private enterprise on New Year’s Day, 1928. That’s when a group of owners introduced several 1927-model White buses to serve the growing city. They had to drive them from Casper, Wyoming along poor roads to be able to make the Albuquerque Bus Company’s promised opening day.
In 1945, Joseph P. Land and another group bought the company. They added new buses, increased service from 12 to 32 square miles and moved operations from a tiny garage at 3rd and Silver SW to a bigger facility at 601 Yale SE. In 1955, upon the death of Land, his son-in-law A.P. FitzGerald became president.
The Albuquerque Transit System, as it was officially known back then, came into being on Feb. 1, 1965. That’s when FitzGerald handed over the keys of the Albuquerque Bus Co. (and Suburban Bus Lines) to City Commission Chairman Archie Westfall in a City Hall ceremony.
Dick FitzGerald, A. P. FitzGerald’s son and grandson of Joseph Land, reminisced about Transit’s privately-owned years. “It was very much a real ‘mom and pop’ operation, even up to 1965,” said FitzGerald. “There were fewer than a hundred employees at the time and Dad was on a first name basis with everybody.”
50 years later, ABQ Ride is ready to move into its next big phase of public transportation, Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) down Central Avenue.
“ART promises be a 21st Century system for Albuquerque’s 21st Century needs,” said Bruce Rizzieri, director of ABQ Ride.
