ABQ Ride launches program to recoup ridership
ABQ Ride, the transit provider for the city of Albuquerque, N.M., launched a new campaign, Come With Us & Ride the Bus!, aimed at recouping bus ridership in the region.
“Our city’s public transit system is an amazing free resource,” said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. “A lot has changed and improved, so I hope folks will give buses another try.”
In December 2025, ABQ Ride launched the first phase of ABQ Ride Forward, an update to city bus routes designed to restore service to its pre-2019 levels while redistributing service to where it’s needed most. Each phase is set to bring more flexible and frequent service to the community, including more weekend and evening buses according to the agency.
“ABQ Ride Forward is the future of our transit system,” said ABQ Ride Transit Director Leslie Keener. “This implementation is modernizing the way Albuquerque moves. Between improved reliability through ABQ Ride Forward and our huge strides in safety and cleanliness, this is a great time to encourage people to get back on the bus.”
Come With Us & Ride the Bus! invites residents and visitors to try the new ABQ RIDE. According to the agency, the campaign promotes improved service, safety, reliability, frequency and sanitation across multiple platforms.
“Our team has gained major ground on increasing staffing levels, which has allowed us to improve the overall system,” said ABQ Ride Marketing Manager Raul de Lara. “The vision for this campaign is to remind the public what a great option the bus is for getting around town—at no cost. It’s easy in our car-centric world to forget about taking transit, so we hope to inspire folks to hop onboard.”
ABQ Ride says its data shows high demand for bus service, noting on average that 28 people are served per operating hour, and from December 2024 through the end of November 2025, a total of 7,467,894 rides were taken on its fixed-route buses.
“We are thrilled to be in a position to better serve Albuquerque, such as the 370 hours of service added in the first phase of the new route network,” said ABQ Ride Transit Deputy Director Mike Davis. “We now have capacity to meet the high demand for bus service and hope to see our ridership numbers grow in the new year.”