Frequenters of the North Central Regional Transit District’s Las Trampas route may soon have to find alternate means of transportation.
At its Aug. 3 board meeting, the District’s board members discussed the possible discontinuance of the Las Trampas route due to low ridership totals and increasing expenses. The Board’s meeting notes state, the cost for the Las Trampas route in 2010 was $171 per rider. In 2011, that figure dropped to $69 per rider. However, this past year the cost per rider jumped back up to $80.
According to the Aug. 3 meeting notes, Councilor Geoff Rogers, representing Los Alamos County, asked if the route service for Las Trampas could be scaled back. Service development and projects manager Linda Trujillo outlined the route’s regular usage. She said one couple rides to work, one couple uses the bus for medical reasons and a third couple rides to Española for personal business.
Riders of the two-day Chama route will soon have Wednesday added to the schedule as the Board voted unanimously to expand services to Chama. The Chama route previously ran Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“We remain committed to the Chama route which has seen a 58 percent increase in ridership this year over last,” District public information officer Jim Nagle said.
An analysis of the District’s 2012 Route Evaluation said that six or seven veterans from Chama regularly travel to Santa Fe and stay overnight but they are not using the District’s bus as there is no bus on that route available the next day for them to return home.
Santa Fe County Commissioner Kathy Holian asked if Job Access and Reverse Commute Program funding could be used to cover the expense of adding Wednesday to the Chama route.
Trujillo said that would be possible as the funding program is for residents living near or below the poverty line and the Chama route’s regular riders would qualify.
Nagle said the District will continue servicing its Los Alamos-Española route and may expand its territory at the request of Santa Fe County commissioners.
“The Los Alamos-Española route is also one that we do plan to keep and we are currently in negotiations with Los Alamos to expand the route to Santa Fe, at the County’s request, and for which the expense would be paid by them,” Nagle said.
“That route provides service to three counties – Los Alamos, Santa Fe and Rio Arriba – and is important to each of them as it runs midday to provide guaranteed service when New Mexico Park & Ride is not running.
“We are always open to modifying times and stops at the counties’ requests and to provide service to as many riders as we can,” he said.
The District’s 2012 Route Evaluation also included the following recommendations:
• Westside: eliminate old Martinez Garage stop; request for additional stop at American Spirit Homes; remove stop at Valley National Bank; remove third stop at PNM (Gas Company of New Mexico);
• Riverside: bus stop signs need to be turned to face oncoming traffic;
• Los Alamos: change Sports Bar stop to Pojoaque Park & Ride stop by Cities of Gold Hotel;
• Chimayo: Shelter at Country Store is damaged and needs to be replaced; remove the stop at Tiendita de Paz and do not pick up passengers at that stop;
• Española-El Rito-Chimayó: remove stop at Old Sign Company; remove stop at KFC.