Councilor's meeting on possible ART changes sparks heated debate

At a tense July 10 town hall, Councilor Louie Sanchez called for federal rule changes to fix Albuquerque’s ART line, drawing sharp criticism and strong support from business owners, residents and transit riders.

The meeting at the Patrick J. Baca Library near Central and Unser was meant to gather public feedback as Sanchez, who is running for Albuquerque mayor in Nov., pushes Congress to ease federal grant rules tied to the ART project. He asked business owners how the bus line has affected commerce along Central, saying he’s especially concerned with Route 66’s centennial next year.

The ART line has become a flashpoint in Albuquerque. While a University of New Mexico study shows it has dramatically improved safety — with a 64.9% drop in fatal and serious injury collisions along the corridor — some Central Avenue business owners and residents say the project has hurt foot traffic, limited access and worsened conditions.

“The ART is a boondoggle — but it’s our boondoggle, and we own it,” said Victor Segura, who owns a CPR training business. “So we need to make it better, so people can use it.”

Several business owners said ART’s design has driven customers away, blaming limited left turns, crime and poor upkeep. But transit riders and advocates said the system works as planned and should grow, not shrink. They called it faster, safer and more reliable than other bus lines, and warned that changes now would slow service and undermine its purpose.

“The ART bus is one of the best things, as far as transit, that has happened here in Albuquerque,” said Luis, a regular transit rider who spoke at the meeting. “The frequency, the speed, is amazing. It’s one of the lines that I take frequently, and it’s one of the only lines that’s actually convenient, because of that frequency and because of that speed. If they start to alter it, it’s going to slow it down and take away that convenience.”

Sanchez said cities should be able to fix problem areas without risking huge federal repayment penalties. He warned that federal rules could force Albuquerque to repay more than $100 million if major changes are made to the ART project.

“If we make any changes to the ART project — if we do anything — then we have to deal with the clawback of over $100 million,” Sanchez said. “That would be due immediately, so the ART project stays in place.”

Gathering Voices

Sanchez said the meeting was the first in a series focused on how the ART project has affected local businesses. Residents were invited to give feedback through an online survey, by phone or in writing.

The 13-question survey, open until midnight July 17, collects basic information about attendees and asks how ART impacts nearby businesses and properties. Some questions reflect concerns, Sanchez said he heard from owners along Central Avenue between Sunset and Unser.

Business and property owners along Central from the Rio Grande to Unser are encouraged to take the Council District 1 ART Feedback Survey and share their experiences.

According to the city website, the feedback will help Sanchez and his staff gather input to advocate for changes with the Federal Transit Administration and the congressional delegation.

But the narrow focus drew criticism. “They’re not talking to consumers,” said Luis, who called the format “a bit absurd” since most businesses don’t ask how customers get there.

The meeting wasn’t set up for open discussion. Attendees were told to stick to the survey, and when someone asked if only written comments would count, organizers confirmed they needed “documentation.”

Frustration grew as the structured format limited conversation. “You opened a can of worms,” one person said. Another pointed out that the meeting came too late to make real changes before the Route 66 centennial. “You’re out of time already. You don’t have any time to do design, get money or change anything? Your 100-year celebration is gone.”

Sanchez and his staff repeatedly tried to steer the group back, saying, “If we can get back on track, I’d really, really appreciate it.”

Voices of concern and riders’ endorsement

Business owners raised concerns about ART’s design, limited turn access, and crime near some stops. Supporters, meanwhile, pointed to its benefits.

Strong Towns ABQ, a volunteer-run nonprofit and local chapter of the national Strong Towns movement, advocates for a more resilient and equitable Albuquerque through people-first, fiscally responsible planning. The group defended the ART project in a statement to City Desk ABQ:

“ART is doing what it was designed to do: it carries nearly a third of all ABQ RIDE trips and has made the area around it three times more productive than the rest of the city. We see it as a foundation to build on, not scale back.”

“ART is not only a local success, but also holds world-class recognition from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy,” an ABQ RIDE spokesperson said. “A well-connected transit system is essential for a healthy city, and ART continues to move us in the right direction.”

According to Sanchez, many owners along Central Avenue have told him about “blighted areas” and “many businesses that are shut down.”

Some owners said ART’s design drove customers away, pointing to limited left-turn access, crime, and poor maintenance.

Business owners also raised concerns about individuals who ride the bus and then cause crime area. Sanchez said bus drivers face “very, very dangerous” conditions.

Segura described unsanitary conditions at some stops, noting “the amount of feces, urine, trash from the homeless” made him reluctant to ride ART.

City Desk ABQ asked the city about Sanchez’s claim that businesses are shutting down along the ART corridor. A city spokesperson said they don’t have complete data on vacancies or closures. The Planning Department’s old system lacked geolocation, and past rules didn’t require businesses to report closures, so historical records are limited.

“The new system and updated licensing rules will improve this going forward, but current data is still incomplete,” the spokesperson said.

According to ABQ RIDE, building permits in the ART corridor are worth nearly three times more per square mile than in the rest of the city..

“What I’m hearing is a lot of folks don’t think ART is a good thing because they don’t feel safe,” said Johnny Aragon, a local business owner. “Whether that’s true or not, it’s how they feel — and I feel the same. I rarely go to Central because I don’t feel safe there.”

Aragon urged the community to come together and focus on shared goals, not political agendas.

“Until we have the information that we need to be able to approach the federal government to create a decision or a change in the process, we are lost,” he said. “And until we have leadership willing to listen to what we want, this is just an exercise in futility.”

Aragon also called for respect during the discussion. “We don’t need a fistfight in the middle of a meeting. We’re all grown-ups here — we can agree to disagree but we can provide a united front.”

According to Strong Towns ABQ, the ART project reflects a bigger vision — fast, frequent, reliable transit that supports walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods. The group said it wants the city to build on that success with more frequent service, longer hours, full signal priority, electrification and planning for the next ART line.

The Research

As debate continues over Albuquerque Rapid Transit’s future, one clear benefit stands out — safety.

A University of New Mexico study by Nicholas Ferenchak and Esther Marie Bia found that serious crashes dropped sharply after ART launched. The segments with ART saw about a 65% drop in fatal and serious injury collisions, while other parts of the city saw increases.

Pedestrian safety improved, too. ART corridors had a 27% drop in serious pedestrian injuries, compared to a 31% rise citywide. Researchers credited design features like center-running lanes and turn restrictions for the improvements.

Overall, collisions along the 15-mile Central Avenue corridor fell 8% during construction and stayed 5% below pre-construction levels afterward. But for about 70% of drivers who used Central before and after construction, the chance of a collision may have gone up. Still, the risk of fatal or serious injury dropped dramatically by more than 250%.

The widest stretches of Central — from Atrisco to Lomas, San Mateo to Louisiana and Louisiana to Tramway — saw the biggest increases in collisions and pedestrian injuries. Two of those were narrowed from three lanes to two during construction, while one stayed at three lanes.

These mixed results show there’s more to learn about how bus rapid transit affects wide roads.

“ART appears to have improved traffic safety, especially from a total collision count perspective and for fatal and serious injuries. Findings suggest that [Bus rapid transit] systems can play an important role in the pursuit of a safe, healthy and efficient transportation system,” the study concluded.

Get Involved

To participate in the survey, click here. It will remain live until midnight July 17.

Email Councilor Louie Sanchez: lesanchez@cabq.gov

Contact New Mexico’s congressional delegation to support or oppose flexible federal grant rules in the 2025 transportation bill.