Moments have made ABQ Ride what it is today. It is the moments that have transformed a small bus service into one that provides millions of rides every year. And so, in the 50th year of its existence as a city department, ABQ Ride wants to share those moments with its ridership and with other Albuquerqueans.
From now through October, a 700-series bus with a special 50th Anniversary covering will make its way through Albuquerque via different routes; detailing the department’s humble beginnings from a private bus company to becoming the Albuquerque Transit System in 1965 to the verge of a cutting-edge Albuquerque Rapid Transit on Central Ave.
“We are proud to show how ABQ Ride and its ridership has changed through the years, into a world-class transportation system,” said Mayor Richard J. Berry. “The special anniversary bus covering ends with a look forward to Albuquerque Rapid Transit and the creation of even more efficient public transportation for the next 50 years.”
The special 50th anniversary tableau that covers Bus #756 for the next nine months features from back to front:
- The fledgling Yale Bus Yard in 1953, in the middle of a still undeveloped University area
- A distinctive yellow Sun Tran bus of the 1970’s and 1980’s
- A modernized, 1990’s Sun Tran bus
- The Alvarado Transportation Center at 1st and Central (which in 2002 resumed its historical place as Albuquerque’s transportation hub)
- A depiction of the future Albuquerque Rapid Transit down Central Avenue
ABQ Ride’s logo has also received a special makeover to mark the occasion of the 50th Anniversary. The distinctive blue-green logo was originally unveiled last May as part of an overall new look for ABQ Ride, especially for the paint scheme on its new 600-series buses. Now, the logo sports a prominent “50 Years, 1965-2015” intertwined with the existing “ABQ Ride.” It will be featured on all the department’s artwork, ads and correspondence through the end of 2015.
ABQ Ride will be further celebrating its 50th Anniversary by sponsoring a series of events throughout the year, not only at the Alvarado Transportation Center, but at other Transit Centers as well. From music to art, they will emphasize ABQ Ride’s contribution to Albuquerque through the past six decades. The celebrations will culminate with an event in the fall that could feature notable figures from Albuquerque’s Transit past.
“ABQ Ride has come a long way under 50 years of city guidance and has many more exciting chapters to write,” said Bruce Rizzieri, director of ABQ Ride. “We hope to make even more memories in the next 50 years, especially with the advent of Albuquerque Rapid Transit adding a new level of premium service to Central Avenue.”
