Mayor Richard J. Berry announced Albuquerque Rapid Transit’s (ART) plans, now that it has received recommendation of a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Small Starts Capital Grant to construct ART from Coors Boulevard to Louisiana Boulevard along the Central Avenue Corridor.
When approved through the congressional budget process, the grant, along with money set aside by the City, gives the project $119 million for construction and beautification. The funding includes an additional $30.9 million in other federal funds, $5.4 million in matching money from the City of Albuquerque and $13.0 million in City Council-approved, Gross Receipts Tax Revenue Bond funds. ART will be the first prong of a multi-pronged upgraded citywide transit system.
Berry said the ART will break ground in late May and be completed in the fall of 2017. He also introduced Bradbury Stamm as the construction manager at Risk company for the ART project.
“We are currently analyzing all the designs and initial plans, attending public information and input meetings, and working diligently to construct a project that benefits the city and for which the entire city will be proud of,” said Bradbury Stamm CEO Cynthia Schultz. “Our goal is to build a state-of-the-art transit system that impacts people and businesses as minimally as possible and that is on time and on budget.”
The Mayor also announced several initiatives to support businesses during the construction period:
- The formation of the Small Business Resource Collaborative, made up of representatives from WESST, ACCION, SCORE, the Loan Fund and SBDC to provide business and marketing consulting and low interest loans to businesses in the corridor. More information is available by emailing [email protected];
- Special Route 66 events will be held twice monthly to encourage people to shop and support the businesses in the construction corridor;
- ART Outreach Liaisons will be in the corridor daily to update businesses and provide helpful information to disseminate to customers, vendors and employees;
- Next week a new hotline will be live and answered 24/7 at 398-4ART;
- The ART team is developing an ART app that will be ready by ground breaking. It will provide real time updates for people.
The Mayor also announced a new five-minute video on the ART website that describes the project in detail. He said he was particularly proud that the ART project will provide free Wi-Fi at the stations and in the ART vehicles and all new LED street lighting that will be brighter lights, but less light pollution.
“We are looking forward to what ART will make possible for the City," Berry said. “My team is doing everything possible to listen to public input and to minimize the impacts of construction. I believe ART will set the standard for the nation for the most effective and state-of-the-art Bus Rapid Transit system.”
