New Flyer DE40LFR 976

Location: 1st Street at Gold Avenue, Albuquerque, NM
Operator of Vehicle: ABQ RIDE
Date of Photo: August 6, 2018

As transit agencies attempt to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, some of them are turning to fare free operations to create an incentive for riders to return.  The pros and cons of fare free transit are many, and won’t be discussed here.  However, back on September 20, Albuquerque became one of the largest cities in the United States to pilot a fare free program when the city council voted on the issue.  The buses in New Mexico’s largest city will be fare free throughout all of 2022.

Although I took this picture back in 2018 when fares had to be paid to ride ABQ RIDE, it is likely that the agency is still looking to hire bus operators, as many transit agencies are currently short staffed.  I don’t think I’ve seen many agencies using their bus headsigns has a recruitment tool, but maybe I just haven’t been to the right places to see that.

What do you think of fare free pilots and/or using the bus destination sign to announce operator job openings?  Leave a comment with your opinion!

For more photos of ABQ RIDE buses, please click here.