Historically, New Mexico has been an important location for trade and migration, both of which are facilitated by transportation infrastructure. For example, long before New Mexico was a state, the Chaco Canyon and Santa Fe Trail were important routes used by travelers. In 1854, the Gadsden Purchase was made in order to facilitate the construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad’s transcontinental route. Fast forwarding to today, transportation continues to support New Mexico’s contemporary trade and migration patterns. As of the year 2000, there are 2,354 route miles of railroads in New Mexico, and that number has grown since then due to the inauguration and subsequent extension of the Rail Runner Express. Most of these route miles are operated by BNSF and Union Pacific. However, there have been over 100 different railroads in operation within the borders New Mexico since the 1850s, including the Cumbres and Toltec narrow gauge scenic railway that is jointly owned with the state of Colorado. Many narrow gauge railroads were constructed in the northern part of the state in order to reduce costs associated with laying track in the mountainous terrain.
New Mexico’s largest cities, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Las Cruces, each have urban bus networks. NMDOT Park and Ride and North Central RTD are rural transit systems that also operate within the state. Albuquerque is constructing bus rapid transit routes along the busiest corridors served by ABQ Ride.
The New Mexico Rail Runner Express is a single line commuter rail that connects Albuquerque and Santa Fe. This part of New Mexico is home to about half of the state's population, and options to expand the interstate highway between the two cities are limited, prompting officials to consider other options for travel in this corridor. The line currently has 15 stations and nearly 3,000 riders each weekly. The line is owned by NMDOT and operated by Rio Metro and Herzog Transit Services.
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ABQ RIDE traces its history to the early 20th century, when the early horse drawn trams became electrified. By the early 1920s, the city's private trolley operator was going out of business. On January 1, 1928, the Albuquerque Bus Co. received a charter to operate bus service in the city. One of the two original buses purchased by Albuquerque Bus Co. is owned by ABQ RIDE and is used for parades and other special events. Albuquerque Bus Co. continued to operate until the 1960s, however, the increasing prevalence of the automobile ultimately led to financial difficulties for the company. On January 1, 1965, the city of Albuquerque used federal financial assistance to acquire the Albuquerque Bus Co. and also another private operator, Suburban Lines. Since then, ABQ RIDE has continued to be a pioneer among US transit systems. ABQ RIDE offered curb to curb paratransit service long before the ADA required transit operators to provide that type of service. More recently, ABQ RIDE has developed the new Alvarado Transportation Center in Downtown Albuquerque and is constructing a bus rapid transit system called Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) that began partial operation in 2017.
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Santa Fe Trails is the local transit operator in Santa Fe. Santa Fe Trails has ten bus routes that serve many parts of the city. Most routes serve either the Downtown Transit Center (adjacent to the Santa Fe Plaza) or the Santa Fe Place Transit Center. The fleet was one of the first in the US to be entirely powered by compressed natural gas.
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