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.