They Transformed a Nasty Stroad With BRT

In Albuquerque NM, they not only built world class BRT infrastructure -- they leveraged it to transform old Route 66 into a safer, more people-friendly corridor. Albuquerque Rapid Transit, or ART, is already a big ridership success, but there's so much more potential. So today we're taking a tour of the US's only Gold-rated BRT infrastructure and learning about urbanism in Albuquerque along the way.
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Live in Albuquerque? This is a great time to get involved!
- Strong Towns ABQ page on the Duplex Amendment. City Council review on June 3! www.strongtownsabq.org/call-t...
- City of Albuquerque proposed zoning amendments: abq-zone.com/ido-2023-annual-...
- City of Albuquerque interactive zoning map: cabq.maps.arcgis.com/apps/web...
- ABQ Ride Forward transit network study: abqrideforward.com/
And come to my event on Wednesday, May 22! [UPDATE MAY 16: EVENT APPEARS TO BE AT CAPACITY!]
- RSVP for the event at FUSION: www.fusionnm.org/upcoming/202...
- Strong Towns ABQ link, including form for submitting questions: www.strongtownsabq.org/cityne...
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Previous CityNerd Videos Referenced:
- Top 10 BRT cities in North America: • Top 10 Cities for Bus ...
- CItyvisit Long Beach: • The Wild Contradiction...
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Resources:
- The ITDP's BRT Standard 2024 update: itdp.org/publication/the-brt-...
- Housing Forward ABQ: www.cabq.gov/housing-forward-...
- ART schedules: www.cabq.gov/transit/routes-a...
- UNM study on crash reductions after ART implementation: news.unm.edu/news/unm-civil-e...
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Images
- Route 66 in Nob Hill, 1960s, courtesy Flickr user Tadson Bussey
www.flickr.com/photos/tadsonb...
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
- C-TRAN Vine, Vancouver WA By Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
By Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
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[@CityNerd]

One (valid) criticism of urbanism KZbin is that we're really good at describing problems, but not good and telling you what to do about them. Well, Twin Cities last week and ABQ this week -- I'm telling you how cities are fixing bad urbanism, what works politically, and and how you can get involved! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT?!?! So if you wanna support me continuing to put my influencer weight behind good causes, a great way to do that is to sign up for Nebula. You'll get my videos early, ad-free, AND with no promotional pitches for, like, VPNs, or backpacks made out of recycled water bottles, or...like Nebula itself. Use my custom link to get 40% off an annual subscription, AND help support my channel on a creator-owned streaming platform. go.nebula.tv/citynerd Bonkers lifetime deal still available too, if you're feeling super-committed! go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=citynerd

[@BBGOnYT]

That is why you're one of the few urbanism youtubers I watch.

[@q.b.3828]

are u a fan of suburbs

[@michaelvickers4437]

The question of negative Nelly KZbin urbanists came up on my local Ottawa Strong Towns Discord. Some people were really down on NJB's declaration last year that he gives up on North America, and probably anyone serious about seeing any significant change in our lifetimes, should too. And while I don't think most of us regular folks have that kind of privilege to do so, I do think that the sentiment is not uncommon, and should not be something to be ashamed of. But as the movement credo goes, we need to respect a diversity of tactics. Some, like Jason, may conclude that they're getting on in years, they've tried fighting the good fight of local advocacy, but they're tired and they are ready to go into exile to live the good life they've identified they want (and continue to stoke the insurgency in their homeland by orange-pilling everyone in sight!). Others, like you, are like roving urbanist anthropologists, embedding yourself in various places, and travelling to others, to experience and comment on the good, the bad and the ugly in the places they've been. But always trying to come back to a glass half-full pragmatism. There is room for both in this movement. I have great respect for you and your relentless cynicism-infused optimism, and I also have respect for NJB's cranky-dad screeds. I expect I'd prefer having a beer more with you... although I probably have more in common with Jason, but that would probably be too much grumpiness. Hopefully we can all just get along!

[@mdhazeldine]

Great work. Keep it up!

[@rainboweater456]

City nerd!!! I’ve been watching your channel for awhile and I love your piece about the ART. You’re very thorough about your city visits and I’d love for you to do a piece on the Norfolk VA (Hampton roads) metropolitan area. This area has very little to no alternative options for transportation. We have a bus authority (HRT) that is notorious in this area for almost not even existing unless it’s in your way and has had problems with money and assets just disappearing. We also have the tide which is light rail but it almost serves no useful areas so it’d be surprising to see any actual ridership for it. None of our city leaders are entertaining urbanism in a transit oriented sense so all of our population must have/use a car. We have Amtrak and they’ve been a huge help in avoiding I-95 since the investments the federal government has been putting up, but the neglect that this area has with public transit is almost sickening. This is exacerbated when you realize most people working and living in the area are mainly military or students from outside the area. It’s notorious that our car market takes advantage of this by charging higher prices and interest for these vehicles with the guaranty that they will be able to collect payments because they can reach out to the military officers to collect these payments. This is also to mention that city lines great affect your QoL with income disparity and which areas are destined to receive better services or tax rates. This area has great potential but for some reason, the city councils do not want to treat our area like they are cities with massive populations (this doesn’t count when navy ships return to port/go underway and cause large variations). I really think a review on this city would be great to present to this region being that after their state of the city reports, none of them mention upgrading or adding transportation solutions. If you do plan on taking this endeavor, I would love to provide you additional assistance with research or interesting places to visit while here. You are more than welcome to reach out to me and I look forward to your response (though I do not expect you to do so) 😄

[@ethakis]

In all of the footage, I kept thinking, "Man, this is begging for mixed use zoning along the entire corridor".

[@JustinSh.]

Well now there's no excuse.

[@catsupchutney]

Existing property owners are terrified of any possibility their property values will drop.

[@brucehain]

@@catsupchutney Zoning is an unfortunate authoritarian foible, it should be embarrassing to the public figures who insist on ever more inept formulas for success. It stifles creative thinking since no one's willing to spend money to study options that are "incompatible". I'm always reminded so must mention the results of Upper East Side light "requirements" in NYC which resulted in the current vast spiky landscape which is getting ever more spike as developers find ways to get around the arbitrary rules.

[@mcammontoya]

Albuquerque has expanded to fill borders on three sides. Density has to happen if the city is to keep growing, but a big chunk of folks in ABQ are not very fond of any kind of change, especially one that requires patience to see the effects play out.

[@CityNerd]

I believe it is mostly mixed-use zoning but zoning something a certain way, and getting developers interested, and having a project pencil out aren't all the same thing. There are things afoot, just slower than I'd like!

[@gurrierpl]

That BRT in ABQ has saved my life. Getting from my high school to my part time job at a laundromat is now way easier.

[@sammymarrco47]

Very very nice, you should find a way to casually let people you know be aware of your story so they can see the tangible benefits.

[@Iponamann]

When I was a teenager I remember hearing that learning to drive would give me a taste of real freedom. But things like this prove that free and useful transit is the ultimate way to give young people real freedom

[@CityNerd]

Reliability is so , SO important in transit.

[@eugenetswong]

gurrierpl, thanks for sharing your story!

[@slice-shorts]

WALTER IS THAT YOU?

[@annalisemeder8894]

Oof. The description of businiesses that should be downtown, but aren't, resonates so hard with me from Cleveland. I've made a similar comment before, but basically if you want to go shopping you need to go to the suburban "lifestyle centers", while the downtown mall is dying and the downtown cienema also closed.

[@justingerald]

I went to Cleveland for work 4 times since October and there really is no one walking around doing stuff, aside from sports games.

[@bakarka]

Central Ave/Rt 66 was the main road through the city's Downtown until the interstates were built. Most Downtown businesses left for the new Uptown area along I-40 to capitalize on the new traffic patterns. Downtown suffered a decline and still isn't exactly thriving despite many efforts at redevelopment.

[@YourCapybaraAmigo_17yrsago]

It's the corporate / big money takeover of America. It's happening everywhere with a full complicity and betrayal of your local city council. They have their fingers in every pie. They want to claim every dollar from coast to coast and the northern to the southern border. Who will stop at? Your guess is as good as mine. Who will pay the price? Citizens and everyone that doesn't want to kneel / jack off before the corporate/big money throne. The ruthless greedy grasping big money has always dominated / ruled in this country. It's not even really a country- wouldn't you just say that the entire United States is a subsidiary of wall street? Yes, it is.

[@_bats_]

I live in Limerick, Ireland and it's exactly the same story with the same "logic" behind it. Car-centric development really makes people develop phobias of driving downtown due to congestion (mostly caused by all of the other people driving through downtown to get to their suburban box store/lifestyle center of choice on the other side of town) and a lack of parking. In all the chatter about the city's urban development, far and away the most common and loudest voices are those who a) complain about how great downtown used to be and how it is now dying due to there being less parking and more bicycle and bus lanes and also b) complain that there aren't better road options to drive around downtown to get where they really want to go. The downtown IS kind of dying despite being put on life support with urban renewal projects exactly because people are so married to their cars they can't fathom going to destinations without one.

[@CityNerd]

Yeah you kind of expect to see this in smaller towns where there used to be a Sears or a JC Penney downtown, but not in a metro area of close to a million or a significantly bigger one like Cleveland. Uptown ABQ isn't even the suburbs, it's pretty close to the geographic center of the city, but it's all relatively new

[@robertuebel7068]

@CityNerd I mentioned in another comment that I work for the Albuquerque transit department. I had the opportunity to speak with some co-workers from our marketing division this morning and discovered that they already knew about this video before I mentioned it. It's been making the rounds in our department, so you may well be hearing from someone in our department. The reaction I've heard so far is very positive and appreciative. On another topic - might you consider doing a video about Rio Rancho, where I live, because in my opinion it's a textbook example of how NOT to plan and develop a city in the 21st century.

[@imnotquitedeadyet...320]

The one in which CityNerd admits to enjoying being "hip" adjacent.

[@haricapra6886]

I used to go to the University there in the middle of that corridor, and walked Central from the U to Nob Hill for groceries regularly. I'm now a BRT driver in Minneapolis. This video makes me so excited. That is all :)

[@eugenetswong]

Thanks for your work!

[@connorparadis4804]

Did you catch the 'Stroad' article in the Wall Street Journal today?? A few people quoted you in the comments section. You've made the big time.

[@antonnurwald5700]

Awsome, thanks for the info!

[@zam6877]

Oh no! Now it will go to his head He will move from "hip adjacent" to hip

[@ucantSQ]

For some reason I got kind of emotional watching this one. It's encouraging to hear about cities changing for the better. I can get pretty despondant when talking to my car-brained friends and family.

[@jamesleyda365]

I bet..... I absolutely LOVE my car and driving it anywhere it can go, and sometimes where it shouldn't 🤘🏴‍☠️ Oh! And it is a bigblock V8 old school muscle car💪

[@sammymarrco47]

Don’t talk to them about urbanism

[@owenelliott5742]

@@jamesleyda365 you cant flex something with less than 10 cylinders brokie

[@jamesleyda365]

@@owenelliott5742 whatever you say bud

[@crafterrium8724]

@@jamesleyda365 also you have a confederate flag inside your pfp, so dont be talking

[@gumerzambrano]

We need to change the stigma in this country against public transit first

[@user-dj7wv5ok2x]

That can mostly be done with RAIL-BASED public transportation.... Buses are automobiles as any cars also are; THIS is where the stigma against public transportation originally started.

[@Zalis116]

@@user-dj7wv5ok2x The anti-transit crowd loves their cars, though. I'd say the stigma against public transit comes not from the transit, but from the "public" component.

[@Sjudit84]

I think you cannot change selfishness and a hate for each other. Bcs some people only drive so they are not in the same space as others. So basically the public part of the equasion...

[@PhillProbst]

Public transit only becomes viable when it is more convenient (time, cost, etc.) than the private car. That requires density.

[@willythemailboy2]

Try fixing the safety issue first. Car crashes are more common, but most people prefer to take their chances there rather than getting mugged, SA'd, or pissed on by a crazy person on a city bus.

[@Nohandleentered]

I didn’t think Albuquerque was a real place until I was comfortably into adulthood. Thanks a lot 🐰

[@doomsdayrabbit4398]

Just wait until you hear that rabbits shouldn't eat carrots very often and don't have paw pads.

[@joelv4495]

Another big advantage of median bus stations: LESS conflict with bike lanes!

[@Imawatch5]

I went to college in Albuquerque and I love and miss the city. Thank you, Mr. Nerd, for showing the good things the city is doing and for recommending actions that people can take. Go ABQ United!

[@CityNerd]

You got it!

[@aerob1033]

Your note on housing being expensive in the walkable parts of the city is something I've noticed in almost every city that's on the more car-dependent side of things, which I think ABQ seems like it is even though it probably beats out some of its Sun Belt counterparts. Urbanism is just so uncommon that it's incredibly prized, and neighborhoods that have some modicum of walkability skyrocket in price. So you hear all the time about cities like Houston being "affordable", but then you look in the places somebody who cares about urbanism would actually want to live, and the rents aren't that much less than your median neighborhood in, say, Seattle or Portland.

[@eazydee5757]

Bus rapid transit is an incredibly underrated form of public transit, is superior to regular bus lines, and is the one of the most predominant forms of transportation in Latin America, most particularly Brazil. It would be interesting to see a lot of these BRT systems converted to light rail, especially the one seen here in Albuquerque sometime in the future, as seen with the Confederation Line in Ottawa being built over former Transitway BRT infrastructure.

[@neckenwiler]

BRT works better in low-wage economies, which is part of why (not all of why) you see it all over Latin America and virtually nowhere in the US and Canada. Trains, even light rail, have much more capacity, so you see many more riders per dollar spent on driver salary/benefits than with BRT.

[@byunbaekhyun2283]

i never see you complementing jakarta on their "excellent" BRT 😂

[@usernameryan5982]

@@neckenwiler Where is the actual evidence for this? Please provide real numbers behind the superiority of the majority of cases of at grade light rail. People bring up the driver issue but so what? Is that an argument against having buses at all? With BRT, the productivity of each bus increases dramatically. Light rail can require more maintenance than just the driver itself to keep it operational and I've never seen compelling evidence that the operating costs of light rail is so much less than BRT. Not to mention that the capital cost for light rail is unfortunately way higher and the time for construction takes forever in North America. And Minneapolis is dramatically expanding their BRT networks so many people are beginning to see the merit. The reason we don't see them in America is because Americans are insanely irrational and freak out when even one lane is taken to be used exclusively by bus. There are bus networks where the operating costs would actually go down by allowing dedicated lanes because of the increased productivity. I'm not saying BRT is superior in every case but it is underrated and can offer flexibility to current bus networks that can be rerouted and interact with exclusive lanes so riders can get to destinations quicker and not need to transfer.

[@cheef825]

It's also excellent for "nimby-busting" since it puts high value transit on roads that already wide af

[@TohaBgood2]

Normal BRT is only 20-30% less expensive than light rail. It's an extremely overpriced mode for what you get, especially when the much higher labor costs in the US eat that 20-30% construction cost savings vs LRT in under a decade. The reason why US politicians love BRT is precisely because it's easy to water down to "bus with slightly better stations" status.

[@clashcitywannabe]

Long time Albuquerque resident here. The issue with the ART system is that what it replaced was already quite functional. The rapid ride buses and the 66 were entirely functional. The ART project just put them in the middle of the street. It works. The previous version did too. It just feels redundant. What the city needed and still needs are more north south routes. Not east west and not central which was already well served. There are still huge swathes of the city with no bus service whatsoever. If anything the non ART non central routes like the 5 and the San Mateo buses have gotten worse. And your question about the blue line has an answer. We had a blue line that went to the west side but ceased operating some years back

[@fluffycritter]

I feel like the ART is mostly about branding the transit that was already there and showing the potential for getting more transit that people actually want to use. I agree that more North-South travel is super important. It'd also be nice if there were more service to some of the suburban neighborhoods, although I suspect it's the neighborhood associations that are blocking that from happening (judging by some of the complaints my parents have about theirs, anyway).

[@tommiedaggers]

Exactly.

[@JonVanOast]

ideally, the art would *lead* to exactly this. "underserved" parts of almost every city are underserved in so many ways (beyond just transit). i hope abq follow through on this and doesnt just stop with art. honestly, your voice (email, calls, etc) to this effect at the city might be helpful toward that. mine too for that matter.

[@lyssasletters3232]

The northeast heights needs a pretty big overhaul! Academy should be turned into a tramway.

[@CityNerd]

My understanding is the old Rapid Ride operated in mixed traffic and had a lot of reliability issues as a result. Agreed on north-south stuff, hopefully gets addressed in the current network redesign effort

[@HigherQualityUploads]

And to think Florida just banned systems like this... :( Hopefully the next governor is an urbanist.

[@loganwashere24]

Florida will be underwater before it becomes an urbanist paradise

[@knutthompson7879]

Banned? Wow. Even if a city wants to build it, they can't? What happened to local government control?

[@ReallyNoAlex]

Florida has 2 BRT systems in the works what do u mean?

[@jm-bv1wh]

@@ReallyNoAlex Can you provide info on them, mainly location? I just returned from 12 days in the West Palm beach area, and was impressed with the bus system, but nothing like BRT, nor dedicated bus lanes, so buses sat in same horrific traffic as cars, so all the trips took forever. Thanks.

[@jfmezei]

@@jm-bv1wh Miami has a BRT south of Metrorail terminal at Dadeland South. 25.684597983401705, -80.31405025685515 It runs 32km south to West Palm Dr on what I think was former rail right of way. It has its own lights at each intersection triggered by loops on the busway. There is also a bike path along the whole route )which continues south of end of busway to rejoin the 1 towards the Keys). (did it in 2017). The problem with bike path: only the loops on the actual busway trigger the lights, so in the end a cyclist needs to ride on the busway (probably are some buttons on buike path to trigger lights but didn't spot them or got lazy). The way the loops are done is clever to sense bus speed (2 loops) and then trigger light just in time. However, both times I rode my bike on it, buses wwere not a problem with me riding on busway intead of bike path since their frequency was not high.

[@grahamturner2640]

I wonder how much more it would cost Albuquerque to run service every 20 minutes on each line, so the schedules would be easier to understand.

[@bluetechnoduck]

It's not a matter of cost so much as it is staffing levels. ART used to be every 10-15 minutes, but has been reduced to 27 minutes (ish) to prioritize reliability over frequency.

[@_carlisto_]

The new ABQRide forward plan calls for the 10-15 minutes that it originally was. Hopefully it gets implemented. The main issue is driver and mechanic shortage due to low pay... but City bureaucracy doesn't make it easy to increase pay.

[@thehousecat93]

Staffing levels can be solved with money. Staffing is cost. For electric lines, I’d venture to guess it may even be the primary cost.

[@tristanridley1601]

​@@thehousecat93 Even for diesel buses drivers are still the primary cost. That's the biggest advantage of articulated buses.

[@eugenetswong]

@@_carlisto_ I hope that you get it to 10 minutes. That's the sweet spot for tight budgets, I think. I'm not an expert, but at 15, you get frequent service, but it's still not easy to just get up and go at your convenience, and at 10, you don't have to pay for 8 minute frequency or 5 minute frequency. I have a feeling that it gets exponentially more expensive at around 8.

[@benallen7403]

Holy shit, it's been a year since CityNerd was living in Vegas? Time is wild, man.

[@jaanyang]

Im a proud Burqueño and a big fan. I didn’t know you lived here. Awesome! I hope I see you around!

[@JonVanOast]

you should go see him talk - if this video didnt fill up all the (free!) seats. haha (i am sadly going to be out of town then! you can have my seat? lol)

[@tardisodeable]

I would also accept calling rt 66 “the mother stroad”

[@CityNerd]

Acceptable

[@videonut1988]

The mother stroad that ya can't "Get Your Kicks" on.

[@dantem4119]

People saying positive things about ART 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@antonnurwald5700]

Just in 2 minutes and i'm already loving it. With NJB pointing out everything that is great in the Netherlands and you pointing out all things that are great in New Mexico, it just opens up this huge space of possibility.

[@adjsmith]

That comment at the end about fares really hit home for my city's bus system. I don't care how free you make the bus - if they only come every half-hour, the closest you can get me to my house is two miles, and it takes 45 minutes to get there from work, I'm not going to use your service regardless.

[@Urban_Avenues]

One issue I do have with brt is when it tries to replace light rail completely! It should work with a light rail system not against a light rail system! In a smaller system, probably not an issue, but some major cities and growing cities will try to use as a way to replace.

[@MazeFrame]

BRT as a long-term trial run makes sense to me.

[@tristanridley1601]

It shouldn't cost much more to build a BRT system designed from day 1 to be upgraded to LRT once the busses start getting full. That's a really smart strategic way for a medium/small city to advance transit infrastructure. Of course, when you upgrade you'll have those nice articulated buses left over... Time for another BRT!

[@Urban_Avenues]

@@tristanridley1601 it can depend. Usually they’ll have to relocate and replace utilities when light rail goes in. You have to do a lot of road closure and detours. This can lead the cost to go up.

[@user-dj7wv5ok2x]

​@@Urban_AvenuesHowever, the OPERATIONAL costs drop like hot rocks once the rail line gets going, unlike a BRT line....

[@mrxman581]

​@@tristanridley1601Indeed. Those are the plans for the very successful G line BRT on the LA Metro. It will eventually become a light rail line. It's not an immediate priority because they will start building a new light rail line in the SFV (San Fernando Valley) that will connect to this BRT. Once the new light-rail line is done, they'll begin to move forward with the BRT conversion. BTW, the BRT connects to the B subway line on one end and will connect perpendicular to the new SFV line at the other end.

[@thejman1mill]

Ive lived in ABQ all my life. Its very surreal to see you make a video about us! Good luck at that fusion event

[@kris_5]

I love that they have a "red" line and a "green" line! 🌶😆

[@fluffycritter]

Where they overlap is it the "Christmas" line?

[@lyssasletters3232]

How cute! They do love their chili!

[@CityNerd]

It all makes sense once you think about it

[@zionosphere]

It was the only right answer. Besides, if they were to do two more colors, it would be turquoise and silver.

[@ThisisDevaan]

Unlike many other cities in the west, Albuquerque could easily use their ART stations for mixed housing, without the barrier of parking lots and fences

[@eugenetswong]

They should have built mixed use buildings on their own property, including the stations. It's easier said than done, unfortunately.

[@billhartig4805]

Have you seen the san mateo or Wyoming stop? The art stops are in fact housing people. Just like the rapid ride stops did.

[@jpscott96]

Westheimer Road in Houston is the busiest farm-to-market road in Texas, but it's a massive stroad. Thousands of people and businesses reside on Westheimer. It's serviced by a regular bus, line 82, but really needs a BRT or even light rail with connections to Houston's other three lines.

[@Towboatin]

For real. I lived right off it for several years just outside of 610. As nice as it was to have all those businesses and restaurants right there around the corner.... man was it a nightmare to try to walk to any of them apart from the handful that were at the end of my street. A light rail connection to downtown would be wonderful but that corridor desperately needs BRT at a minimum.

[@CurrentlyVince]

Would be just what the doctor ordered . . . except for the state politics. Westheimer outside Loop 610 is also FM 1093. Farm-to-Market roads are part of the Texas highway system. And TxDOT historically has not been the urbanist's best friend.

[@donsergio2406]

Houston Metro just discovered a few years ago what bike lanes are...Don't hold your breath for that to happen. I still wonder how FIFA elected bayou city to be one of the seats for the 2026 world cup (?!)

[@Vahlee-A]

I've seen Google Maps satellite images of a FM road in the Dallas area, called Cross Timbers Road. It's seven lanes wife for almost its entire length, even outside the urban areas. It's such a massive waste of money.

[@garrettmaltby835]

ABQ is actually one of the cities I’d like to move to ever since your video on the Rail Runner

[@CityLifeinAmerica]

OMG he threw shade at Apple, with "a wireless mouse with a charging port on the bottom"....I spat out my drink all over my screen.

[@michaelvickers4437]

Better get thee to the apple store for a replacement.

[@CityNerd]

Hey I'm actually a semi-loyal MacBook user, I just don't like having to switch to a trackpad setup for two hours while my mouse charges

[@mrxman581]

​​​@@CityNerdMakes no since just like the one button design "feature" on their mice. It's just a guessing game to find the 2nd "button" on their mice. Not user friendly.

[@clamato54]

Recently discovered the underground BRT tunnel from Logan airport to South Station in Boston, the Silver line, very trippy and a little slow but cool, and much better than the Blue line bus to T transfer

[@fluffycritter]

I grew up in Albuquerque, and I always think of it as having the stroadiest stroads around, especially Central Ave. Seeing it transform into a city with actual mass transit and walkability is pretty amazing to me. (Also I appreciate that little dig at Not Just Bikes.)

[@stevelumbar8720]

Hi, this is Steve of Minneapolis. What I appreciate about Albuquerque is they seemingly didn’t try to be something they’re not. Like you mentioned, no pretending that they’re a dense Metro. They are trying to improve toward the needs of their population with the tools they have. Jeez.

[@ianthomas2084]

Would LOVE to see a recorded version or livestream of that Strong Towns ABQ event, or may be even a video breaking down the. most effective tactics for change. Thanks Mr. Nerd!

[@snowstrobe]

Not being able to get back home late at night is common reason for not taking the bus.

[@user-dj7wv5ok2x]

Not if the transit agency operating the buses uses a 24-hour schedule....

[@cbeaucrawford]

Also, there are no grocery stores open past 10 or 11 pm in Albuquerque. So if you work late shifts it's Circle K or 7-11.

[@user-dj7wv5ok2x]

@@cbeaucrawford As the town grows, however, there WILL be 24-hour amenities throughout the entire urban area.

[@ebrothen]

The BRT route in my neighborhood isn't as fully BRT as outlined here, but off-bus payments and the placement of stops just past the intersection (so no one tries to turn in front of the bus) is fantastic. So are the big signs showing wait times at the stop and the lower entry buses. Small improvements make a real difference to the experience.

[@derickcastillo9083]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO! I have lived in Albuquerque for nearly all my life. I grew up in the neighborhood south of the Central corridor. As I travel around my city I see things that should be improved. It is nice to get the perspective of someone who sees all the improvements. I have a goal of improving cycling infrastructure. I really hope to see you at the Strong Towns meeting.

[@derickcastillo9083]

Darn! It filled up before I could get make a reservation. Maybe another time. Ray, maybe we can go for coffee some day at Satellite.

[@briannickel5131]

Center running BRT on Highway 99, in Seattle, Shoreline, and Snohomish County would be cool. Build on the half-ass BRT (RapidRide and Swift) that's already there.

[@cheef825]

The city is re evaluating Aurora right now, actually. Please go to the neighborhood outreach meetings if you can

[@jens_le_benz]

@@cheef825we got 99 problems and this b*ch of a bus service is one

[@Mitchell-me7bp]

Yeah full BRT is one of the proposed options by the city for the Aurora redesign which is super cool

[@jesot]

One of the biggest problems with fairless systems is the hours. I feel like a child being sent to bed early when im l'm out with friends and the last bus is about to run.

[@sirnate9065]

I've had my eye on Albuquerque for a while, and am considering moving there once my lease is up!

[@user-kw2iv7om8g]

It’s ridiculously beautiful here

[@EricaGamet]

I really like visiting ABQ. I'm from Colorado originally and moved to El Paso for a few years... loved driving home to CO and stopping for the day in ABQ.

[@rhllnm]

New Mexico also has a commuter train running from Belen to Santa Fe, about 100 miles. I left Texas in 1990 and love NM. We also have legal weed and legal abortion.

[@ShelterDogs]

Every city's gotta have a Nob Hill.

[@adventuresofadashcam3361]

When I drove through Albuquerque, I remember thinking that the BRT system here was by far the best one I've seen anywhere. It really felt the only difference between it and light rail was the lack of rails. I really liked driving parts of the route that the BRT line ran on.

[@erick-gmz]

I didn’t realize it was FREE until the end of the video. I would definitely pay to use this service. The fact that it’s free is crazy

[@critiqueofthegothgf]

it's nice to see a city take the small, but valuable steps to move towards a better place; better urbanism. all the seemingly small changes have a cumulative impact when looked at holistically. it's the only way to improve these cities

[@michaeldrabenstott9756]

Appreciate the discussion of zoning at the back end of the video. And the call for advocacy.

[@secondengineer9814]

Whoo! Roadrunners!

[@tommyshobalongdong]

I can’t believe you live in Albuquerque now!! Woohoo another win for New Mexico!!

[@subliminalman]

LET'S GO NEW MEXICO UNITED!! I do wish Albuquerque would make a North South lightrail or BRT line on San Mateo and start updating through that corridor, especially since it could link up to the Balloon Fiesta Park for Balloon Fiesta and NM United Games.

[@_carlisto_]

United games all the way at Fiesta Park does worry me... the main access is I-25 and people (i.e. me) like to drink at these events. A BRT from downtown (or even San Mateo) would be awesome

[@stickynorth]

100% all BRT really should be LRT... But you know..

[@gabriellerush]

Wow! Such a great video. Currently writing a policy memo for our bus system in Detroit, DDOT. Learned so much from this video that I will incorporate into my policy suggestions. Can’t wait to dig in more.

[@jueljohnson41]

It is! I traveled to Martinique a few years ago, and I was very impressed with their BRT system in Fort-de-France

[@zelbinian]

"I found it very doable and pleasant to live here without a car" - unfortunately that has not been my experience the past 3 months of living here, but the places where I need to go are not usually downtown or downtown adjacent.

[@lyssasletters3232]

No waaaaaayyyyyy!!! Albuquerque?!?! Yay! That city was one big stroad when I lived there! I mean, the northeast heights in particular

[@reiddickson]

Two places that personally stick out to me as good BRT candidates are: 1. In Metro Detroit down Woodward (at least between Royal Oak and Detroit (12 miles) or, if feasible, even Pontiac to Detroit (25 miles). 2. In Denver down Colfax (between Broncos stadium and Colfax Station (10 miles))

[@kenhunt5153]

Richmond VA Pulse bus rapid transit is a success too. Plus, it's free.

[@foamyesque]

One of the neat things about BRT is that you can use it to build transit ridership and habits for an eventual train alignment, too.

[@eugenetswong]

Exactly!

[@woutervanmarle4786]

As a European, I'm shocked that you call two bus lines running every 24 minutes in a 1 mln city "good public transit". Just 200,000 monthly riders in such a size city is to me a very, very small number, albeit indeed not too bad for such a limited system. That size of city in Europe generally comes with a few metro (underground train) lines running every 5-10 mins; a good number of tram (street car) routes running every 5-20 mins, and numerous bus routes crisscrossing the city, not to mention the trains connecting it to other cities... Good to hear some transit is rolled out in the US but man, you guys have a long long way to go.

[@deniz_dee]

I was looking for a comment like this. Glad to see a US city promoting public transit like this, but I really can't comprehend such a major line running so infrequently. Wouldn't it be more attractive if smaller busses were running at a higher frequency instead?

[@marcusdamberger]

@@deniz_dee I don't think they have enough drivers or maintenance personnel to do that. Yes, this is the U.S. it sucks far as public transportation, everything half assed. Airports are probably the only decent public transportation, but as soon as you step outside of the airport property, it's all downhill. Enjoy your good transportation in Europe, I've enjoyed it when visiting. Never miss not having a car when I visit.

[@danielkelly2210]

The 24-minute headway on the segment is particularly bad. Where I live in the US we have a bus on the major street every 15 minutes, and it's not even BRT. US public transportation is in general pretty awful compared to Europe so we have to be judged on a relative basis.

[@user-dj7wv5ok2x]

​@@marcusdambergerAirports SUCK at public transportation, btw....

[@CafeLu]

Ha! We do go overboard appreciating the breadcrumbs we get sometimes.

[@CityLifeinAmerica]

I love love love Bus Rapid Transit, and especially when it is used as a tool to de-uglify stroads. And they are cheap enough that cities who couldn't justify rail can implement BRT. And BRT is also a good compliment to rail in cities that have and should have both.

[@user-dj7wv5ok2x]

They're "cheap" as far as initial costs are concerned; the ongoing operational costs are much higher than LRT.

[@briantykelley7617]

I'm looking forward to that Eugene visit.

[@EricaGamet]

I'm heading to Eugene soon... what do I need to know about the Emerald line? I frequent the city but usually my friend there drives me everywhere... on my own a bit more this trip... where does it go? I know I can look it up, but if you're in Eugene, got any tips?

[@briantykelley7617]

@@EricaGamet Sorry, I'm not the right person to ask. I grew up there and went to college there, but I left before the brt was built.

[@gillcaz]

​@EricaGamet EMX spans almost as west Eugene goes and then as east as downtown Springfield. Runs every 15 minutes on weekdays. If you need to go north- south, it's traditional bus, or better yet, bring/rent a bike.

[@GojiMet86]

San Salvador used to have a true BRT system called SITRAMSS opened in 2013 that was abandoned in 2019 under Bukele. The supreme court declared the bus-only lanes illegal because it contravened an article in El Salvador's constitution, and they forced the lanes open to mixed traffic. The system went from 40,000 daily riders before to only 8,000. It was funnier seeing the before-after photos of the lanes opening to mixed traffic; drivers genuinely thought they were gonna go faster in the former exclusive lanes, only to be stuck in gnarly traffic. I was stuck in this same traffic in those former bus-only lanes last year, and it turns out that, well no-shot Sherlock, opening lanes to all traffic doesn't actually solve congestion. Salvadorians had an option to get to the center quicker on public transit, but now they are stuck in even worse traffic.

[@danielkelly2210]

Bukele probably unironically thinks bus lanes are communism.

[@user-dj7wv5ok2x]

Now if they were smart and constructed LIGHT RAIL instead....

[@EngMadison]

I'd love for you to check out our BRT system in Madison when it's open. You could also swing over to Milwaukee and Minneapolis and check out those as well. A midwestern BRT tour!

[@pokepress]

I’ve definitely been using the system in Madison more since it realigned last Summer. Excited for the A line to move to BRT later this year.

[@danmcclaren5436]

You think ridership would increase if it was electrified? There’s 2 reasons I think it would. 1) it gives the route a more permanent feeling so people might look at it as a more serious form of transportation. 2) it wouldn’t be a loud diesel engine which tends to give a bad rep to buses and many people feel it’s “ratchet” and for “poor” people. It’s unfortunate but many people think that.

[@_carlisto_]

Originally they were all electric... but the buses we received were a mess. The City sued the bus company, they countersued... eventually all electric buses were returned and replaced by diesel :( The City has a plan for 100% bus system (not just ART) by 2040... which is too long of a time-frame IMO. The new electric buses they've bought recently are for other routes, not ART, I'm not sure what the priority is.

[@tommarney1561]

@@_carlisto_ I was wondering about that. Thanks!

[@MazeFrame]

@@_carlisto_ 2040 is fine. My city is remodeling parts of its Tram and Bus network, the stops and building some extensions to two tram-lines. Currently "plan 2030+" is going on, but it is an existing well used network (45 to 70 rides per direction per hour). So having "very little" to "almost 10 minute schedule" is amazing!

[@user-dj7wv5ok2x]

Instead of using buses which are just AUTOMOBILES of larger sizes and heavier weights than cars, why not install RAIL-BASED TRANSIT?! Not only is rail more secure along its rights-of-way, but the vehicles, as well as the tracks, last much longer than rubber tires/asphalt....

[@Vahlee-A]

I like my city's new electric buses, One because they're all blue (blue is my favorite color) and Two because yes, they are so quiet and spacious! (until a motherfuqqrr decides to sit right next to me in an empty-ass bus)

[@djdurtyd]

"roll right on just like you would do with a train" - VIA Rail has entered the chat

[@tristanridley1601]

I wish I didn't know what you were talking about...

[@CityNerd]

Uh-oh

[@eugenetswong]

I'm from Canada, and I love Via Rail; warts and all. I don't understand the humour, and would love to be told the meaning.

[@djdurtyd]

@@eugenetswong I'm an avid VIA Rail enjoyer. At least in Ontario, both VIA trains and GO trains lack any sort of level crossing from the platform to the carriage. This means that everybody must take a step up from the platform to the train. No big deal if you can walk, but if you have any trouble walking or require a wheelchair it can be very difficult to enter the train. There are mobility platforms, but I think the main point is that level boarding from platform to train should simply be the default. Also I think this is part of the reason why riders must have their luggage weighed to ensure that it is below 50 lbs since via employees might need to help you lift your bag on/off the train.

[@eugenetswong]

@@djdurtyd That's interesting that you say that. In BC, and if I recall correctly, in Halifax, the Via platforms are like that. However, at least Toronto's Union Station [maybe Montreal?] has platform level boarding. It caught me by surprise. I still don't understand your humour, though.

[@stevenwarner7348]

I love the countryside around Albuquerque. It was the "Tropicana Lodge." That my aunt and uncle owned and ran back in the "60's," Yep my last visit was 1966 ~ Mom and Dad, four brothers, in an Edsel Station Wagon...... Travelin Rt66 from Toledo Ohio. Not gonna lie. Yep. Chasing lizzards with my cousin Milo. in the back lot. Behind the Motel. I love that town. ~~~. Mr. Not Worthy, from New Hampshire. ~~♥~~

[@washuotaku]

It seems that CityNerd had a lot to unpack in this video. I agree regarding BRT, a lot of the time they just slightly improve a bus line and slap it with BRT and call it a day.

[@selalewis9189]

I love all the in-person, on-the-ground research and field study work that you do. I’m a graphic designer and now I’m a service designer for the government. I appreciate what you do.

[@suzanneschreiner5145]

Terrific video. Just the stuff we all want! More, please. So cool that you're in ABQ, look forward to the urbanist updates.

[@jpg3702]

Thats the stroad on the IKEA art on my wall! Gives new meaning to ART.

[@chrismv102]

This one I liked a lot. It seemed for obvious reasons be more heartfelt and in-depth. I've been interested in New Mexico in general and Albuquerque specifically. I'm older but I've gone ebike for some things.

[@robboss1058]

There are some very exciting upcoming projects that are worth mentioning here! The city recently received $25 million in funding to turn the Uptown Transit Station (Shown at 10:32) into a mixed-use project with 3 buildings anywhere from 5-7 stories. It was also recently announced that the iconic Bank of the West tower (Shown prominently in the Ernst Haas photograph at 2:20) was bought at auction and is being redeveloped, along with its 13 story neighbor, into a combined 300 condo units with balconies and a rooftop pool. The city has also already secured $130 million for the Rail Trail project which will connect the Railyards District & Downtown to the Sawmill District & Old Town together with the bosque path to create a 9 mile loop of separated bike/pedestrian infrastructure around the center of the city.

[@Desmaad]

8:04 "Red or green?" "Are you talking about chilies or the BRT?"

[@user-kw2iv7om8g]

I commute every day from the NE to downtown via bus and it’s super pleasant

[@vulcator]

Calls to action at the end of the video! That guys critique worked.

[@thetrainmon]

Some clown who just discovered urbanist KZbin glossed heavily over the fact that many of us weren't "orange-pilled" by some online videos, but have been fighting for urbanist policies for DECADES.

[@seth_deegan]

Great video! Thanks for all the links to advocacy efforts!

[@TheTimeForChange44]

Thank you for the info, and welcome to Albuquerque! Before ART, the Central Bus #66 would run as late as 10:00 p.m., but it was stopped. Hopefully, with revitalization of Nob Hill with the suggestions of attractions along Central Avenue, the schedule may be resumed to run later. 👍🏾

[@PatrickPetronje]

Thanks for posting another video

[@JamesTsividis]

Thanks for the content, Ray.

[@michaelcobbin]

Sydney has the following: - Metro train network (currently being expanded) - Suburban rail network that acts as an urban rail network on some lines. - Light Rail network (currently being expanded) - BRT - BRT Light - High Frequency buses - Suburban buses - Ferries Based upon Sydney experience, BRT used on four lines but they have capacity issues when dealing with high volumes. Light Rail is the best option to transforming a nasty stroad, e.g. George Street, Sydney. Light Rail is best for replacing high capacity bus routes. The Metro line is the best option for proving your core public transport network. Light BRT is probably better than a BRT, if you have a view of replacing with a Metro or Light Rail line.

[@colecottrell8948]

I love everything about this video and couldn’t possibly agree more with everything you say here. Brought a tear to my eye.

[@aaron4680]

Looking forward to that Eugene video. Great episode this week🙂

[@brendanmiller1578]

Thanks for making positive content about the ART system! I lived in Albuquerque for many years. Now I live in Santa Fe to be close to work, but normally visit Albuquerque on weekends and ride the ART every time I’m there. I love the ART, and think Albuquerque is much better with it than it was before it. On a different note, I completely agree with your thoughts about the Sunday schedule. As someone who has lived in Albuquerque (or no more than an hour away from it) since 2003, I can say the Sunday service in Albuquerque has always been bad like that. There used to not be service after 5 or 6 pm on Sundays on any routes in Albuquerque, so 7 or 8 is actually a small improvement compared to the past (which isn’t saying much, trust me lol). I think we definitely need later service on Sundays, and would recommend reaching out to the City to let them know what you want to see in that area.

[@drivers99]

14:18 that merge! Makes one think, "guess I'll just die now" lol

[@TimothyHalkowski]

Brilliant, as usual. Love the references to local actions that people can engage in to improve the situation.

[@baddriversofcolga]

Enjoyed this, Ray!

[@samtrak1204]

I always enjoy your shows and jaded commentary.

[@Rizz_Lord3000]

I love your videos and I appreciate that you mix up media narratives by covering middle American cities. Can you do a video that touches on the coastal elitism of urban planning discourse? Sometimes I worry that urbanists turn off potential converts by mocking non-coastal, non-urban populations, which is a win for nobody in this movement (I can speak to this personally; I'm from the Midwest and lived in Los Angeles for ten years). Thanks for all you do!

[@MrStrickland90]

Please visit Atlanta! We’d love more awareness and support for light rail on the BeltLine

[@fnottr]

Regarding the politics, it was extremely controversial and unpopular, especially with business owners on Central. Look at street view in Nob Hill in the 2017 time frame and you'll see a STOP ART sign in almost every other window. But the previous mayor (Berry, who was actually Republican, if you can believe it) was surprisingly tenacious about getting it done. He was able to finance it mostly with Federal grants, so he never had to put it up for a citywide vote (which it surely would have lost). The construction was basically done when Keller took office (late 2017), but they originally tried to go with BYD electric buses that didn't work well and had to be sent back, so it sat there for nearly 2 years while the new buses were built. It would have been way too disruptive to get rid of it at that point, so he decided to just finish the project, while publicly calling it a 'lemon' and blaming all the problems with it on Berry.

[@elijahk357]

Shout out to Richmond, VA's BRT, The Pulse. It's super efficient and has made it so much easier to get around in the city. CityNerd, you should totally check out Richmond, VA as a small city that's taking big steps in urbanism. I saw ABQ's BRT soon after they built it, in 2019. I loved the design they chose and the Nob Hill/ Route 66 area that it goes through. Hope to see more ABQ urbanism.

[@derickcastillo9083]

I went to the strong towns meeting with Ray last night. It was super interesting. Ray is even nicer in person than he appears on youtube.

[@jacobrael9872]

How was the meeting? Was there good attendance? I wanted to go but had class that night

[@derickcastillo9083]

@@jacobrael9872 It was very nice, very interesting.

[@rafalpruszynski1707]

Another great video

[@ryanmccabe1245]

S/o Joyce Manor at 12:28, the urbanist-surf punk crossover I didn’t know I needed

[@JakeSmith-vm5qx]

Why is Savannah, GA never talked about on this channel? Just visited for the first time with my girlfriend over St. Patricks Day Weekend and as architecture students we found Oglethorpe's city plan to be one of the most compelling American city centers. Great urban plan with a surplus of park squares, integrated neighborhoods, walkable streets, historical architecture, retail and food, etc. The locals mentioned how its been reinvigorated over the past few decades due to SCAD, but I think that dichotomy between city and university is actually pretty fascinating. Same question in regards to Charleston (even though that feels a bit more like a "pseudo" city it's still rich in urban character that we romanticize with Europe).

[@saratemp790]

I don't think this guy, City Nerd, has traveled that much around the country. He seems to be more West coast-based. Savannah is definitely renovating the town. If you see it now, and compare to a few decades ago, you wouldn't believe it. Same with Charleston. The downside of both cities is that are still a lot of urban blight around there and a lot of crime, outside of the small core tourist district. I could say the shopping in Savannah is not too great either. Since it's mostly residential, from the old days. You kind of have to go outside of town to the strouds to do more shopping. But give it another like 20 years and it's going to improve a lot more. By the way, Atlanta is also improving a lot too, and he never talks about it.

[@dvanmartin9842]

Great Video.

[@DeeRuss]

I always looked at Albuquerque as the city from that tv show until now

[@dianethulin1700]

Yes I thought this was ABQ! Presently in Great Hall Union Station Chicago. I will watch this when I board. Love this channel! lol-there’s my old workplace

[@RakshitC]

Please explore Cincinnatis streetcar and it’s rise in ridership once it was fare free It’s a great example of how making it fare free has turned the opinion around the street car. And also how having more transit riders help with improving in transit safety and perception

[@benjaminsmith3625]

It's not just duplexes, you're missing... Terraces, narrow-but-tall townhouses and just having more than one storey generally...

[@geofflepper3207]

My city on the outskirts of Toronto is apparently building bus rapid transit instead of extending the subway. I understand that subways are very, very expensive but I still think it's the wrong choice. Someone once said that if you build a subway or light rapid rail line then new developments will soon go up around the new line and density will greatly increase because developers know that the new public transit line is permanent but the same thing wont happen if cities build bus rapid transit because it seems impermanent and developers know that it could be removed at any time so they are not going to risk making a huge investment in property next to a possibly temporary rapid bus transit line.

[@SystemSmort]

idk anywhere on the outskirts of toronto that warrant a full subway line atm

[@matthays9497]

BRT is great, but I'd prefer any bus with five-minute frequency that doesn't get stuck in traffic.