ABQ Ride Connect app launches free rides to underserved areas
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Many people use the transit system to get around Albuquerque but some people in some areas of the metro aren't served by the system.
ABQ Ride is working to bring service to those areas, starting with free rides through a new app, "ABQ Ride Connect." The free service is set to bring transportation to those areas that don't have it, specifically the southwestern and Rio Grande areas.
"These areas are what we refer to as transit deserts. They don't have bus lines going through them. This helps them get that what we call the first and last mile of a trip that could go anywhere in he city," said Larry Gabaldon, a transit schedule coordinator.
All you have to do is request a free ride within a certain area. Then from there, a driver will pick you up and bring you to a transit station where you can take a bus to wherever you need to go.
"It's a micro transit system that gives people living in those areas the ability to either be transported to a bus stop that they can catch to the other parts of the city, or be transported within those transit service areas," Gabaldon said.
This service is open to people of all ages.
"We have people from all ages, from young kids who are attending school to senior citizens who just need to get around," said Dean Secord, a driver with ABQ Ride.
Not only is it an opportunity for people to get around. It's an opportunity for people to connect with others.
"When they get on the van, they take full advantage of the opportunity to conversate," Secord joked.
Think of it as free Uber services for these areas.
"And it just saved a lot, rather than having to call somebody to pick me up in an Uber. It's free. That's the best thing about it," said Pearl Marin, an ABQ Ride Connect user.
According to ABQ Ride, they've also focused on making it efficient.
"We have a partnership with a Lyft. If the app predicts you will have to wait longer than 35 minutes, they will dispatch a Lyft to pick you guys up," Gabaldon said.
The pilot program has completed nearly 6,000 rides so far and will continue until the end of the year. Once the program and data collection is complete, officials will decide whether to adopt, drop or expand the service.
