(A) (1) The Transit Development Program for Albuquerque prepared for the Middle Rio Grande Council of Governments and the city by Simpson & Curtin, Transportation Engineers, and transmitted to the Council on February 24, 1975, is adopted as the basis for seeking federal assistance for capital improvements and operations in order to improve the public transportation system which serves the Albuquerque Urban Area; and that the following provisions contained in said Transit Development Program be accepted as a basis for the city's Development Program; provided that the program be subject to annual modification based on funds available and the ongoing transportation planning process.
(2) Continued reliance on a bus transit system is the best way to meet the city's mobility needs now and in the foreseeable future.
(3) The Transit Service Improvement Program shall conform to the following guidelines:
(a) Existing routes should be modified and new routes created in an evolutionary manner;
(b) The design of both regular routes and special service improvements should recognize and accommodate travel movements which are oriented to four principal focal points of activity in the metropolitan area: Downtown Albuquerque, University of New Mexico, Kirtland East (including Sandia Laboratories) and adjoining Kirtland West, and Coronado-Winrock Regional Shopping Centers;
(c) Frequency of service should be based on a reasonable level of ridership;
(d) Radial routes passing through the Central Business District may be combined and “through routed;”
(e) Pulse scheduling (i.e. all buses in a given network begin service at the same time and place, circulate on their respective route's and return to the starting of terminal point simultaneously), should be implemented with Winrock Regional Shopping Center as the suggested focal point for operation;
(f) Special transit services be instituted, such as demand actuated services for the elderly and handicapped and when feasible club or subscription buses and park and ride express.
(4) Low capital intensive alternatives be explored to enhance the utilization of public transit, including, but not limited to the following:
(a) Traffic signalization techniques which maximize the flow of people rather than vehicles;
(b) Special bus turns at key-intersections;
(c) Bus stop lengths which vary in accordance with demand as represented by the number of buses using particular stops;
(d) Improvement of area-wide roadways;
(e) Differential parking policies in downtown Albuquerque to discourage parking for long periods of time;
(5) The Five-Year Capital Improvement Program described in Table IV-5 of said Transit Development Program shall be accepted, subject to modifications as a result of availability of funds and the ongoing transportation planning process.
(6) Albuquerque Transit System should be continued as a City Division under the Department of Traffic and Transit (surface transportation) and that the Mayor and Council shall adopt appropriate policy guidelines for the service.
(7) Albuquerque Transit should institute appropriate management improvements, including an aggressive marketing program.
(8) The extent of local financial commitments to the Albuquerque Transit System shall be based on an effort to assure a balance between community desires and the ability of the transit system to economically provide the service.
(9) The proposed Implementation Plan in said Transit Development Program be annually reviewed and approved by the Council.
(B) Local staff shall be directed to proceed with the following actions addressed in the Transit Study:
(1) Modifications of buses and loading points to facilitate the elderly and handicapped getting on and off public transportation be encouraged;
(2) Park and ride express service shall become operational as soon as possible;
(3) A more complete analysis shall be included of the ramifications of mass transit alternatives in the next five year period, on air quality requirements and capital improvements and parking facilities required by the annual increase in vehicle miles traveled in the city;
(4) More emphasis shall be placed on means of complementing the present bus system, such as jitneys, mini-buses, taxis, and bus/bike systems;
(5) Specific proposals for justifiable grid system routes shall be made; and
(6) New routes in the area between Eubank and Tramway and Montgomery and Lomas shall be implemented as soon as possible.
(C) A representative Mass Transit Citizens Advisory Board shall be established to advise the Department of Traffic and Transit (surface transportation) regarding improving services and ridership.
(D) The Transit Development Program and the Transportation Improvement Program, insofar as they affect the city, shall be approved by the Council before endorsement and transmittal to the Urban Mass Transportation Agency by the Urban Transportation Planning Policy Board.
(Res. 82-1975, approved 5-16-75)