The new commuter rail operation in Albuquerque ran its first trips yesterday.
http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2006/07/10/daily24.html
The initial operation is just on the north end between Bernalillo and downtown ABQ, 15-16 miles. Operation to the south end at Belen is expected to start in September. That is about a 35 mile trip.
As the article notes, no fares will be collected for 90 days and then the one way adult fare will be $2.00. (A monthly unlimited will be $64.00.) If the article is correct that the fare is the same between all points, it sure will be a good deal for anyone on a daily commute between Belen and Albuquerque. Take your pick on the MPG and figure gas at $3.00/gal.
I'm not saying that the deal is cheap. The state has put in $125 million to this point and another $255 million will be needed to complete the North end into Santa Fe and finish the deal on the purchase of BNSF track up to Trinidad, CO.
You can argue that it is a boondoggle if you want, but here is my take. The population of the three counties involved is about 800,000, which makes the per capita cost of the project around $500. If you want, make that about $2,000 per taxpayer. If a commuter burns 3 gallons of gas a day at $3.00/ gallon 250 days a year that is $2250 per year. 12 monthly tickets is $768 a year. That saves $1582 a year on gas alone. I would take that deal any time.
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
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