Albuquerque to Get Hybrid ‘Articulated' Buses

Albuquerque, New Mexico, will receive 12 new 60-foot “articulated” buses in December 2004.

The buses have two sections connected by a sleeve and bend in the middle. The red and gold “Rapid Ride” buses will serve Central Avenue aided by traffic equipment that will give them green lights. The priority signal system will hold a green light for buses or shorten a red signal.

“These are supposed to be mass people movers,” Mayor Martin Chavez said at a news conference Tuesday.

Each low-emission, diesel-electric hybrid bus can seat 57 passengers with room for 29 standing passengers and costs about $670,000, 80% of which is being paid by grants from the Federal Transit Administration. The remainder comes from city bond money.

The regular fare will remain $1.