New electric vans to service city's 'microtransit' program

The last mile.

It’s a liminal space in the public transit world — the stretch from a rider’s home or work to their mode of transportation.

Bridging that gap is the goal of ABQ Ride’s “microtransit” program, a free, on-demand transportation service that will bring people from their door to the nearest bus or train stop in parts of the city that have less access to public transportation. Riders can book on the ABQ Ride Connect app.

On Tuesday, the department debuted five new electric vans as the service’s “feature vehicle.” They cost $537,000 in Federal Transit Administration dollars. Charging stations cost $220,000.

One van can seat seven riders, and includes one wheelchair-accessible space. On Tuesday, one vehicle taking its maiden voyage made just slightly more noise than a faint whirring.

Transit Department Director Leslie Keener said there’s another plus.

“It’s ultimately cost-effective for our department,” Keener said. “They are more affordable to maintain and operate. Ultimately … electricity is cheaper than gasoline.”

Charging an electric vehicle costs about 25% of fueling a diesel or gas van, said ABQ Ride spokesperson Madeline Skrak, depending on current prices. Yearly maintenance, including parts and labor, runs at approximately $80,000 for an electric van and $200,000 for a gas-powered van.

The program launched in March as a yearlong pilot program. It serves select neighborhoods in the Southwest Mesa, North Valley and near Old Town. Recently, some areas have been added to the service zones. Riders can travel, using the shared vans, to nearby transit stations or to-and-from some locations within the zones, like the grocery store.

In the three months since, more than 1,800 rides have been taken.

Keener said ridership, feedback and future funding will determine whether the program becomes a permanent city feature. If the program ends next year, the vans can be reused as SunVans. The yearly program cost, excluding the vehicles and chargers, is estimated to be $570,000.

The goal is to serve an average of 2.4 riders per operating hour, Keener said. Currently, the service is lagging, with 1.45 boardings per hour in the Southwest Mesa and .5 average riders served in the Rio Grande area.

Keener said in response to feedback, hours were extended by a half hour — and a Saturday shift was added. The service now runs from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

“We are continuing, week over week, to see increases,” Keener said. “Some of the things that we are changing with zones based on the customer feedback is obviously helping to drive those numbers up.”

Of the 633 people who left ratings, about 97% rated their trip positively.

One rider, Daniel Fuka, first heard about the service on a local news segment. That came in handy when an injury prevented Fuka from biking. Typically, he bikes from his home in Los Duranes to the Albuquerque Rapid Transit bus to get to the Nob Hill area.

He’s only used the service a handful of times, but said it worked like an Uber, with a driver picking him up from his house and delivering him to the nearest transit station.

“There is really no service that’s reachable in that area,” Fuka said. “Before, it was walking a little over a mile and a half to get to the closest station. Now, I don’t have to do that.”

His only criticism?

“They just need to advertise it,” Fuka said. “Almost no one knows about it.”