I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Dozens of people turned out for the Rail Runner
Eight hundred people hopped aboard New Mexico’s Rail Runner Express commuter train Monday as it made its maiden round trip from Bernalillo to Santa Fe.
The train ride marked a sort of valedictory moment for Gov. Bill Richardson, who is preparing to depart for Washington, D.C., following six years as the state’s chief executive.
The Rail Runner has long been a major priority of the Richardson administration. The commuter train already is shuttling passengers between Belen and Bernalillo, with stops in Albuquerque. But linking Albuquerque to Santa Fe via rail was always Richardson’s goal as he pushed to showcase a major public transit project in a region of the country known more for its love of the automobile.
And it took a major fight to get it done, one marked by years of lobbying and planning, occasional controversy and fits of legislative opposition to the train’s $400 million price tag.
For Richardson, that long, hard slog appeared worth the effort on Monday.
“I hope it is a good legacy to leave for the people of the state’s two biggest cities,” Richardson told a gaggle 
of media representatives during the train’s incident-free run on a cold, snowy Monday, which included the train’s ascension up and around the perilous La Bajada hill.
The remarks sounded reflective, even wistful, coming from a governor known more for always being on the go than for sitting back to ponder.
The remarks came at the end of a presentation that showcased some typical Richardson exaggeration. Richardson said the train will not only save gas, it will also reduce pollution, decrease traffic and accidents and link New Mexico to the future, while doing its part to battle global warming and make New Mexicans better people. The latter will be accomplished, the governor said, because the train will make for a pleasant commute and leave its riders less angry.
Gov. Bill Richardson makes an announcement on the Rail Runner on Monday.
To reinforce the importance of Monday’s trip, Richardson commandeered the public address system at one point during the train ride to Santa Fe to announce, “You all are participating in a historic trip.”
The Rail Runner’s maiden trip gave Richardson a chance to articulate what he believes is one of his major accomplishments at a time when he is shuttling between the Land of Enchantment and Washington to prepare for confirmation hearings to become President-elect Barack Obama’s commerce secretary.
Among the obstacles the Richardson administration had to overcome to see the Rail Runner become a reality was the lack of federal money, a shortage of transportation money and legislative opposition.
Through it all, Richardson pushed to get the project done, as New Mexico’s U.S. Sen.-elect Tom Udall reminded a crowd at the Santa Fe Farmers Market, where a ceremony to mark the Rail Runner’s inaugural trip was held.
Richardson shares a laugh with U.S. Sen.-elect Tom Udall. Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez sits on the end.
“You know Rhonda, he said, ‘Get it done, Get it done,’” Udall said to the crowd and referring to state Transportation Secretary Rhonda Faught.
Faught, for her part, reveled in the accomplishment as well. She often was the face of the administration as she lobbied state lawmakers for money.
“It says to the rest of the country that New Mexico is a very progressive Western state,” Faught said.
State Transportation Commission Chairman Johnny Cope, meanwhile, said he was proud that “although some people thought we spent too much money, no commuter rail has ever been put on line as fast or as least expensive.”
Lawrence Rael, executive director of the Mid-Region Council of Governments who played a major role in seeing the project through, said the Rail Runner has made the Land of Enchantment a model for other states.
“It is about feeling really proud about the fact that we we were able to do this and New Mexico is now being looked at by other states in the Southwest,” Rael said.
Monday’s celebration of the Rail Runner maiden trip attracted some of New Mexico’s most powerful and high-profile politicos, including Udall, House Speaker Ben Lujan, Congressman-elect Martin Heinrich and Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez. Most of them spoke at the celebration.
State officials anticipate a healthy ridership starting Wednesday, when the Rail Runner officially starts its daily runs between the Albuquerque area and Santa Fe. Four trains, each capable of shuttling 800 passengers, will run to and from Santa Fe each day, Rael said. Meanwhile, state transportation officials are still about a month away from adding a major selling point for commuters deciding whether to ride the Rail Runner: wireless Internet. The state has said it will offer Wi-Fi for commuters who want to go online while on the ride.
Monday’s trip to and from Santa Fe was instructive for those who were still learning the advantages of travel by rail, especially on a wintry day. 
One lesson that was not lost on many Rail Runner passengers was the train’s speed: It passed cars and trucks that were driving slowly on the Interstate because of the wintry weather.
State Rep. Rick Miera, D-Albuquerque, said Monday he is planning to ride the Rail Runner during next month’s legislative session, and he plans on scheduling legislative hearings to coincide with the Rail Runner’s schedule.
“This is great,” he said as he glanced out one of the Rail Runner’s windows.
