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.
With the Rail Runner Express making its way up to Santa Fe for nearly two weeks now, it looks increasingly clear that the service is a hit — and that more parking is needed. The stories range from a pleasant experience from a first time rider to a horror story from a outright critic.
But one thing is clear: People are riding the commuter train at an impressive rate. A rate that is causing the parking lots to overflow. The Associated Press found some frustrated riders who were taking advantage of this weekend’s free ride (the Rail Runner will again be free to Santa Fe on Saturday and Sunday).
“We are on the side streets. We hope our car is still there,” said Cheryl Namm.
The AP story finished by saying that Rail Runner officials expected the problem to be “eliminated” because the riders just riding to the state Capitol for the novelty factor will fade away when the service begins charging.
But The Santa Fe New Mexican says that new parking spots are on the way at one Albuquerque-area location. The paper spoke to Chris Blewett, project manager for the Mid-Region Council of Governments.
Thirty new spaces will soon be added to the Sandoval/N.M. 550 station, bringing the number of vehicles that can park in lots on both sides of the tracks there to 454.
At the Los Ranchos station near the Journal Center, cars may park on the shoulder of [El Pueblo Road] if the lot’s 140 parking spaces are occupied. For now, that is acceptable, Blewett said. In the future, other options include using land north or west of the station for new lots.
But for most locations, planners will wait to see whether rider patterns continue to rise or fall before adding more parking spots.
Rail Runner officials say 33,000 people traveled between Albuquerque and Santa Fe in the last week. Of those, 12,000 boarded the train on Saturday and 9,000 on Sunday.
