TRIUMPH ON THE TRACKS
Rio Metro Regional Transit District is the primary local transport provider spanning several key counties across New Mexico. We find out how this innovative network is expanding and developing with Director of Operations, Robert Gonzales
Writer: Ed Budds | Project Manager: Poppi Burke
In 2003, in a game-changing act of transformation for the local transport sector, the New Mexico Regional Transit District Act was passed, enabling the formation of multi-jurisdictional transit agencies.
The purpose of this legislation was to provide safe and efficient regional transit services, reduce congestion, crashes, and pollution caused by single-occupant vehicles, while simultaneously extending the life of the state’s roads.
It was also tasked with providing transportation alternatives, particularly for transit-dependent groups such as seniors, youth, low-income, and mobility-impaired residents.
Finally, the legislation aimed to provide better access to education and higher-paying jobs, alongside dramatically reducing oil dependence.
Borne out of this transformative shift, Rio Metro Regional Transit District (Rio Metro) is a regional transit organization spanning four New Mexico counties in the Albuquerque metropolitan area, including Four Pueblos.
“Our main competition is the automobile. In today’s setting, commuters are using their cars and love the convenience and flexibility of having their own transportation,” introduces Robert Gonzales, Director of Operations.
“Our mission is to re-educate people on the benefits of leaving their cars to use rail as their primary mode of transit,” he lays out.
FORWARD-THINKING CONNECTION
Rio Metro has developed a bold, forward-thinking, consensus vision for the future of transit in the broader Albuquerque region.
Today, its New Mexico Rail Runner Express (NMRX) commuter train runs across the 100-mile NMRX corridor, spanning from Belen to the New Mexico State Capitol in Santa Fe. Alongside this, Rio Metro operates
HOW DO YOU MANAGE AND MAINTAIN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH BOTH CLIENTS AND SUPPLIERS?
Robert Gonzales, Director of Operations: “We take a very personable approach to our relationships with our partners and suppliers in that we work very closely together as a team, coordinating directly several times a week, if not daily. We work together toward a shared goal, and this has worked brilliantly for us to date.
“In terms of government, we have a great partnership with all the local municipalities and tribes along our corridor. We participate or host frequent face-to-face meetings with these entities, usually monthly or weekly. As such, we all work together as a team to identify, plan, and address issues immediately.
“Regarding our people, the key is to make each member of our staff feel empowered to make decisions on their own, and, so far for me in my current role, that has worked out really well!
“You give guidance when people ask for it and otherwise step back and let them do their jobs. It’s important to recognize all the efforts of our dedicated staff and the hard work they put into each project they’re working on and commend them for it.”
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With offices that span east to west coast, we have the team and breadth of expertise to handle any project. With over 45 years of partnering with major transit agencies across the nation, Huitt-Zollars has the expertise to provide mass transit solutions on pulse with emerging trends, based on solid best practices. Transit experience includes on-call architecture and engineering; light rail transit (LRT), commuter rail, and bus rapid transit (BRT) design; facility design, corridor and regional planning; major investment studies; and urban and human-centered design.
For our bus-focused clients, we have engineered numerous highspeed ground transportation solutions. Our rail-focused clients (LRT, commuter, and freight) have benefited from our expertise with the design of tracks (including special track work), guideways and rights-of-way, tunnels and bridges, and trolley/streetcar lines.
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a branch of the corridor connecting Los Angeles with Chicago via Amtrak – the National Passenger Railroad Corporation for the US.
“We also provide shuttle services in two counties that connect to NMRX, along with both our shuttle and rail routes joining other transit
connections including routes to the Albuquerque International Sunport, University of New Mexico, Sandia National Laboratories, and further cities like Los Alamos and Socorro,” Gonzales prides.
As the lead operator of the NMRX railroad, Rio Metro dispatches transit
across the entire corridor with tenant railroads Burlington North Santa Fe (BNSF), Amtrak, and Santa Fe Southern, along with the historic 2926 steam locomotive.
“Our client base is and always has been local commuters, as well as a steady tourist population,” he tells us.
RIO METRO – MISSION, VISION, AND CORE VALUES
MISSION
For the benefit of its diverse local communities and the regional economy, Rio Metro collaborates to provide safe, accessible, efficient, and innovative transportation services.
VISION
A leader in moving the region forward, Rio Metro connects its diverse residents and communities and supports sustainable prosperity.
CORE VALUES
• EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE – Customers come first in all that Rio Metro does.
• TRANSFORMATIVE REGIONAL SERVICES – The company provides a range of services to meet its region’s diverse needs.
• STRONG TRANSIT-CENTERED COMMUNITIES – Rio Metro’s services help shape its communities for the better.
• SOUND FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP – The company aims to be good stewards of the public resources entrusted to it.
• INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS – Rio Metro always thinks outside the box and seeks collaboration.
• INDUSTRY-LEADING KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE –Its people take pride in leading the region forward.
“OUR CLIENT BASE IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN LOCAL COMMUTERS, AS WELL AS A STEADY TOURIST POPULATION”
– ROBERT GONZALES, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, RIO METRO REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT
At present, the dedicated Rio Metro team consists of about 30 employees, alongside the entire NMRX team who are responsible for operating and maintaining the track and signal system, totalling approximately 300 hard working members overall.
UPGRADING THE NETWORK
Right now, the US transit network can’t compete with the standards in Europe, for example, but Gonzales believes that things are moving in the right direction, progressing gradually each year.
“Across America, there are plenty of exciting new developments in high-speed rail such as in Brightline, Florida, and a train that’s currently being built between California and Las Vegas, Nevada. People are really excited for these new high-speed rail operations!” he delights.
Furthermore, Rio Metro has an equally promising slate of projects underway, including the rebuilding and upgrading of its signal systems.
“Positive Train Control (PTC) is a federally mandated safety overlay system that is used over our 100-mile corridor.
We have recently upgraded our old pole-line to Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) in downtown Albuquerque and on our line that runs east to Lamy.
“This has allowed us to eliminate Track Warrant Control (TWC) from our territory. Over the past few years, we’ve done a lot to clean up our operations to make them more streamlined,” Gonzales explains.
EXPANSION AND RECONFIGURATION
Signifying one of the company’s major ongoing projects, Rio Metro is currently in the process of designing and building the New Mexico Rail Runner Express Operations and Maintenance Facility (NMRX OMF).
“Currently, our mechanical team performs all its work, inspections, and servicing outdoors in the elements, so this maintenance facility is a priority to get the team out of the weather,” says Gonzales.
“We have built two new sidings, which have greatly increased on-time performance for NMRX and our tenant railroads, and we have two more sidings in the works. Their location was based on studies which identified critical areas that would provide the best benefit,” he adds.
The company has also been working on the Albuquerque Rail Trail, which includes rehabilitating three crossings on the Sawmill segment through which the trail will eventually run.
This project also includes a new pedestrian grade crossing along Central Avenue – part of the historic Route 66 – reconfiguration of Rio Metro’s three main lines, and implementation of three storage tracks, while the north yard lead track and its Downtown Albuquerque Station platforms will accommodate a new pedestrian crossing.
“We have also worked with several
municipalities along our corridor to construct pedestrian trail crossings to provide a safe route over the tracks, including in the town of Bernalillo, the village of Los Lunas, Santo Domingo Pueblo, and Isleta Pueblo,” Gonzales expands.
All of these exciting projects contribute toward an exciting portfolio of projects and ongoing investments for Rio Metro.
“As mentioned before, our major priority is the new NMRX OMF, which encapsulates an optimistic outlook for the future of the company,” he proudly concludes.
Tel: (866) 795-RAIL (7245) riometro@mrcog-nm.gov riometro.org