How do you guys feel about the ART?

[PasadenaTrudy]

I'm reading about a lot of controversy on the new bus line they want to run down Central in ABQ. Nob Hill business owners are pissed. Regular bus riders think the city needs to fix other lines before putting in a new one. My friends that live downtown think the city focuses too much on the Central ave. corridor and ignores other parts of town. Thoughts? It's just weird hearing about people opposing rapid transit as an Angeleno. We want more to get cars off the roads here in SoCal.

[comradebillyboy]

1. ART would pretty much destroy every business from Nob Hill to

downtown. It's one of Berry's stupider ideas. There are plenty of buses on Central, some North South routes and routes to the West Side would be a much greater bang for the buck. I'm guessing it's just a way for Berry to direct taxpayer funds to his business partners.

[PasadenaTrudy]

2. Thx for the reply

That guy just doesn't give up. So corrupt.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

8. Whe is the most popular Democrat running against Berry... I was raised in Alabama

I am familiar with Bus Boycotts! I wonder if Berry and Knob Hill would enjoy one of those for about a year.

[SheilaT]

3. I live in Santa Fe, not Albuquerque, so I can't say too much,

but the opposition does seem a bit strange to me.

Too many Americans are addicted to their cars, and absolutely REFUSE to consider any sort of public transportation ever. I love Santa Fe, but I don't like the lack of bus service, although to be fair it's a relatively small city, so of course there's not good public transportation. Some day I will relocate, and when I do it will be to a city with really good public transport. I'm thinking Portland, OR.

[PasadenaTrudy]

4. People I'm talking to

in ABQ that depend on the bus for their only means of transpo seem to feel that the city should work on other lines first. The 66 is a drunk tank for starters. One friend of mine lives in a flea bag motel around Gibson/San Pedro and has to walk several blocks at 3 a.m. to catch the bus at Central. She goes to her $10 an hr job at Target in Uptown. These are the people that are really feeling left out in the cold in regards to this new plan.

[jomin41]

5. I don't see how this is going

to improve anything. Traffic is going to be shoved off to side streets. I think it's really going to end up hurting the Central Ave businesses. People are going to be avoiding the mess, both during the construction and after. I know I will be.

[PasadenaTrudy]

6. Lead and Coal

are going to be crazy busy.

[Dont call me Shirley]

7. And Lomas.

[PasadenaTrudy]

9. Yes! nt

[Dont call me Shirley]

10. While construction is going on the Central businesses will be hurt. Many will go out of business.

After it's done it will be an economic boom. If the business owners can hang on til it's done, it will be a tourist heaven. Berry needs to help the business owners find solutions to keeping their businesses thriving while the construction is going on.