At a tense July 10 town hall, Councilor Louie Sanchez called for federal rule changes to fix Albuquerque’s ART line, drawing sharp criticism and strong support from business owners, residents and transit riders.
The meeting at the Patrick J. Baca Library near Central and Unser was meant to gather public feedback as Sanchez, who is running for Albuquerque mayor in Nov., pushes Congress to ease federal grant rules tied to the ART project. He asked business owners how the bus line has affected commerce along Central, saying he’s especially concerned with Route 66’s centennial next year.
The ART line has become a flashpoint in Albuquerque. While a University of New Mexico study shows it has dramatically improved safety — with a 64.9% drop in fatal and serious injury collisions along the corridor — some Central Avenue business owners and residents say the project has hurt foot traffic, limited access and worsened conditions…