Albuquerque’s Electric Bus Takes a Wrong Turn and Goes Nowhere

The Wall Street Journal ^ | March 29, 2019 | Stephen Ford

[JeepersFreepers]

Whether it’s the Washington, D.C., streetcar, California’s bullet train, or New York’s Second Avenue subway, public-transit projects are almost always disruptive, delayed, over budget or underused—if not all of the above. Add another example to the list: a dead-end bus line in Albuquerque, N.M.

Today, more than 16 months after Mayor Berry hopped on ART’s first ride, the bus lanes are empty. In 2016 the city paid $23 million for a fleet of 18 all-electric buses from the Chinese company Build Your Dreams. The system for charging the buses’ batteries proved faulty, and city inspectors found problems with the air conditioning, door and braking systems. Most of the buses were deemed unsafe, and Mr. Keller announced in November that the city would return them and instead order 10 old-fashioned buses from an American manufacturer. Those buses won’t arrive until at least 2020.

The boondoggle has cost New Mexico taxpayers. The ART price tag, originally $100 million, has ballooned 33%.

It’s anyone’s guess when Albuquerque Rapid Transit will get up and running. From what we’ve seen so far it’s doubtful this public-transit project will meet its goals—or that politicians in Albuquerque, or anywhere else, will learn the right lessons from its failure.

[cgbg]

Trolley cars in the northern winter—that would be fun to watch—from somewhere warm and far away!

[vette6387]

“Ex-Mayor Berry is a Republican, unfortunately. He insisted on this boondoggle that nobody wanted.”

In the same vein that Ahnold “The Awful” Shickelgrubber was our “Republican” Governor here in CA to preside over the death of what called itself the California Republican Party.

[bunkerhill7]

Confucius say man who buy electric bus get shock.

[DoughtyOne]

Here around Los Angeles especially in some areas, it seems these mass transit projects are mostly for the illegal aliens.

[wjcsux]

My wife is from Shenyang China. Last year, we went to Beijing so she could show me the sites. Next to the hotel we stayed at, there was a graveyard of electric vehicles including about 70 electric busses. There was piles of charging stations that were uprooted from their original location waiting to be scrapped. The ChiComs obviously decided that electric vehicles aren’t all they are cracked up to be.

[wjcsux]

Check out my post #25. The Chinese obviously conned Albuquerque into buying their worthless junk while scrapping their own product.

[Lysandru]

You are the Man for posting the classic Bugs hot take.

[Elsie]

...and every city and town has a few failed transit stories...

But NOT in Indianapolis! (Unless you count the discontinued monorail)

By golly; we are GOING to install our RED line and by golly! THIS thing IS gonna work; rapidly, cheaply and efficiently!!!

[Vinnie]

A mistranslation.
The real name is In Your Dreams.

[CedarDave]

Mayor Berry and ART tore up already narrow Central Avenue in the University and Nob Hill areas to make bus lanes. The shops at Nob Hill protested they would lose business as customers would lose parking and didn’t want to fight auto congestion to visit, and indeed some went out of business.

And who was going to use ART anyway? That question always puzzled me as they already have frequent bus service already down Central Avenue to Tramway and the majority of riders are the panhandlers and homeless that frequent the crime ridden area east of Washington Street. (The area of southeast ABQ south of Central and north of Kirtland Air Force Base was called for years by locals as the “War Zone” due to the violence from assaults, killings and drug crime, much by Spanish speaking illegals. The city has euphemistically renamed it the International Zone.)

[CedarDave]

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[CedarDave]

Here around Los Angeles especially in some areas, it seems these mass transit projects are mostly for the illegal aliens.

Heck, that's most of the population there these days so it can be said that the projects really do serve the people! /s

[frank ballenger]

My uncle (WWII veteran) lives in Indiana. Should we both move there and sell our cars due to this?

[Monkey Face]

LOL!

I’m sorry, but this just sounded so much like something Harry Reid would have done!! :o]

‘Face

[DoughtyOne]

I hear ya...

[Army Air Corps]

Well, we know where some of the busses went...

[Elsie]

no

[Senator_Blutarski]

Money quote:

"It’s anyone’s guess when Albuquerque Rapid Transit will get up and running. From what we’ve seen so far it’s doubtful this public-transit project will meet its goals—or that politicians in Albuquerque, or anywhere else, will learn the right lessons from its failure."