ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The City of Albuquerque Transit Department is rolling into a new year optimistic. 

After a series of hiring events at the end of 2023, ABQ Ride Transit Director Leslie Kenner says staffing numbers are looking better than they have in a while. 

“Back in October, we had 110 vacancies, we’re down to 98 right now. So that is finally under 40%, vacancy rate at 37%. And we’ve hired 19, since the first event,” said Kenner. 

She says hiring in several positions has been a main focus for the department. 

Last year, the department scaled back some routes through the city to help with the driver shortage. Now, Kenner says they’re hopeful those can come back. 

“The routes and everything, we’ll be looking to bring those back, obviously, as the staffing numbers, and as we get people out of training, and we can make that you know, support the service without having to miss the trips,” Kenner said. 

The department has also put a big emphasis on safety. Right now, all buses, bus stops and transit centers have security cameras that feed back to the Real Time Crime Center. And there’s security officers that are hired through a private firm that ride various routes. 

Kenner says she’s excited about the new hires and security upgrades. She says people can expect to see new buses out and about soon. The department is also looking to replace some of the older models out on the road. 

Kenner says all these improvements are meant to help create a better environment for passengers and employees. 

“We’re also just be really focusing on retaining these people that we are getting through the door, and you know, really trying to create a culture here at ABQ Ride that supports the employees that work here,” said Kenner. 

The transit system says they hope to roll out those new buses sometime later this year. Right now, there’s no timeline for when we will see the canceled routes back.