ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Albuquerque Rail Trail is supposed to connect parts of the heart of Albuquerque now separated by train tracks and highways.  

City officials say once it’s all finished, folks will be able to easily travel to several Albuquerque cultural landmarks. 

“As I recall, this idea was about 30 or 40 years old,” said Mayor Tim Keller. 

The plan is to build a new multi-use trail network alongside some old and current train tracks, connecting downtown Albuquerque and surrounding neighborhoods.

“Every once in a while, though, it’s nice to do things that improve our quality of life, as the mayor said, whether it’s the zoo, the botanical gardens, right, a soccer stadium, the Balloon Fiesta, the Rail Trail. This is the kind of stuff that New Mexicans need, want and deserve,” said Rep. Javier Martinez. 

“When complete, we’ll see a seven-and-a-half-mile trail that will loop from the Bosque all the way through Old Town Wells Park, Sawmill, Downtown, Rail Yards connecting all those things,” said Terry Brunner, a Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency director. 

But it’s not just the area around the railroad tracks getting a makeover. City reps say Bellamah Street will also get a revamp. 

“A whole new streetscape plan,” said Brunner. 

Crime is an issue in Albuquerque, and city reps designing the Rail Trail know it. 

“We’ll have good public safety throughout. So you’ll have a call box on this trail, plenty of lighting both overhead and on the surface. We’ll have LED lighting, lots of bike racks and benches and also some artistic elements that we think people will really enjoy and will become Instagrammable moments for everybody,” said Brunner. 

Keller says it will take around 10 years to complete the Rail Trail project, and you can track the progress on a new website.