Rail runner
Car-less in a car dependent state
Seattle spoiled me rotten with its efficient public transit and ferries to go island hopping. It broke my nerdy heart to leave right before getting to experience the engineering marvel they just completed- the world’s first floating-bridge train!
But alas, now I’m in a place that couldn’t be more different than Seattle. New Mexico is arguably the worst place in America to visit without a car. The state ranks 8th in car dependency and 90% of commuters travel by car. Public transit that is available can be…iffy at best, dangerous at worst, and the sprawling desert isn’t exactly walkable (I mean, not that I won’t try!). But if there is a beacon of hope in New Mexico’s crumbling infrastructure, it is the rail runner!
The rail runner express is a 96 mile stretch of railroad connecting Albuquerque to Santa Fe. Since it opened twenty years ago, it has carried over 13 million passengers between the fifteen stations posted along the Rio Grande.
It’s a lovely ride, with views of the Sandia, Sangre de Cristo, and Jemez Mountains out your window. I give the rail runner five stars for cutie patootie factor- it has a bright red roadrunner painted across the side. There have been a couple weddings, nine movie productions, and several Shakespeare performances on the train since it opened.
What impresses me most is that when the state set out to create this public service, they did it in the fastest amount of time that a commuter rail has been created-less than two years from start of construction to first passenger. And they did it all without funding from the federal government, which usually takes about a decade to review and approve projects like this one. Talk about DINOSAURS.
I love that this was sort of a rebellious kinda mission where they decided to find a creative way to raise the funds without the no good, dirty rotten federal government (just kidding, kind of…).
Tickets range from $2-11 with kids under 9 riding for free. I paid 9 bucks for my trip from Albuquerque up to Santa Fe. The last stop on the route drops you off right in the Santa Fe Railyard, where all kinds of good stuff happens-concerts, festivals, and of course, the famous farmers market.
Once I get to Santa Fe, a kind soul is lending me a car, which will make my life easier. But, I’ve said it once and I’ll say it forever- there is nothing sexier than efficient public transit! The rail runner brings to mind more possibilities for efficient, affordable, and eco-friendly options in more desolate corners of the country.