COUNTY News:

Atomic City Transit is beginning to ramp up for some service modifications that will go into effect Monday, Jan. 25.

The service modifications are a result of the Transit Study that was approved by the Los Alamos County Council earlier this year and include adjustments to the routes and schedules to make them more efficient, as well as the implementation of ADA complementary paratransit service for the first time in Los Alamos County.

“These are the first significant adjustments to the transit service since the County took over operations in late 2007,” Transit Manager Ken Smithson said. “And represent more  than two years of planning and public input. We’re excited to be refining, polishing and enhancing Atomic City Transit to make it even better than what it has been over the last eight years.”

Key adjustments to the fixed route service include:

• Buses operating on a “pulse” system, wherein six of the seven routes will meet at the Transit Center at the bottom of each hour to facilitate transfers to the entire service area;
• Buses begin and end the service day at the far ends of their routes – to collect passengers as they make their way to the Transit Center for the first time in the morning; and distribute passengers on  their last trip from the Transit Center in the evening;
• More relaxed timetables will enable buses to better remain on schedule; and
• Peak service will be added to the Downtown Circulator 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., to provide 15-minute frequency during this busy lunch period.

“Many people also expressed interest in bus service to the Los Alamos Cooperative Market,” Smithson said, “and we’re happy to report that Route 3 will provide hourly service to this location, with a bus stop on Entrada Drive right in front of the market. The County Public Works Department even built a turnaround for the bus at the end of Entrada for this very purpose.”

New route/schedule brochures are being developed and will be distributed throughout the community in advance of the service adjustments. Information also will be published on the transit website at www.AtomicCityTransit.com and in local newspapers.

Software updates also are occurring, so the adjustments will be reflected in ACTracker and the myStop  mobile app (available in the App Store and Google Play).

With the implementation of paratransit service, which will operate under the name ACT Assist, the Dial-a-Ride service will become an evening demand response service (7-9 p.m., Monday through Friday) as the fixed route buses are coming out of service.

This will enable those last few on-call trips that may be needed in the evening, including connections to/from the last New Mexico Park & Ride bus at the Transit Center.

All individuals with disabilities who wish to be considered for ACT Assist service – including existing Dial-a-Ride customers – must complete an application, have the information verified by a healthcare professional, and be certified as “ADA paratransit eligible.” Applications, and more information on the program, are available at the transit office or on the transit website, on the ACT Assist page.

“We can’t emphasize enough to get paratransit applications in early, for come Jan. 25 when the ACT Assist service starts, you will have to be certified  and in our scheduling software in order to make trip reservations,” Smithson said.”

Direct questions or concerns to Atomic City Transit at 505.661.7433.