NCRTD News:
TAOS — The North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD) Blue Bus will mark the opening of its new $17.8 million Transit Operations and Maintenance Facility in Taos with two events:
- Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for invited guests and partners; and
- Community Open House for the public.
The formal ribbon-cutting ceremony will include remarks from NCRTD Executive Director Anthony Mortillaro, Board Chair Lee A. Garcia, and representatives from the offices of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, and U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández.
The event will recognize the many partners and agencies who contributed to this critical investment in rural transit infrastructure.
“Our new facility marks a major milestone for transit in northern New Mexico,” Mortillaro said. “It strengthens our ability to maintain and deploy vehicles in the Taos region, and replaces our current dated facilities with modern, state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to support our staff, such as training rooms, a wellness center and gym, and employee lounge areas.”
The new facility enhances NCRTD’s ability to manage and maintain its growing fleet of Blue Buses in Taos County, improving service reliability, response time, and long-term sustainability for transit operations throughout the region. See the attached Fact Sheet for more information.
The celebration continues with a Community Open House on Saturday, June 28. The public is invited to stop by anytime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to tour the new facility, meet NCRTD staff, and get a behind-the-scenes look at how the Blue Bus system keeps rolling.
Guests of all ages can explore the Taos fleet during a Touch-a-Bus experience, enjoy informational exhibits, a free snow cone stand, and face painting for the kids. Staff will be on hand to provide tours of the maintenance bays and discuss how the new facility helps NCRTD better serve northern New Mexico’s communities.
“This event represents an opportunity for the community to get an exclusive, behind-the scenes look at how the Blue Bus operates to connect communities across North Central New Mexico,” Mortillaro said. “When we begin operations in August, there will not be any bus boarding facilities, but customers will be able to visit a small lobby area if they need assistance such as claiming Lost and Found articles.
The event is free, family-friendly, and open to all. For more information, visit RideTheBlueBus.com or call 866.206.0754.