Councilors gathered at a special Wednesday, Sept. 3, meeting last week thanks to the Labor Day weekend. Bus shelters were a recurring theme throughout the evening, with Councilors Michael Cadigan, Rey Garduño and Don Harris all requesting the city build more in their districts. Cadigan cited e-mails he’d received from constituents complaining about waiting for buses beside 45- to 60-mph traffic without a safe place to stand, often in places without sidewalks.ABQ Ride Director Greg Payne said it was challenging to put shelters in areas without existing infrastructure but that 30 additional shelters were slated to be up by the end of the year. Another priority for the city, Payne said, was retrofitting fare boxes to allow for riders to buy day passes, which would do away with transfer fees.Cadigan said he supported the idea but was most concerned about new riders giving up on public transportation because there’s no place for them to wait. He pleaded that the city bring key shelters to his district quickly, but Payne made no promises.
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