Alvarado Transportation Center
Encyclopedia
The Alvarado Transportation Center (ATC) is a multimodal transit hub located at 100 1st Street SW in Downtown
Albuquerque, New Mexico
, USA.
The complex was built as a hub for Albuquerque's regional transit system and as a replacement for Albuquerque's previous bus depot and train station. The ATC serves ABQRide
, Amtrak
, Greyhound Lines
, and the New Mexico Rail Runner Express
commuter rail line.
The Mission Revival-style ATC was designed to be reminiscent of the Alvarado Hotel, a railroad hotel which was formerly located on the site. The ATC also features a clock tower
, located on the northwest corner of the complex, facing the intersection of Central Avenue
and First Street.
line. Two Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
routes connect the station to El Paso, Texas Amtrak Station and Denver, Colorado Union Station. The train platform is located along the eastern side of the transit center.
Amtrak moved its passenger service operations at Albuquerque to the Alvarado Transportation Center on January 17, 2008, sharing space with providers of intercity bus services. Amtrak's previous facility, a small building located adjacent to the current depot, was in use for passenger operations since the historic Santa Fe station burned down in 1993. Today the old facility is used as an Amtrak crew base.
Of the seven New Mexico stations served by Amtrak, the Alvarado Transportation Center was the busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 200 passengers daily.
and Sandoval County/US 550
. Each of the Rail Runner stations contains an icon to express each community's identity. The icon representing this station is the ATC itself. Technically, the station served by the Rail Runner is referred to as the Downtown Albuquerque Rail Runner station.
and Moriarty
.
bus routes as well as the Rapid Ride
Red Line BRT
route. The complex also has offices for the City of Albuquerque Transit Department. In addition, the clock tower of the ATC serves as the logo for ABQ Ride.
designed the interior of the hotel. The hotel was named for Hernando de Alvarado of the 1540 Francisco Vázquez de Coronado Expedition. Just south of the hotel a train station was constructed, also in the Mission Revival style and with a large, distinctive tower.
The Alvarado Hotel was renowned for its luxury, but by the mid-20th century, with the decline in railroad travel in the United States, the hotel fell on hard times and was demolished in 1970. The site remained a dirt parking lot for many years. In 1993, the Albuquerque train station burned down, and Amtrak used a small facility on the site as the train station.
The current ATC complex was constructed in the 2000s. The first phase of the project was completed in 2002 to serve ABQRide. The second phase, completed in 2006, added facilities for Amtrak, Greyhound Lines, and the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter rail line. The ATC was designed to be reminiscent of the old buildings, with many architectural elements borrowed from the Alvarado Hotel and the former train station.
Downtown Albuquerque
Downtown Albuquerque is the central business district of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is where a large number of the city's highrise buildings are located, as well as being the center of government and business for the region....
Albuquerque, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, USA.
The complex was built as a hub for Albuquerque's regional transit system and as a replacement for Albuquerque's previous bus depot and train station. The ATC serves ABQRide
ABQRide
ABQ RIDE is the local transit agency serving Albuquerque, New Mexico. ABQ RIDE operates a variety of city bus routes including the Rapid Ride semi-BRT service. Serving 12 million passengers in 2010, it is the largest public transportation system in the state...
, Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
, and the New Mexico Rail Runner Express
New Mexico Rail Runner Express
The New Mexico Rail Runner Express is a commuter rail system serving the metropolitan areas of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is administered by the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the Mid Region Council of Governments , a regional government planning association, while...
commuter rail line.
The Mission Revival-style ATC was designed to be reminiscent of the Alvarado Hotel, a railroad hotel which was formerly located on the site. The ATC also features a clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
, located on the northwest corner of the complex, facing the intersection of Central Avenue
Central Avenue (Albuquerque)
Central Avenue is a major east-west street in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which historically served as the city's main thoroughfare and principal axis of development. It runs through many of Albuquerque's oldest neighborhoods, including Downtown, Old Town, Nob Hill, and the University of New Mexico...
and First Street.
Amtrak service
Albuquerque is a stop on Amtrak's daily Southwest ChiefSouthwest Chief
The Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California...
line. Two Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
Thruway Motorcoach is Amtrak's system of Amtrak-owned intercity coaches, locally contracted transit buses, through-ticketed local bus routes and taxi services to connect Amtrak train stations to areas not served by its railroads...
routes connect the station to El Paso, Texas Amtrak Station and Denver, Colorado Union Station. The train platform is located along the eastern side of the transit center.
Amtrak moved its passenger service operations at Albuquerque to the Alvarado Transportation Center on January 17, 2008, sharing space with providers of intercity bus services. Amtrak's previous facility, a small building located adjacent to the current depot, was in use for passenger operations since the historic Santa Fe station burned down in 1993. Today the old facility is used as an Amtrak crew base.
Of the seven New Mexico stations served by Amtrak, the Alvarado Transportation Center was the busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 200 passengers daily.
New Mexico Rail Runner service
The Rail Runner station went into service on July 14, 2006 as one of the three original stations on the line, along with Los Ranchos/Journal CenterLos Ranchos/Journal Center (Rail Runner station)
Los Ranchos/Journal Center is a station on the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter rail line, located in North Valley, New Mexico.It is located just south of Paseo del Norte between Second and Edith. It serves residents of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and the North Valley...
and Sandoval County/US 550
Sandoval County/US 550 (Rail Runner station)
Sandoval County/US 550 is a station on the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter rail line, located in Bernalillo, New Mexico, United States....
. Each of the Rail Runner stations contains an icon to express each community's identity. The icon representing this station is the ATC itself. Technically, the station served by the Rail Runner is referred to as the Downtown Albuquerque Rail Runner station.
Intercity Bus Service
The ATC's Greyhound depot makes up most of the southern side of the complex, and contains an enclosed waiting area with ticket booths and a small cafeteria. The depot is served by Greyhound and Autobuses Americanos. The New Mexico Park and Ride Turquoise Route, which utilizes the northern part of the complex (along with the ABQ Ride buses), connects to EdgewoodEdgewood, New Mexico
Edgewood is a town in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,375 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
and Moriarty
Moriarty, New Mexico
Moriarty is a city in Torrance County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,910 at the 2010 Census. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Moriarty is located at ....
.
ABQ Ride
The ATC serves as the main hub for most of the ABQRideABQRide
ABQ RIDE is the local transit agency serving Albuquerque, New Mexico. ABQ RIDE operates a variety of city bus routes including the Rapid Ride semi-BRT service. Serving 12 million passengers in 2010, it is the largest public transportation system in the state...
bus routes as well as the Rapid Ride
Rapid Ride
Rapid Ride is the name of an express bus service with some bus rapid transit features in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Inaugurated on December 21, 2004, Rapid Ride was intended to provide a faster and more efficient means of public transit in Albuquerque and to serve as a pilot project for a potential...
Red Line BRT
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
route. The complex also has offices for the City of Albuquerque Transit Department. In addition, the clock tower of the ATC serves as the logo for ABQ Ride.
History
Albuquerque's first train station, a small railroad depot, opened on the site of the current ATC in the 1880s. With increasing demand for a larger facility, the Alvarado Hotel, a Mission Revival-style building which served as one of the many Harvey Houses along the train route, was constructed on the site in the 1902. Santa Fe Railroad architect Charles Whittlesey designed the building, and Mary ColterMary Colter
Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter was an American architect and designer. As a child, Mary Colter traveled with her family through frontier Minnesota, Colorado and Texas in the years after the American Civil War. After her father died in 1886, Colter attended the California School of Design in San...
designed the interior of the hotel. The hotel was named for Hernando de Alvarado of the 1540 Francisco Vázquez de Coronado Expedition. Just south of the hotel a train station was constructed, also in the Mission Revival style and with a large, distinctive tower.
The Alvarado Hotel was renowned for its luxury, but by the mid-20th century, with the decline in railroad travel in the United States, the hotel fell on hard times and was demolished in 1970. The site remained a dirt parking lot for many years. In 1993, the Albuquerque train station burned down, and Amtrak used a small facility on the site as the train station.
The current ATC complex was constructed in the 2000s. The first phase of the project was completed in 2002 to serve ABQRide. The second phase, completed in 2006, added facilities for Amtrak, Greyhound Lines, and the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter rail line. The ATC was designed to be reminiscent of the old buildings, with many architectural elements borrowed from the Alvarado Hotel and the former train station.
External links
- Stations, Downtown Albuquerque Official Rail Runner site