Redesigning ABQ RIDE's Network from the Ground Up with Andrew De Garmo

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Andrew De Garmo, Principal Planner at ABQ RIDE, as part of a four-part series on transit in Albuquerque. With over 20 years at one agency, Andrew shares how his role spans service planning, scheduling, and capital projects, and how those pieces come together to shape transit service on the street. The conversation explores Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART), including how the corridor was planned, the challenges of taking lanes from cars, and what it takes to operate and refine a full BRT system over time. Andrew also discusses the realities of implementation, from driver training to maintaining reliable service on a high frequency corridor. The episode also covers ABQ RIDE Forward, the agency’s system redesign focused on shifting from peak commuter service to more consistent, all day, seven day a week service. Andrew explains how COVID created a rare opportunity to rethink the network, breaking from long standing service patterns and allowing the agency to redesign service around current rider needs.