Why is Commuter Rail to Santa Fe Important?

Traffic Congestion

• The Albuquerque-Santa Fe corridor contains about 50% of the state's population and 60% of the state's jobs.

• Currently, I-25 is the only major transportation route connecting the Santa Fe and Albuquerque metropolitan areas.

• This route is heavily used by commuters traveling to jobs in these two cities.

• It is also used for business travel, by tourists, and for many other travel purposes.

• In 2005, approximately 38,000 vehicles per day traveled I-25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. By the year 2025, the number of vehicles using I-25 is projected to increase to about 72,000 per day.

• The traffic volumes projected for I-25 will result in substantial congestion and cause travel times to increase.

• Today, it takes about 75 minutes to travel from Downtown Albuquerque to the Santa Fe Plaza area during the peak period. By the year 2025, this time is expected to increase to about 114 minutes in the peak period because of congestion on I-25.

• When accidents occur, travel times increase even more. Delays due to accidents are unpredictable and are frustrating to motorists.

Commuting Costs

• Round trip costs of commuting between Santa Fe and Albuquerque is currently about $360/month for fuel. When the costs of maintenance and insurance are added in, the monthly cost of commuting increases to almost $500.

• The median price of a house in Santa Fe is currently over $470,000. Lower housing costs in areas outside of Santa Fe may contribute to increased numbers of commuters traveling to Santa Fe on a daily basis. 

Commuter Rail Transportation Benefits

• Commuter rail provides an additional transportation choice for Albuquerque to Santa Fe travelers.

• The costs of the commuter rail will be significantly less than the costs of driving a vehicle. Travel by commuter rail is almost twice as efficient as travel by car.

• The commuter rail provides reliable travel times that are unaffected by weather or accidents.

• On average, there is an accident every other day on the portion of I-25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The delay and driver frustration that results from accidents will not occur with the train.