Valencia County Transit Facility

Welcome to the project page for the Valencia County Transit Facility (VCTF), home of Rio Metro’s bus services in Valencia County located near the intersection of NM 6 and 47 in the Village of Los Lunas. Check in here each month for an update on the project’s progress.

Final Update (April 2024)

Construction of the Valencia County Transit Facility is now complete. The ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9. After the ceremony, Rio Metro will gradually relocate its staff and vehicles to the facility, and officially begin operations from this new location on Monday, April 15.

Rio Metro will maintain service to the public during this transition. Also, the main phone number for trip reservations and information will not change after the move.  

Project Documents

  • Site Plan (PDF)
  • Location Map (see below)
  • Administration Building Rendering (see below)

Administrative Building Rendering - Click Image to Expand

Valencia Co Transit Facility Admin Building Rendering

VCTF Location Map - Click Image to Expand

Valencia Co Transit Facility Location Map

Project Timeline

  • June 2019: Rio Metro submits 5339 Bus and Bus Facilities grant application to FTA
  • November 2019: FTA awards $6 million grant to Rio Metro for Phase 1 design and construction
  • July 2020: FTA approves Rio Metro’s categorical exclusion (environmental) document
  • September 2020: Rio Metro’s environmental consultant, Parametrix, completes required archaeological investigation
  • October 2020: Rio Metro begins design with consultants Bohannan-Huston and Studio Southwest Architects
  • August 2022: Rio Metro completes design and issues request for proposals
  • October 2022: Rio Metro reviews proposals and awards $8.8 million contract to Weil Construction, Inc.
  • December 2022: Contractor begins construction   
  • April 2024: Construction complete. Staff and vehicles relocate to VCTF.

Project Background

In 2010, Rio Metro accepted responsibility for the transit services previously operated by the Village of Los Lunas and the City of Belen. As part of this transition, the Village leased office space to Rio Metro at the Los Lunas Transportation Center (LLTC) to house administration staff, and also leased space at the Village’s Fleet Maintenance Yard for Rio Metro’s buses and minivans. Today, the LLTC and the yard are at capacity, and the Village would like to use the space Rio Metro is currently leasing to better serve its growing community.

This arrangement is also no longer ideal for Rio Metro. Because the yard is at capacity, Rio Metro cannot increase its fleet size in order to provide additional service. Also, each bus driver loses time traveling between the LLTC and the yard at the beginning and end of their shifts—time that could otherwise be spent transporting residents.

In response to these needs, Rio Metro applied for and was awarded a $6 million grant in 2019 from FTA’s highly competitive Section 5339(b) Bus and Bus Facilities program to design and construct Phase 1 of the VCTF in Los Lunas. Phase 1 will include a LEED-certified administration building; staff, visitor and bus parking areas; utilities; drainage; landscaping; fencing and gates; security cameras and access controls. Pending future funding, Phase 2 will feature a maintenance building, expanded bus parking, bus wash, and fuel island.  

The project will be located at the intersection of NM 47 and Lambros Loop, on a vacant, 8-acre parcel owned by NMDOT and leased to Rio Metro.

Alternate Format

  1. To request this information in an alternate format (eg., Braille, large print, audio), please contact Customer Service at 1-866-795-7245 or click here to download the request form.