Ride Rio Metro Blog

This month's post highlights a couple who used the Rail Runner and connecting buses to aide them in an extensive bike ride in central and northern New Mexico in early May 2023. Colorado residents Thomas Kopler and Barbara Mickelson worked with Rio Metro’s Customer Service Department to plan their trip, which took them through Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, and Costilla, New Mexico. They rode an estimated 180-miles, working towards their goal of parallel biking the Great Divide trail one state at a time.  

The New Mexico Rail Runner Express connects to many buses along the 100-mile rail corridor between Belen and Santa Fe. This month, we’re highlighting transit partner Santa Fe Trails, which operates buses throughout the City Different.

“We serve the city of Santa Fe,” said Thomas Martinez, Director of Operations and Maintenance for Santa Fe Trails. “Currently we have 12 routes."

Rio Metro's Facilities and Maintenance Crew, the G2 Team (short for Go To), keeps the New Mexico Rail Runner Express stations and parking lots, as well as all Rio Metro bus stops, clean and safe. This includes regular maintenance like garbage removal, weeding, graffiti removal, and fixing lighting, as well as other duties as assigned, such as transporting passengers when an incident occurs with the train. “It’s not a glamour job, but we enjoy it,” says Crew Supervisor Yosh Akutagawa. Continue reading to learn about the G2 Team and how they work tirelessly to maintain passenger safety at our stops and stations.