New Mexico Regional Transit District Technical Assistance

Contact:  ATRI

For the past few years the role of transportation services, especially public transit, has become increasingly important in New Mexico.  Currently, the State’s overall transportation system is poorly structured to meet the future economic and social needs of its population.

Regional Transit Districts (RTDs) will provide a stable revenue source to develop the necessary transit services that will allow the citizens of New Mexico to benefit from the growth of regional economies.  Transit districts encourage cost-effective consumer-oriented transit services, allow long-range planning and investment, and save money by providing unified services in areas where several systems currently operate.  Two or more government entities can combine resources to write funding grants and pool resources to provide transportation for citizens in a regional area rather than in individual jurisdictions.  The transit districts would have the power to issue bonds and finance construction of a transportation system and equip it.  The establishment of Regional Transit Districts would assist the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) in implementing multi-modal transportation services around the State.

The ATR Institute, in collaboration with NMDOT, is providing research and experience-based technical assistance to interested and emerging RTDs throughout New Mexico who are seeking certification.  The ATR Institute is working on this pilot project with the Regional Development Corporation (RDC), a non-profit community development corporation.  RDC and the ATR Institute worked on the first phase of the North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD) and successfully completed the certification process.

Among the tasks of this project are the development of materials and the distribution of technical assistance to potential RTDs throughout New Mexico.  One of the end products is an online toolkit that helps prospective RTDs meet the requirements for certification by the New Mexico Transportation Commission and provides assistance on facilitating government-to-government relations in the RTD process (using the NCRTD as a model).  Other assistance includes presentations, one-on-one meetings, and assistance to local governmental entities.  When completed, the New Mexico Regional Transit District Informational Toolkit will provide technical assistance in the following areas:

•  Research of potential regional transit district models

• Development of draft documents necessary for certification

• Adoption of Resolutions of Commitment to join an RTD

• Review of final documents necessary for certification

• Adoption by the interested parties of the requirements for certification

• Transportation Commission certification of an RTD as a legal entity