Española, N.M.’s North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD), or Blue Bus” earned the prestigious 2024 Community Transit System of the Year Award - Small System, presented by the Community Transit Association of America (CTAA).

The award ceremony took place during the CTAA's annual Expo held in West Palm Beach, Fla. The honor marks the first such award from CTAA to any New Mexico public transportation system.

Blue Bus’s Accomplishments

The Community Transit System of the Year Award recognizes Blue Bus’s outstanding contributions and commitment to providing innovative, accessible, and responsive transportation services to rural communities with populations of 50,000 and below.

The national award underscores NCRTD's dedication to meeting the diverse needs of its customers and communities while actively fostering collaboration and partnerships to enhance transportation accessibility and options.

NCRTD's exemplary initiatives and achievements that led to this prestigious recognition include:

• Providing innovative and creative services in the community: NCRTD has continually introduced innovative transportation solutions tailored to the unique needs of rural and tribal communities, ensuring convenient and reliable mobility options for residents, including MyBlue on-demand rideshare services in Taos and Española and plans to acquire ten electric buses as part of the District’s Zero Emissions Bus plan, and involving the community in developing a new brand name — The Blue Bus.”

• Being responsive to its customers and community needs: NCRTD prioritizes the feedback and needs of its customers and communities, swiftly adapting its services to address evolving demands and enhance overall satisfaction. Key activities include a Bus Stop Amenities project that will establish new guidelines to enhance and improve stops across the District’s 10,000 square mile service area, and the implementation of a Long-Range Strategic Plan featuring a regional bus rapid transit route from Taos via Española to Santa Fe.

• Coordinating and collaborating with other public and special services transportation: NCRTD actively collaborates with public and special services transportation providers to optimize service delivery, streamline operations, and maximize community impact, particularly with the development of a Tribal Transit Plan. The plan focuses on developing and evaluating transit service alternatives for the Jicarilla Apache Nation, Nambé Pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh, Picuris Pueblo, Pueblo of Pojoaque, Pueblo de San Ildefonso, Santa Clara Pueblo, Taos Pueblo, and Pueblo of Tesuque.

• Helping the community accomplish their goals: Through the Long-Range Service Plan, the NCRTD plays a vital role in helping communities achieve their transportation and mobility objectives, contributing to broader socioeconomic development and quality of life improvements.

• Building public and private partnerships: NCRTD fosters partnerships with a diverse array of organizations, both public and private, to leverage resources, expertise, and networks for the collective benefit of the communities served. The NCRTD worked with planners at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in FY 2023 to develop a Transit Implementation Study. With the LANL campus expected to grow from 15,000 to 18,000 employees by 2028, a comprehensive plan is being designed to facilitate employees commuting to and from the Laboratory on either public transit or LANL run shuttles by 2028.

"This esteemed recognition underscores our unwavering commitment to serving the transportation needs of rural and tribal communities and reflects the dedication and hard work of the entire Blue Bus team,” said NCRTD Executive Director Anthony Mortillaro. “We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the well-being and prosperity of the communities we serve."