Why support public transit in New Mexico?
Public transit provides access for the general public, disabled and senior citizens to get to and from jobs and job training; emergency, medical prenatal and behavioral health care and veteran services; educational facilities; entertainment, shopping, community, senior, parks and recreational facilities.
As public transportation continues to grow, New Mexico’s 28 transit agencies provide fixed-route, dial-a-ride, demand response, intercommunity routes and paratransit that gives people more mobility options with low or zero emission transit vehicles to reduce carbon emissions to improve New Mexico’s air quality.
In the attached backgrounders, the transit agencies tell their stories about how their services assist the communities they serve, how they have expended federal grant funding and where they could invest additional state match transit funding if it was available.
City of Portales – Transportation
NM House District(s):
NM Senate District(s):
Counties Served:
What is your agency’s service area?
Roosevelt County
What transportation modes does your agency provide?
ADA compliant buses ADA compliant van.
How many buses, vans and other vehicles do you operate?
We total six vehicles. We currently operate two vehicles right now, a bus and a van.
Key priorities for making services route decisions?
Location proximity to bus, station destination, importance per appointment or errand.
How has your agency applied its federal funding?
Salaries, office supplies, maintenance, advertising, training, ADA supplies, vehicle supplies, fuel, subscription dues software, communication, benefits, vehicle insurance, equipment, personal costs.
How would your agency apply additional state transit funding?
Retention and recruitment as well as a new vehicle and maybe update software.
What ways does your agency assist your community during community events or emergency assistance?
There is adequate transportation available in the county. The public schools have a large fleet of contracted buses that can be used to transport selected evacuees. Other public vehicles may be used in localized evacuations, flooding, etc. The local trucking companies and truck rental agencies may have vehicles available at the time of an emergency. In addition, some local businesses and companies have various transport vehicles. The City has sufficient public contracted transportation such as school buses and the Portales Area Transit buses (PAT’s). Private transportation will probably not have to be obtained, except for specialized cases. The Resources and Transportation Coordinator constantly assesses the potential need and availability of transportation and resources, coordinates actions to correct anticipated shortages, and informs the EOC of any anticipated major deficiencies requiring ordinance action such as rationing, purchase limitation, etc. The Resources and Transportation Coordinator will coordinate public transportation resources, such as school buses, PAT’s buses, church buses, vans and multi-purpose vehicles.