Now that the Albuquerque City Council has approved a plan to create bus-only lanes on Central Avenue, the city will seek federal funding for the project.
According to an article by Dan McKay, "a noisy four-hour debate late Monday didn’t soften City Council support for the plan to transform Central Avenue into a rapid transit corridor with a nine-mile network of bus-only lanes and canopy-covered bus stations."
The council approval clears the way for the city to seek $70 million in federal "Small Starts" funding for the project. McKay explains the funding equation for the project, which includes $31 million in additional federal money, and $18 million in city funding.
The article details either side of the political debate during the hearing that eventually yielded the approval. One councilmember casting a dissenting vote out of concern for the project's impacts on traffic. According to McKay, the opposition made up the majority of the public speakers and attendees at the hearing.
FULL STORY: City Council votes 7-2 to approve funding for ART transit system

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