Seriously, the RailRunner is Useless

My family is planning to head up to Santa Fe (from Albuquerque) to witness the Inauguration ceremony of Governor Martinez which is scheduled for the Plaza in Santa Fe at 10am on January 1. We might stick around for lunch and check out one of the museums in town.

Figuring that parking and traffic would be a zoo, I decided to check out the Rail Runner schedule to see if it would get us there by 10am. This would be impossible on a typical weekend and even on a weekday we’d have to board a 7:23 am train to get to Santa Fe in time for the event, but I figured that traffic and parking might make it worthwhile. But then I looked at the Holiday Schedule and saw “NO SERVICE.” on January 1.

Needless to say, I am stunned. I realize it is different, but when President Obama was inaugurated in January, 2009, Washington’s Metro Rail system had its heaviest traffic ever. Obviously, even on a heavy traffic day, taxpayers are still subsidizing each and every trip on the RailRunner, so I guess in a way I’m pleased with their fiscal restraint, but if you can’t use the train on what is bound to be a busy day of travel between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, then what’s the point of having the train in the first place?