Business View Magazine - January 2024

As RoadRUNNER Transit looks towards 2024, Bartholomew and Hanway outline their top priorities and plans, showcasing a blend of immediate actions and long-term vision for the transit system in Las Cruces. Bartholomew articulates the immediate focus for 2024: integrating the new electric buses into service. “We’re collaborating with a company to study and enhance the performance of these buses,”he says.This effort underscores their commitment to ensuring the efficiency and reliability of the new fleet.Additionally, he highlights the full implementation of the latest software for paratransit and fixed route services, marking a significant upgrade in RoadRUNNER’s operational capabilities. Looking further ahead, Bartholomew reveals plans to explore microtransit services. “While this might materialize around 2025 or 2026, it’s a part of our short-range planning,” he explains. Microtransit would serve less densely populated areas with smaller, more efficient vehicles, optimizing resource collaboration. Hanway then focuses on a crucial aspect of their electrification journey: infrastructure. He recalls the initial discussions with El Paso Electric, which began around 2018-2019. “The challenge was not just about adding electric buses but also building out the necessary power infrastructure, a first in this region,” he explains. The COVID-19 pandemic added complexity to this process, particularly with supply chain issues affecting the acquisition of essential components like generators. One innovative solution discussed by Hanway is the potential public-private partnership with El Paso Electric for battery storage.“They’ve earmarked $1.5 million specifically for our battery storage project,” he shares, emphasizing the significance of this collaboration. This partnership aims to ensure power availability during peak times, a critical component of maintaining an efficient electric bus fleet. MAPPING THE ROAD AHEAD Your One-Stop-Shop For All Things Transit sales@passiotech.com www.passiotech.com Driving Ahead with Intelligent Transit Technology 250 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 01