On Dec. 9, North Central RTD introduced the new look for its RTD Blue Buses. Now simply known as the Blue Bus, the newly branded buses will begin rolling out throughout the District over the coming months and over the next couple of years.
As part of the rebranding, the District will call itself the North Central RTD rather than North Central Regional Transit District. Over the years, users of the service have commonly referred to it as the Blue Bus or RTD Blue Bus and the new branding will make use of that with the simple brand as the Blue Bus.
The new logo and branding was created by Studio Six Branding after a series of Discovery sessions with area stakeholders. It incorporates elements of the land and presents a celebration of cultural diversity and inclusivity. This was inspired by the majestic and awe-inspiring northern New Mexico landscape and symbols at the heart of the communities it serves.
The new bus design incorporates mountains, mesas, and blue skies so prominent in the northern New Mexico landscapes. It also incorporates elements of eagle feathers, symbols that were raised by area Pueblos during a Discovery session with the North Central RTD Tribal subcommittee and members of their Pueblos.
Along the top of the bus are translations of the word Blue in various languages commonly spoken in the region with Spanish, Tewa and Tiwa, as well as French and German. The Tewa translations were provided by Nambè Pueblo and Ohkay Owingeh, and the Tiwa translation by Picuris Pueblo.
North Central RTD is in the process of purchasing 19 new buses including ten electric vehicles. All of the buses will feature the new branding. In the past bus purchases would have roughly a nine-month delivery time, but today due to supply chain issues that window has extended to one to two years.
The North Central RTD provides bus public transit service throughout the counties of Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, Taos, and Los Alamos, and to each of the Eight Northern Pueblos and the Jicarilla Apache Nation. It’s service area encompasses more than 10,000 square miles of northern New Mexico.
