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DOT briefings: aviation funding needs, rural air grants and Rail Runner operations
Summary
DOT officials told the subcommittee the Aviation Division has a $29 million FY26 budget, a proposed $114 million capital plan and $12 million for rural air service in FY26; transit and rail leaders said Rail Runner ridership is about 900,000–1,000,000 annually and operating costs are roughly $26 million a year.
Department of Transportation modal‑program leaders told the Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee that aviation, transit and rail programs require continued state and federal support to meet rural connectivity, safety and capital needs.
Jossila Troughton, aviation director, said New Mexico’s aviation system includes 54 public‑use airports (41 in the National Integrated Airport System) and the division’s FY26 budget is roughly $29 million, including a $12 million rural air service enhancement allocation. “Once the rural air service enhancement money has been encumbered, $17,000,000 remains to support FY26 projects,” Troughton said. She said local communities have requested more than $38 million in grants against a proposed $114 million capital plan and that FAA matching funds of roughly $70 million would be required to fully deliver the plan.
Troughton described special appropriations since 2021 (about $110 million) already obligated across regional airports and said the division is proposing statutory updates to the Aviation Act to modernize the definition of aircraft and streamline registration-fee collections.
On transit and rail, Kevin Olinger, transit and rail division director, described distribution of Federal Transit Administration funds to local transit operators and programs such as NMGO vanpool and park‑and‑ride. He said the transit program manages about $36.8 million in federal funding and $8.3 million in state funding (about $45.2 million total) and works to help rural operators secure competitive national awards.
Olinger and David Harris discussed the Rail Runner commuter service: DOT staff reported ridership near 900,000–1,000,000 trips per year and said an annual operating cost of about $26 million is covered by federal funds and regional gross‑receipts taxes rather than ongoing state operating dollars. A DOT official clarified total historical debt for Rail Runner was roughly $445 million and that debt service obligations had been fully paid off in June 2025; the department said operations and maintenance responsibility rests with Rio Metro/Mid‑Region Council of Governments even though the state owns the rail assets.
Committee members asked about customs capabilities at airports (director cited customs service available at Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces/Santa Teresa and one other facility), the rural air service enhancement program (13 communities participating; $12 million FY26 pot with communities having prior grant balances considered), and progress on an Albuquerque Rail Runner maintenance and operations facility that is awaiting federal grant decisions.
The subcommittee did not adopt legislation during these briefings; members requested the draft statewide public‑transportation plan be circulated to committee members for review.
