The North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD), Española, NM, recently dedicated its new headquarters in memory of Jim West, a founding member of the NCRTD Board of Directors in 2004 and its chairman from 2006 until his retirement in 2008 because of poor health.

West, who also was a county councilor for Los Alamos County, died in 2009.

The agency acquired the 12,500-square-foot building with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding and a local Gross Receipts Tax. The total cost of the land and remodeling was $4 million.

NCRTD was the first Regional Transit District to be certified by the New Mexico Transportation Commission, in 2004, following passage of the Regional Transit District Act the previous year. It has 11 member entities:  Rio Arriba County, Santa Fe County, Taos County, Los Alamos County, City of Santa Fe, City of Española, Pueblo of Pojoaque, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, Tesuque Pueblo, San Ildefonso Pueblo, and Santa Clara Pueblo.

Cutting the ribbon at the Jim West Regional Transit Center are, front row from left, Mary Lou Valerio, transportation planner, Santa Clara Pueblo; Geoff Rogers, NCRTD board and Los Alamos County councilor; Pablo Sedillo, representing Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM); Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM); Val Boatman, sister of the late Jim West, the building’s namesake; NCRTD Board Chair Daniel Barrone, also a Taos County commissioner; Barney Trujillo, NCRTD board vice chair and Rio Arriba County commissioner; Mayor Alice Lucero, City of Española; Michele Jacquez-Ortiz, representing Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM); Michael Wismer, Los Alamos County councilor; and NCRTD Executive Director Anthony Mortillaro.