[2][3] It was built in 2016–17 and began limited operation in November 2017,[4] but was subsequently delayed for over two years due to problems with the stations and buses.

[1] In 2004, the city of Albuquerque began operations of its first Rapid Ride bus line, as a precursor to a light rail system along Central Avenue.

[6] Although the Rapid Ride is a limited-stop express bus service, it lacks several key features of BRT, such as dedicated travel lanes (guideways) and off-bus fare payment.

In 2011, during the administration of Mayor Richard J. Berry, the city of Albuquerque began a feasibility study of creating a true BRT system along Central Avenue.

[6] The plan called for the elimination of the current Rapid Ride routes and the placement of a new system utilizing new buses, guideways, transit signal priority, and off-board fare collection.

Central Avenue, also known as Historic US Route 66, is not only a popular tourist destination, but a major surface artery through Albuquerque.

[17] There were plans to create other BRT systems throughout the Albuquerque metro, put forward by various organizations such as ABQ RIDE and the Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG).

[23][24][25] In September 2016, local contractor Bradbury Stamm was awarded an $82.6 million contract to build the ART system.

[30][31] In April 2017, the city announced a short-term loan program aimed at helping small businesses survive the construction.

[32] ART went into limited service on November 25, 2017, providing free trips to and from the Albuquerque BioPark for the River of Lights event.

[4][33] However, full service was delayed, and incoming Mayor Tim Keller began to allude to problems with the system after he took office in December.

According to Keller, the problems included inconsistent platform heights, ADA violations, and at least one intersection whose geometry was unable to accommodate a 60-foot articulated bus safely.

The River of Lights service was suspended after Keller's administration learned that a stopgap solution of charging the buses using portable generators could potentially void the warranty.

[41] The City of Albuquerque filed suit against BYD in December, alleging that "BYD had failed to meet the scheduled deadline for providing the 60-foot articulated buses and that the vehicles it ultimately delivered were unsafe, had defects such as cracked frames and improperly installed wiring, and did not meet the represented miles-per-charge standard.

[49] By February 2020, ART saw large ridership increases over the previous year's numbers on the Rapid Ride routes it replaced.

[35] To gauge interest in a BRT line, a "train-like" New Flyer Xcelsior XN60 ordered by RTC Transit was exhibited in Albuquerque in March 2014.

[55]: 8  The contract was later amended to increase the number of buses purchased to 20, but BYD was unable to deliver all 20 before the original deadline of October 4, 2017.

For Indianapolis, which similarly had ordered K11 buses for its IndyGo Red Line BRT service, BYD agreed to install on-route chargers at no extra cost.

[57] As a replacement, Albuquerque ordered 10 New Flyer Xcelsior XD60 clean-diesel, five-door articulated buses for ART service in December 2018,[58] and added 10 more by exercising an option.

"[64] On November 25, 2017, the opening day for limited service on the route, a passenger vehicle attempted to make an illegal U-turn across the guideway to escape a long traffic queue due to the annual River of Lights festival, and was struck by an ART vehicle traveling westbound in the guideway.

[66] Since opening, the city keeps video surveillance records of various incidents involving ART vehicles or stations, many of which have been uploaded to the internet.

[67] To help reduce the number of incidents and discourage mixed traffic from entering the guideway, pinned curbs were added throughout most of the corridor.