There are TWO new mexico alignments of old US route 66. The original was a convulated route that went N to Santa Fe, then followed the Rio Grande river S to Las Lomas. The route then cut NW to Laguna. The mid 1930's "straightening" made the route basically E-W, and it followed Central Avenue right through Albuquerque. Leftists have placed a "light rail" on Central so the character and ambiance is reduced to an extent.