Contact: Amelia Rouse, 505-277-1099
instpp@unm.edu
April 16, 2008
UNM Institute for Public Policy Announces Citizen Recommendations for Transportation Planning for Hatch Region
On December 4, 2007, the University of New Mexico Institute for Public Policy facilitated a citizen conference in Hatch to discuss long-range planning recommendations for the New Mexico Department of Transportation. A citizen conference is an exercise in deliberative democracy, focusing on learning, deliberation and recommendations by members of the local community about issues important to them.
Ten “citizen advisors” were recruited at random from the Hatch area to question state and local transportation experts about a variety of transportation-related issues and then reached their conclusions.
Those recommendations included:
- Developing and improving bike routes in both urban and rural areas. Issues that need to be considered include the size of lanes, accessibility, restraining animals to protect riders, and educating drivers and riders about proper rules for sharing the road.
- Strategically deploying red light cameras throughout Las Cruces; critical locations include Telshor and Lohman, Main and Solano, Triviz/Elks and Main; doing a cost-benefit analysis using accident data to identify other locales.
- Improving and/or expanding services that provide rides for rural residents to travel to Las Cruces and El Paso for medical services on demand, and using a fixed route system; this program could also be used to provide similar transportation to facilitate social visits using a fixed route system.
- Developing alternative routes to reduce traffic on US 70 by diverting it around rather than through town; this could include considering a dedicated bypass route from the Moongate area.
- Assuring that road construction workers and road patrols are equipped with defibrillators and that they are trained to use them if the need arises.
- Deploying digital speed signs to inform drivers of their speed. An additional benefit of the cameras is improved traffic control and enforcement of the speed limit.
- Adding rest areas along major roadways and improving lighting and landscaping in existing rest areas; new technologies could be used to improve safety and cleanliness at these sites. Cameras could be used to monitor access. People could also be required to pay to use the facilities at rest areas, although there is not a consensus on this issue; another option is requiring people to swipe some sort of official ID to gain entry. The facilities should also use fixtures that stand up to abuse.
For more information about the UNM Institute for Public Policy or this meeting and the recommendations given, please contact Amelia Rouse at 505-277-1099.
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