Contact: Amelia Rouse, 505-277-1099
instpp@unm.edu
April 16, 2008
UNM Institute for Public Policy Announces Citizen Recommendations for Transportation Planning for Espanola Region
On February 6, 2008, the University of New Mexico Institute for Public Policy facilitated a citizen conference in Espanola 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.
Eleven “citizen advisors” were recruited at random from the Espanola area to question state and local transportation experts about a variety of transportation-related issues and then reached their conclusions.
Those recommendations included:
- Developing or widening shoulders on rural roads, with consideration of specific roads beginning with US 84 from Espanola north, then NM 4, NM 76, NM 503, and then focusing on other rural roads.
- Making the Santa Fe bypass more efficient by increasing the speed limit; at the current speed it takes too long to bypass Santa Fe, essentially eliminating any time savings. It is also important to consider the impact of new developments on the functionality of the bypass, especially by considering ways to limit access and doing away with traffic lights to maintain efficiency so it remains a true bypass.
- Repaving North McCurdy Road and cleaning up along the sides.
- Improving school zones to increase safety and efficiency, with a focus on alleviating congestion and pedestrian issues. Changes should include improving drop-off and pick-up zones by developing dedicated lanes and providing better pedestrian access.
- Doing a better job at defining roads in rural areas to improve safety; this can be done by using reflective signs in the middle of roadways, placing reflective rumble strips along the sides of roads, and assuring that lane lines are well-maintained.
- Improving bike and driver safety by developing better bike networks (including lanes), as well as by creating driver and rider education programs; this is especially beneficial for the Taos area, as well as along NM 4, and in other rural areas. Additional benefits include decreasing reliance on cars and reducing environmental impacts.
- Easing traffic congestion in Downtown Taos, including reconsideration of the one-way road pairing option, considering a park-n-ride public transportation system for tourists traveling to the plaza, and developing bike routes.
- Exploring and leveraging alternative funding sources to allow more frequent maintenance of low traffic flow rural roads; emphasizing roads that play a role in tourism (like El Camino Real), which might be eligible for funding by virtue of their use.
- Placing red barriers at I-25 exits to inform drivers when they are heading the wrong way, as well as exploring alternative mechanical devices that can inhibit people from doing so.
- Improving advertising about public transportation options.
- Creating and staffing a hotline and website for reporting concerns.
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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