1000 Friends of New Mexico

Great Streets Round 2

Update: The continuation of the Great Streets hearing at the Environmental Planning Commission on May 15 (Round 2) resulted in a deferral for 90 days. Based on the analysis of Manjeet Tangri, the planner from the Planning Department, the EPC requested her to take out the list of potential great streets segments and refine the sections regarding street selection criteria and implementation. The EPC requested that the revised plan is released by mid-July, so that there is sufficient time to review it before the hearing.

1000 Friends will keep you informed on the next round at the EPC in August.

The Environmental Planning Commission was reluctant to recommend adoption of the Great Streets Facilities Draft Plan (.pdf) at the May 8 hearing. Instead, the commission delayed their decision until their meeting on May 15. Until then, the Commission will receive public comments.

We are urging community members to take action by emailing the Commission in support of the Great Streets Plan by 9AM on Tuesday, May 13. Ask the Commissioners to recommend adoption of the plan as it has been offered, as a Rank 2 plan. More voices are needed to call on the EPC to support this policy level plan that could finally implement key goals of the Comprehensive Plan and its Centers and Corridors policies. http://www.cabq.gov/planning/advance/projects.html

Streets and sidewalk standards are included in the Great Streets plan to address the need and demand for safe travel choices on our streets. To walk. Bike. Take transit. And drive responsibly.

Also, check out the Commission’s deliberations by going to the hearing! The Commission has placed Great Streets at the end of the agenda for the May 15 meeting, which means some time in the afternoon. Call the Planning Department receptionist that day, and request the estimated time, at 924-3860. 

The vast majority of the 15 citizens and interest groups testified in support of the plan. AARP supports multi-modal street design on behalf of its 230,000 members in New Mexico. Spokespersons from a neighborhood had concerns about having a Great Street in their vicinity; another neighborhood group indicated strong interest in reviving a major street segment on their boundary.

NAIOP (National Association of Industrial and Office Properties) proposed that Great Streets wasn’t worth being a plan; it could just be a program - fully aware that programs come and go. Their spokesperson brought their second written statement with him, beyond the time when written comments could be accepted, according to city rules, but the chair received it anyway.

A representative from MRCOG noted that the plan was consistent with the Metropolitan Transportation Plan 2030, offered reasonable implementation funding suggestions, and that the standards in the plan would be useful in calming speeding traffic, thus reducing crashes and subsequent congestion. He pointed out, which we agree with, that the selection and re-construction of streets would be an iterative process. The plan could be steadily implemented over time, reflecting changing conditions and opportunities.

Most of the commissioners wanted more information from the Planning Department on how streets would be selected as candidates for Great Street re-construction, but they also noted that they did not favor the plan as a Rank 2 plan. One or two had a hard time thinking that they should guide transportation related decisions. They also indicated that there were already too many plans to keep track of, which certainly indicates the legacy of non-integrated planning in some areas of the city. However, other areas of the city haven’t been ‘planned for’ beyond the Comprehensive Plan, and a Great Street in those neighborhoods could catalyze vital investment and improve the mobility options of many locals.

Rank 2 Plans help implement the City’s Comprehensive Plan, which is the Rank 1 Plan that is supposed to guide all policies and decisions related to land use, transportation, and development. http://www.cabq.gov/planning/advance/levels.html. We urge the EPC to recognize this opportunity to move forward on common, sensible goals that were considered by residents and adopted by city officials during the last 20 years.

Concerns about final identification of a Great Street in or along the boundaries of neighborhoods should be addressed through consultation with nearby neighborhood residents and business and property owners along that street, WHEN that street is considered for designated funding and design. But first, we need a plan with a good set of design standards so that everyone knows what it will take to re-make some of our streets into great streets. It’s called the Great Streets Facilities Plan.

Posted on May 12, 2008 at 1:10 pm and filed under Growth and Development, Local Advocacy, Vibrant Neighborhoods, Transportation and Active Living