Upcoming vote includes funds for road repairs
HOW ROAD REPAIRS TAKE FLIGHT: Recent columns have focused on the city ramping up repairs in anticipation of Albuquerque’s biggest party of the year. Johnny Chandler, public information coordinator for the city’s Department of Municipal Development, has some background on how your tax dollars pay for all the road work that happens year round.
He explains that “the city maintains over 4,600 miles of roadway” and prioritizes those roads for maintenance, which “happens every spring, summer and fall.” In just a few weeks, voters will have the option of renewing two important funding streams that go directly into maintaining and improving city streets.
“The 2019 general obligation bond and the ¼-cent transportation tax renewal will both be on the ballot ... Nov. 5. The GO bonds have $2.5million for major street reconstruction and $4million for road rehabilitation. The ¼-cent transportation tax renewal helps with adding just under $20million in road maintenance funds yearly. Without this funding, our ability to maintain and update our roadways will be hurt.”
And Chandler adds it is important to note that “neither of these ballot initiatives will raise property taxes.”
Should voters reject all $125million in city bonds — which include almost $17million for parks, $14million for a new homeless shelter and more than $11 million for storm sewers — it would save property owners with homes with a valuation of $200,000 around $5 a month.
As for additional improvements geared to Balloon Fiesta, Chandler adds that the city is “also asking the state Legislature for additional money to help build a slip ramp from Interstate 25 to assist visitors coming to and from the park on Balloon Fiesta Parkway. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is our signature event, and we are constantly working every year to make the city look more beautiful than it already is.”
RUMBLING FROM THE FIESTA: In a continuation of fiesta-area concerns from last week, Steve Hochmann emails, “I’m not clear on the purpose or relative importance of about a quarter-mile of ‘rumble-strips’ that were recently added to Balloon Fiesta Parkway approaching the freeway frontage road — both the freeway and the stop sign at the frontage road are highly visible on the approach.”
Chandler explains, “The rumble strips were recently installed to address street racing concerns.”
MORE SIDEWALK CONCERNS: The Sept. 23 column focused on sidewalk issues that push pedestrians into the street, and Kate Lynnes emails: “I’m with Jo Martin! The sidewalks in my Parkland Hills neighborhood are unusable for anyone with a walking or visual disability. The slopes at the driveway ramps are typically 45 degrees. When I was recovering from a total knee replacement last year I had to walk with my walker, and later my cane, in the street.
“The city just repaved Ridgecrest near my house and painted a parking lane and made the street a bike lane, but pedestrians are still left with the choice of really bad sidewalks or walking in the street.”
And Charlie adds, “Regarding sidewalk access problems, I live in the NE Heights also. Many of my neighborhood sidewalks are obstructed by bushes. Despite using the city’s 311 app, many are never cleared. If I tried to report all the locations in my neighborhood it would take hours. The city should use staff to identify the offending residences for sidewalk blockage and weeds rather than expecting citizens to do it. The 311 app lets the city off the hook.”
YOU CAN STILL ADOPT A HIGHWAY: Monty Johnson, who identifies as a “volunteer road warrior” in Cimarron, New Mexico, emails, “We here in Cimarron have an adopted section of highway and would like to contact program administrators. I read your article of Monday, April 2, 2018, with great interest. Sadly, the phone number listed for Olga Barron is disconnected, no other info offered. You have an other idea?” You bet. Kimberly Gallegos, who handles information for the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s District 3 office, says the program is still going strong and the person to contact is “still Olga Barron: she no longer ha(s) a land line. Her contact info is (505) 553-2549, or Olga.Barron@state.nm.us.”