CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY-FIRST COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-15-152 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Isaac Benton
RESOLUTION
title
Adopting The September 2014 Downtown Walkability Analysis As A City Policy For Prioritizing Multi-Modal Improvements In The Downtown Area (Benton)
body
ADOPTING THE SEPTEMBER 2014 DOWNTOWN WALKABILITY ANALYSIS AS A CITY POLICY FOR PRIORITIZING MULTI-MODAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
WHEREAS, the City Council in early 2014 commissioned Jeff Speck, a nationally-known urban planner, designer and author, to study the overall walkability of the city's core and make recommendations for pedestrian, bicycle and traffic improvements that could be implemented there; and
WHEREAS, this study involved close coordination and dialogue with relevant city agencies and stakeholder groups, including the Department of Municipal Development, ABQ Ride, Downtown residents and business owners, and revitalization leaders; and
WHEREAS, the report makes recommendations for vehicle lane reconfigurations, bicycle facilities, roadway realignments and sidewalk improvements that could improve circulation and livability in Downtown; and
WHEREAS, the report also makes policy recommendations aimed at encouraging the continued revitalization and redevelopment of the area and addressing challenges such as parking, safety and street trees; and
WHEREAS, these recommendations include many that could be implemented inexpensively during already-scheduled roadway maintenance and small improvement projects, such as restriping lanes and enhancing signalization, and others that warrant further consideration and/or prioritization of funding, such as providing at-grade pedestrian and/or traffic crossings over the railroad tracks for some east-west streets, conversion of one-way streets to two-way facilities, and reducing vehicle lanes to calm traffic on major thoroughfares; and
WHEREAS, many of the recommendations aim to further enhance current redevelopment efforts, such as Innovate ABQ, Bus Rapid Transit and the Rail Yards redevelopment with timely improvements to the public right-of-way; and
WHEREAS, none of the recommendations are in conflict with the current planning regulations and land-use policies established for the area by the Downtown 2025 Sector Development Plan, and would implement many of the recommendations of that plan for placemaking and walkability.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
SECTION 1. The Downtown Walkability Analysis, attached hereto as Attachment 1, shall be considered the current policy document for the continued development, maintenance and upgrading of transportation facilities in the public right-of-way in Downtown.
SECTION 2. The Department of Municipal Development shall endeavor to implement the list of key improvements identified in Section 1 of Attachment 2 to this legislation as soon as regular maintenance needs require work in affected public rights-of-way and/or as funding is available.
SECTION 3. The City Council, the Department of Municipal Development, and other affected agencies shall coordinate and study the feasibility and costs of, and where applicable prioritize the development of funding sources for the projects identified in Section 2 of Attachment 2 to this legislation.
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