City of Albuquerque - File #: R-18-40

• File #: R-18-40
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Enacted
• File created: 5/21/2018
• In control: City Council
• Final action: 8/6/2018
• Enactment date: 8/24/2018
• Enactment #: R-2018-047
• Title: Establishing City Policy For The Implementation Of Downtown Walkability Improvements; Repealing And Replacing R-15-152 (Enactment R-2015-024) (Benton)
• Sponsors: Isaac Benton

Date	Action By	Action	Result
8/24/2018	City Clerk	Published
8/20/2018	Mayor	Signed by the Mayor
8/14/2018	City Council	Sent to Mayor for Signature
8/6/2018	City Council	Passed as Amended	Pass
8/6/2018	City Council	Amended	Pass
6/18/2018	City Council	Accepted with a recommendation Do Pass, As Amended
6/13/2018	Land Use, Planning, and Zoning Committee	Sent to Council with a recommendation of Do Pass, as Amended	Pass
6/13/2018	Land Use, Planning, and Zoning Committee	Amended	Pass
5/21/2018	City Council	Introduced and Referred
5/21/2018	President	Referred

CITY of ALBUQUERQUE

TWENTY THIRD COUNCIL

COUNCIL BILL NO.         R-18-40                 ENACTMENT NO.   ________________________

SPONSORED BY:                     Isaac Benton

RESOLUTION

title

Establishing City Policy For The Implementation Of Downtown Walkability Improvements; Repealing And Replacing R-15-152 (Enactment R-2015-024) (Benton)

body

ESTABLISHING CITY POLICY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DOWNTOWN WALKABILITY IMPROVEMENTS; REPEALING AND REPLACING R-15-152 (ENACTMENT R-2015-024).

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 which resulted in the Albuquerque Downtown Walkability Analysis submitted by Mr. Speck on September 5, 2014 (the “report”); 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 and would implement many of the relevant recommendations for place-making and walkability; and

WHEREAS,    although R-15-152 as adopted establishes the current policy for the continued development, maintenance and upgrade of public transportation facilities in Downtown; and

WHEREAS,    continued progress toward a more vibrant and walkable Downtown is dependent on the adherence to the well-studied and well-reasoned policies established by R-15-152; and

WHEREAS,    notwithstanding, certain improvements made pursuant to R-15-152 have recently been reversed or otherwise abandoned to the detriment of Downtown; and

WHEREAS,    in order to ensure consistent and predictable future progress consistent with R-15-152 a revised resolution may be necessary to clarify and better implement the guiding policies established by the City Council.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:

                     SECTION 1.                       R-15-152 is hereby repealed in its entirety, and replaced with this resolution.

                     SECTION 2. The September 5, 2014 Albuquerque Downtown Walkability Analysis, attached hereto as Exhibit 1, and incorporated herein by reference is the City’s current policy for the continued development, maintenance and upgrading of transportation facilities in the public right-of-way in Downtown.                      

                     SECTION 3.                     Exhibit 2, as attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, lists and categorizes the specific policies outlined by the report for ease of reference, and the Department of Municipal Development shall implement the list of key improvements identified in Section 1 of Exhibit 2 as soon as regular maintenance needs require work in affected public rights-of-way and/or as funding is available. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the four-way-stops at 4^th and Roma and at 5^th and Roma, listed as part of item 15 of Exhibit 2, “signalizations improvements,” shall be immediately reinstated.

SECTION 4.  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 Exhibit 2 to this legislation.

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