CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY THIRD COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-19-122 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Isaac Benton
RESOLUTION
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Establishing A Downtown Safe Zone Boundary As Described Herein, Bounded To The North Up To Lomas Boulevard But Not Including Lomas Boulevard, The BNSF Railroad Tracks To The East, Coal Avenue To The South, And 8th Street To The West; And Identifying Transportation Improvements Within This Bounded Area For The Purposes Of Multi-Modal Safety (Benton)
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ESTABLISHING A DOWNTOWN SAFE ZONE BOUNDARY AS DESCRIBED HEREIN, BOUNDED TO THE NORTH UP TO LOMAS BOULEVARD BUT NOT INCLUDING LOMAS BOULEVARD, THE BNSF RAILROAD TRACKS TO THE EAST, COAL AVENUE TO THE SOUTH, AND 8TH STREET TO THE WEST; AND IDENTIFYING TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THIS BOUNDED AREA FOR THE PURPOSES OF MULTI-MODAL SAFETY.
WHEREAS, the 2017 Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Comprehensive Plan (“The Plan”) identifies the downtown area as, “its own Center type with the most intense, walkable, mixed-use environment in the Albuquerque area”; and
WHEREAS, Policy 6.2.4 of The Plan says that the City should “prioritize pedestrian travel, safety, and amenities above all other modes on Main Street Corridors and streets within Downtown, Urban Centers, and Activity Centers”; and
WHEREAS, Table 7-3 in The Plan outlines development forms for the various Centers within The Plan, prioritizing multi-modal incentives, connectivity and access for cyclists and pedestrians, and pedestrian circulation within the Downtown area; and
WHEREAS, Goal 6.4 in The Plan makes a connection between multi-modal transportation options and public health, stating that the City should, “Reduce the adverse effects of automobile travel on air quality through coordinated land use and transportation that promotes the efficient placement of housing, and services and improve the viability of multi-modal transportation options”; and
WHEREAS, other policy efforts to increase walkability and multi-modal safety in the downtown area have occurred, including the adopted 2014 Downtown Walkability Analysis (R-15-152 and R-18-40) and a 2015 study on downtown stop signs; and
WHEREAS, through the adoption of the 2015 Complete Streets Ordinance (O-14-27) the City committed to create and maintain streets that are comfortable and efficient for all users, regardless of their preferred mode of travel; and
WHEREAS, the current speed limit in the downtown area varies between 15 miles per hour and 30 miles per hour; and
WHEREAS, reducing the speed limit in the boundary as depicted in Exhibit A to this resolution to a maximum of 20 miles per hour will implement the goals in The Plan and promote multi-modal options in the area; and
WHEREAS, Exhibit A outlines other transportation improvements to further facilitate multi-modal options in the area, including additional stop signs, enhanced pedestrian crossings, enhanced pedestrian railroad crossings, and conversion of one-way streets to two-way streets; and
WHEREAS, enhanced pedestrian crossings can include the use of design features such as speed tables, street and pavement markings and paint, HAWK lights, and traffic signals and timing; and
WHEREAS, the downtown street grid pattern provides multi-modal connections that will benefit from the Safe Zone designation; and
WHEREAS, the downtown street grid provides efficiency and redundancy of routes for all modes of travel and traffic; and
WHEREAS, the original grid was interrupted with the development of Civic Plaza and the conversion of several downtown streets to one-way configurations, it is therefore desirable to maximize and restore the functionality of the grid; and
WHEREAS, Vision Zero is a national movement that is a commitment to achieve zero traffic fatalities and severe injuries among all road users (including people walking, bicycling, using transit, and driving) within a set timeframe; and
WHEREAS, reducing speeds is a key component of a Vision Zero approach; and
WHEREAS, studies show that at 20 miles per hour a pedestrian has a 90% chance of surviving being hit by a vehicle; and
WHEREAS, that statistic drops to 50% at 30 miles per hour and 10% at 40 miles per hour; and
WHEREAS, enforcement of a 20 miles per hour or lower speed limit in the area as described in Exhibit A will benefit the health, safety, and welfare of downtown residents and visitors alike.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
SECTION 1. A 20 miles per hour speed limit Safe Zone is hereby adopted for the boundary as outlined in Exhibit A to this resolution. Posted speeds within the Safe Zone shall be 20 miles per hour or lower. Adoption of the 20 miles per hour speed limit Safe Zone shall include replacement of existing speed limit signs, installation of new speed limit signs, and adjustment of traffic signal timing.
SECTION 2. The additional transportation improvements outlined in Exhibit A to this resolution shall be priorities for the area in the future.
SECTION 3. Infrastructure improvements or other alterations to the streetscape within the area depicted in Exhibit A shall be designed to provide a streetscape that is appropriate for a roadway with a 20 mile per hour or lower speed limit.
SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This resolution shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication by title and general summary.
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