CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY FOURTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-20-28 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Isaac Benton
RESOLUTION
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Adopting The Silver Avenue Bike Boulevard Review, Making The Recommendations Within The Plan Policy Priorities For The Silver Avenue Bike Boulevard Between Yale Boulevard And The Paseo Del Bosque Trail (Benton)
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ADOPTING THE SILVER AVENUE BIKE BOULEVARD REVIEW, MAKING THE RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN THE PLAN POLICY PRIORITIES FOR THE SILVER AVENUE BIKE BOULEVARD BETWEEN YALE BOULEVARD AND THE PASEO DEL BOSQUE TRAIL.
WHEREAS, Silver Avenue (“the corridor”) is a critical corridor in the City’s bicycle transportation network; and
WHEREAS, a bicycle boulevard provides the function of a principle arterial to cyclists by providing the capacity and efficiency to conveniently connect together major origins and destinations within a community; and
WHEREAS, the corridor is part of a complex of three bike boulevards, three paved bike paths, and three bike/pedestrian bridges that connect the Petroglyph National monument on the City western border to the Sandia National Wilderness on Albuquerque’s eastern boundary; and
WHEREAS, the corridor connects major destinations such as Old Town, Downtown, EDo and Huning Highland, the University of New Mexico (UNM), Nob Hill, and the Bosque; and
WHEREAS, the corridor is an increasingly prominent transportation facility for the purposes of economic and community development connecting residential neighborhoods with major component of today’s urban economy: the higher education, research, and medical facilities at the UNM’s north, main and south campuses, the Central New Mexico (CNM) Main Campus, and the UNMH, UNM-NIH Cancer Hospital, the Presbyterian Main, and Presbyterian Hospital Campuses, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL); and
WHEREAS, facilities such as Silver Avenue are a key component to providing the quality of life that could attract and retain students, professors, research professionals, and others associated with these institutions; and
WHEREAS, riding a bike is both a means of recreation, of low-cost transportation, a way to stay healthy for an active life style and a way to release the stress from a workday of high-stress, mentally challenging work at a desk, laboratory, examination room, or class room; and
WHEREAS, the corridor supports bicycle use by cyclists of all abilities; and
WHEREAS, bicycle boulevards were designed and implemented in 2009 following the passage of F/S R-07-268; and
WHEREAS, the portion of the Silver Bike Boulevard from Yale Blvd to Nob Hill was reviewed in 2015, resulting in the identification of deficiencies and the design and construction of improvements that have made that portion of the Silver Bike Boulevard safer and easier to use; and
WHEREAS, in 2018 the City engaged a professional transportation engineering consultant to review the corridor from Yale Blvd to Paseo Del Bosque Trail to identify deficiencies and make recommendations for improvements that could make the corridor safer and easier to use; and
WHEREAS, the consultant made two presentations to the Greater Albuquerque Bicycling Advisory Group (GABAC) and held two public meetings; and
WHEREAS, the input and recommendations from the community were taken into consideration in the final draft of the plan that was produced in December 2019; and
WHEREAS, in February 2020 a draft of the plan was produced and provided to the surrounding community; and
WHEREAS, the Silver Avenue Bike Boulevard Review (“the Plan”) is attached to this legislation as “Exhibit A”; and
WHEREAS, the Plan offers recommendations for projects for the entirety of the corridor to make the corridor safer and easier to use for cyclists of all abilities; and
WHEREAS, the recommendations address crossing Interstate 25 (I-25) and the railroad tracks which are two major obstacles to creating a comfortable connection throughout the corridor for all levels of users; and
WHEREAS, the corridor passage under I-25 is especially needed to provide bike access from the residential neighborhoods and employment uses, which though small in scale will have a significant impact on the development of Albuquerque; and
WHEREAS, adoption of the Plan will help prioritize improvements along the corridor; and
WHEREAS, the Plan is consistent with the recommendations and policy guidance in the City’s Complete Street Ordinance, O-19-64; and
WHEREAS, the Plan and its recommendations further existing studies and adopted plans, including the Downtown 2025 Metropolitan Redevelopment Plan, the Downtown Neighborhood Area Traffic Study, the Downtown Walkability Analysis, the Downtown Signals-to-Stop Signs Conversion Evaluation, and the Downtown Safe Zone; and
WHEREAS, the recommendations in this plan further several goals and policies within the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Comprehensive Plan, particularly in the Transportation (Ch. 6) and Urban Design (Ch. 7) Chapters.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
SECTION 1. The City Council hereby adopts The Silver Avenue Bike Boulevard Review, attached hereto as Exhibit A, to guide the improvement of the Silver Avenue Bike Boulevard between Yale Blvd. and Paseo Del Bosque.
SECTION 2. The City Council supports the placement of the project within the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
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