FOUR HILLS VILLAGE LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
City Councilor Don Harris - August 2008
Traffic issues have been emerging for years in the far Southeast Heights. Working together, we are engaged in several forward-looking projects to improve the situation. We are working with Representative R.J. Berry, Albuquerque Fire Department, Albuquerque Police Department, and other public safety agencies to improve traffic flow during emergencies. Commissioner Michael Brasher has been working with the state, as has my office and the City’s Administration. The state has implemented the procedures below.
- Installation of gates on the on ramps at interchanges to prohibit entering the interstate.
- Traffic cameras were installed in the Canyon corridor. These provide a live video feed to the Traffic Control Center for quicker response to incidents.
- Federal Highway Administration approved the purchase of Eyewitness Software. The software is used to quickly document a scene with surveying and camera technology to reduce the amount of time needed to clear the road.
Through legislation I sponsored, the City has employed two traffic-planning firms to find solutions to non-emergency traffic issues. One study is designed to improve daily traffic flow patterns. The study will look at possibly designing another road near the Technology Park or expanding or improving roads in the Southeast Heights.
Glatting Jackson is the other firm engaged in traffic analysis, in conjunction with the Sector Plan. This firm will focus on the effects of traffic and the redevelopment of East Central. The East Central Sector Plan is the first planning project that has targeted East Central i n over 20 years. After the community had the opportunity to provide input about redevelopment of East Central, the plan is now moving quickly.
Glatting Jackson has already released their second report after the second set of meetings held in May of 2008. The market analysis conducted by Robert Charles Lesser & CO is also complete and was delivered on August 20th. Both reports can be downloaded from the Council website or you can request an electronic or a hard copy from my office.
By the time this update is published, a three-day planning session will have been completed after being held at the Four Hills Country Club. The Sector Plan will address land use issues and zoning but it does not provide a framework to capture redevelopment funding. That is why we also need a Metropolitan Redevelopment Plan.
The Metropolitan Redevelopment Plan is another vital component of the transformation of East Central. This plan will identify projects that will receive local, state, and federal dollars. The Metropolitan Redevelopment Plan public meetings will be in September. Results will be presented at the District 9 Meeting: Economic Development in Albuquerque, on October 21. Please join our friends and neighbors in September and October as we discuss exciting new improvements in our community. Please contact my office at 768-3123 or my cell phone at 553-5674 if you have any further comments or concerns.