44th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2000

REQUESTING THE STATE HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO ADDRESS SANTA FE RELIEF ROUTE ISSUES.

WHEREAS, a four-lane bypass or relief route in the city and county of Santa Fe is under construction; and

WHEREAS, the bypass will serve as the hazardous waste transportation route, will bypass the center of Santa Fe and will serve as a major artery to relieve traffic within the city; and

WHEREAS, the legislature recognizes that reducing New Mexico's high levels of motor vehicle crash deaths and injuries and ensuring the safety of hazardous waste transportation must be a priority for all branches of government; and

WHEREAS, the bypass was conceived as a limited access highway with grade separated crossings for safety; and

WHEREAS, the implementation of the bypass uses multiple at-grade crossings with no traffic signals to accommodate cross traffic that may be hazardous to persons' health, safety and welfare on completed sections of the bypass; and

WHEREAS, traffic signals have been proven to lower the accident rate on those completed sections;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the state highway and transportation department be requested to install traffic signals to provide safe crossings, ingress and egress to the bypass intersections with county roads 62 and 70 and with camino de los Montoyas and Ephriam street; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state highway and transportation department support the intent of this memorial and work with federal and local highway agencies and local communities to improve the safety of the bypass and ensure that future connections are safe and that input and comments from the affected communities are addressed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the state highway commission, the secretary of highway and transportation, the federal secretary of energy and the federal secretary of transportation.