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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Wallace

DATE TYPED 02/25/2005 HM 37

SHORT TITLE

Funding For State Road 4 Improvements

SB

ANALYST Moser

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

NFI

NFI

$4,000-$10,000 Non-Recurring State Road Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico Department of Transportation

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Memorial 37 requests that the NM Department of Transportation fund the widening of

State Road 4 between Rover Blvd. and the Truck Route (labeled Jemez Rd. on the attached map)

in Los Alamos County, City of White Rock. If the NMDOT cannot provide funding in the near

term, the memorial directs the addition to this project to the Statewide Transportation Improve-

ment Program (STIP).

Significant Issues

1.

This project is not in the STIP and consequently it would impact the NMDOT District 5 tar-

get for the full amount ($4 or $10 million, depending on the work done). Other projects al-

ready approved would have to be cancelled or scaled back to accommodate the one proposed.

2.

The memorial uses the term “widening” but it does not define what widening means. The

section of State Road 4 described in the memorial is a two-lane road without shoulders. The

road is classified by NMDOT as Rural in this section. According to the NMDOT widening

could mean to add six-foot shoulders or it could mean widen to 4 lanes and shoulders. Given

House Memorial 37 -- Page 2

the context of usage (to more effectively evacuate White Rock residents in case of an emer-

gency) widening probably refers to increasing travel lanes from two to four and adding

shoulders to the road.

3.

If such a project was designed and constructed, the NMDOT indicates it would not end at the

Truck Route but proceed another 0.1 mile to NM 502. This avoids having a 2-lane bottle

neck between 4-lane sections.

4.

The road passes through San Ildefonso Pueblo and there are Right of Way easements that

would need to be addressed before such a project could be started.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The section of NM 4 described in the memorial is 2.73 miles but to connect seamlessly with NM

502, as suggested by NMDOT engineering design, the section is 3.81 miles. The Assistant Engi-

neer for District 5 gives the following estimates for widening NM 4 from Rover Blvd. to NM

502, a 3.81 mile section.

Scenario 1: To add six-foot shoulders only to the NM 4 between Rover and 502 and to repair the

roadway would cost NMDOT approximately $4,000,000.

Scenario 2: To add two additional travel lanes and six-foot shoulders to the road section de-

scribed above would cost NMDOT approximately $10,000,000.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

The memorial requests that if NMDOT cannot find the money to widen NM 4 that it be added to

House Memorial 37 -- Page 3

the STIP. Under Federal Rule, Part 450.206 Statewide transportation planning process: General

Requirements and 450.212 Public involvement, local governments and communities must be

consulted before a project is added to the STIP. The public must have an opportunity to partici-

pate in planning transportation projects. The State Transportation Planning Process uses the RPO

(Regional Planning Organization) to fulfill this requirement.

EM/lg:yr