HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 26

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2009

INTRODUCED BY

Jeff Steinborn

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF EXTENDING THE RAIL RUNNER EXPRESS FROM SANTA FE TO LAS CRUCES.

     WHEREAS, the "Rail Runner Express" is a commuter rail service that runs between Belen and Santa Fe carrying people to work, stores, entertainment and tourist attractions; and

     WHEREAS, to date, two phases of the Rail Runner Express have been completed, and the availability of this commuter option has reduced the burden on commuters of skyrocketing gasoline prices; and

     WHEREAS, phase one extended commuter rail service from Belen to the town of Bernalillo in July 2006; and

     WHEREAS, phase two extended commuter rail service from Bernalillo to Santa Fe, completing the entire route from Belen to Santa Fe in December 2008; and

     WHEREAS, the residents of Las Cruces and Dona Ana county would like to see the Rail Runner Express extended south to provide rail service for commuters and others to Las Cruces and the towns in between; and

     WHEREAS, Las Cruces has been ranked as one of the fastest- growing communities in the United States for the last decade and is now the second-largest city in New Mexico, with more than seventy-four thousand residents, and Dona Ana county is the second-largest county in New Mexico, with close to one hundred seventy-five thousand residents; and

     WHEREAS, the population of the region is projected to continue to grow to more than three hundred thousand people by the year 2015; and

     WHEREAS, Las Cruces is a thriving business environment and has been consistently ranked as one of the best metropolitan areas for business and careers by the Forbes-Milken institute study; and 

     WHEREAS, many people have a need to travel regularly between Las Cruces and Albuquerque for meetings and to conduct business; and

     WHEREAS, Las Cruces is part of the "BorderPlex", along with El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico, due to its proximity to those major cities and the interchange of two interstate highways; and

     WHEREAS, the combined factors of a strong business community, the proximity to El Paso and Juarez and the current and projected population growth suggest that potentially great value could be realized by connecting this vital community with northern regions of the state; and

     WHEREAS, Las Cruces is proud of its preserved, historic train station, and railroad track already exists between it and Santa Fe; and

     WHEREAS, the Rail Runner Express has met with great enthusiasm and has been heavily patronized by commuters who work in Albuquerque but live in outlying communities and by commuters who work in Santa Fe and live in other communities; and

     WHEREAS, the Rail Runner Express could serve additional purposes besides commuter travel, such as providing access to this beautiful region of the state for residents and tourists as well as promoting convenient commerce between the northwest region of the state and the state's capital city;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the department of transportation be requested to complete a feasibility study to determine possible routes, optimum frequency of trips and potential costs of extending the Rail Runner Express from Santa Fe to Las Cruces; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study should create plans that can be set into action to maximize the use of possible funds that the federal government may make available in the future for public transit systems; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that those plans should also consider the need to ease the congestion on state highways running from Santa Fe in northern New Mexico to Las Cruces in southern New Mexico to reduce the need for expansion of highways and the costs of maintaining those highways; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the feasibility study, when complete, be presented to appropriate legislative interim committees by November 2010 and that a copy be submitted to the library of the legislative council service; and

      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary-designate of transportation and the governor.

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