HOUSE MEMORIAL 57

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

INTRODUCED BY

Ben Lujan

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TO DESIGNATE REGIONAL TRANSIT DISTRICT CAPITAL PROJECT NEEDS AS APPROPRIATE PROJECTS FOR FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009 AND TO PRESENT THOSE PROJECTS TO THE STATE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.

     WHEREAS, regional transit districts were established by the New Mexico legislature in 2003; and

     WHEREAS, the north central regional transit district made an application to become a regional transit district and was certified by the state transportation commission in September 2004, being recognized as the first regional transit district in the state; and

     WHEREAS, the north central regional transit district is comprised of Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos counties, the cities of Espanola and Santa Fe and Ohkay Owingeh and the Pueblos of Pojoaque, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso and Tesuque; and

     WHEREAS, the north central regional transit district is the only regional transit district in the state to have tribal members and provide tribal transit services; and

     WHEREAS, the north central regional transit district applied in May 2007 to the New Mexico congressional delegation for a bus facility to be placed in northern New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the federal transit administration administrator, however, diverted four hundred eighty million dollars ($480,000,000) to fund congestion mitigation projects, thereby eliminating federal consideration for this project; and

     WHEREAS, all members of the Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos legislative delegation in 2008 signed a letter of support to the New Mexico congressional delegation for this bus facility project; and

     WHEREAS, two New Mexico studies support additional funding for public transportation, one from New Mexico first and the second from the regional economic development initiative of northern New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the residents of Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos counties voted in support of the north central regional transit district in November 2008 by passing a county regional transit gross receipts tax; and

     WHEREAS, the north central regional transit district is a regional provider of public transportation services in northern New Mexico and is attempting to construct a bus facility to be the regional transit district's intermodal hub, to be used for park and ride, distribution of passengers and fleet facilities; and

     WHEREAS, congress has passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that President Obama signed into law on February 17, 2009; and

     WHEREAS, the bus facility and bus funding are qualified projects under the definition of the economic stimulus funding that is available for distribution from the United States department of transportation and these projects will not compete with road project funding; and

     WHEREAS, transit projects are a specific category for set- aside funding to be distributed to New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico department of transportation will be reviewing project eligibility and funding; and

     WHEREAS, the state transportation commission and the governor are authorized to approve funding for these eligible projects;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the secretary of transportation be requested to designate regional transit district capital project needs as appropriate projects for funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and to present the north central regional transit district's bus facility and bus projects to the state transportation commission and the governor for funding out of New Mexico's portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the north central regional transit district has conformed to and complied with all legislative processes necessary to make it eligible for this federal funding; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the commissioners of the state transportation commission, the secretary of transportation and the New Mexico congressional delegation.

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