A better way forward
A plan for sustainable, equitable, and modern 21st-century solutions that address our transportation needs while protecting communities
1
Stop the expansion
Stop the expansion
We ask Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and NMDOT not to submit the current plan to the federal government (NEPA review) and instead come back to the table and consider better solutions than the outdated and harmful "just add more lanes" approach—solutions that would benefit everyone: drivers, local communities, and the local and regional economies.​
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The first step is to stop the current plan​​
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​NO to more lanes
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NO to higher speeds
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NO to deadlier intersections
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NO to more frontage roads
​Urgency: We have until the Spring of 2025 to stop the state from submitting the plan. This is a once-in-a-generation project, if we don't stop it now it will have devastating consequences for decades to come!
2
Improve pedestrian safety
Pedestrian level of traffic stress
The Pedestrian Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) is a measure of how comfortable and safe a walking environment feels to people walking.
For a high-volume road with a traffic light and no other pedestrian protection, the intersection LTS depends simply on the number of lanes one must cross.
1-3 lanes: LTS 2
4 lanes: LTS 3
5+ lanes: LTS 4
Several of the highway access intersections—MLK, Central, Lead & Coal—have LTS of 3 or 4. The plan calls for additional lanes at all intersections, including increasing some intersections to 6 lanes!
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We demand NMDOT achieves LTS 2 at all four of these intersections through these walkable neighborhoods in the heart of Albuquerque.
Standards & tools
The pedestrian and cyclist level of service are another set of design tools to evaluate the quality, comfort, and safety of infrastructure. They measure, among other things, the average wait time people experience at intersections. These are specified by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Highway Capacity Manual.
NMDOT has not presented any pedestrian or cyclist level of traffic stress or level of service. We ask NMDOT to use these standard pedestrian and cyclist design tools when designing intersections through walkable areas.
Intersection Design
It doesn't matter how safe and protected the sidewalk or bike lane is, if intersections are risky, stressful experiences. Intersections must be as safe and secure as the paths that lead into them.
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The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), of which Albuquerque is a member of, publishes manuals and guides on best practices for intersection design. There are many possible smart designs that balance the needs and safety of different users, including raised crosswalks, curb extensions, median refuge islands, roundabouts, and more. ​​
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Ask NMDOT to design better intersections!
Protected intersections
The proposed plan calls for separated multi-use paths at all four crossings, which is awesome! However, they give up at the intersection. The FHWA's Bikeway Selection Guide calls for protected intersections in this type of facility.
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NMDOT: Choose protected intersections​
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Protected intersections maintain physical separation through the intersection, minimize conflict points, slow vehicle turns, and improve sightlines, making crossings safer for pedestrians and giving cyclists clear, predictable movements.
Minimize conflict points
Even better than designing complex intersections is eliminating these dangerous conflict points altogether. The study area already has a higher density of highway access points than the rest of I-25 through the city. If highway access is eliminated at some of these they can be treated as low-stress local street intersections.
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Additionally, the plan calls for adding frontage roads south of Central, where there currently is none. This would pass next to the Highland Park and the Silver Street Bike Boulevard, both currently low-stress family-friendly areas. The plan recommends against the long-awaited Silver Street Bike Boulevard tunnel because it would require mid-block crossings of the new proposed frontage roads.
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We ask NMDOT: Do not add new frontage roads, eliminate the frontage roads north of Central, and build a pedestrian and cycling tunnel along the Silver Street Bike Boulevard. ​​
3
Develop a long-term plan
Urban highway removal
​We call on NMDOT and MRCOG to study alternatives and create a long-term plan to reduce the impact of both highways on the city's core.
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Dozens of cities across the country have completed urban highway removal projects, and the federal government has funded many such projects through the Federal Reconnecting Communities Grant program.
This can be achieved through a combination of strategies including:
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Highway-to-boulevard-conversion: creating a connected, human-scale, multi-modal corridor for local traffic.
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​Highway rerouting: Rerouting I-25 west of the city to avoid incursion through the city center. A mid-term partial rerouting could consist of an alternate route for non-local and freight traffic.
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Highway cap or lid: partly digging the highway and covering it with a "lid" which can be used as open space.​
Examples from across the country
Dallas, TX: I-35E highway lid
Lid construction progress
Planned park over highway
Rochester, NY: Inner Loop highway-to-boulevard conversion
Before
After
See even more amazing examples
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4
Invest in transit
A smart choice
NMDOT has a choice in which transportation projects to pursue and which federal grants to apply for.
Transit alleviates the pressure on highways, costs significantly less than highway expansions, boosts economic growth, reduces environmental impacts, and increases equity in transportation. In L.A. a study done during a transit strike showed transit reduces congestion by 47% and saves citizens $2.1 billion annually. Studies in cities across the country show similar results.
We ask NMDOT and our state elected officials to invest significantly in transit and choose transit when addressing future transportation needs.
Regional trips—Rail Runner
Effective regional transit connects productive places at high speeds. To compete with driving, it must be frequent, fast, and convenient. The places it connects must also have competitive local transit. A good examplar is the Eurostar train connecting London and Paris non-stop, with trains departing from both terminuses roughly every hour, 7 days a week, every day except Christmas.
The Rail Runner was an amazing investment, that came at a miniscule cost compared to the highway.
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Rail Runner: $400M for entire 97-mile corridor
​I-25 expansion:​ $100M+ per mile​
However, some serious improvements are needed for it to be competitive with driving and make a significant dent in I-25 traffic. The goal should be high-speed non-stop trains between downtown Albuquerque and Santa Fe, departing roughly every hour, 7 days a week.
Local trips—ART
The good: The Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) was another great investment that has already made transit more convenient. It was the first Gold Standard BRT system in the country, and includes great features such as dedicated bus lanes, level-boarding, off-board fare collection (Zero Fair), long spacing between stops, and more!
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The bad: Its initial launch was marred by many issues, as expected from a first-of-project, but rather than building on the lessons learned, the City abandoned plans for future expansion, throwing away all the hard-earned institutional knowledge. Even worse, the city continues to prioritize single-occupancy private vehicles and operate the ART in a way that makes it inconvenient for most people.​​
Improve the ART — To attract new riders, the ART must be convenient, safe, and competitive with driving.
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High frequency: frequencies of <10 min. between buses, throughout the day, ensure people can walk up to an ART station without checking schedules.
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Hours of operations: The ART must operate 7 days a week, at least 18 hours a day, ideally longer.
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Clean & safe: All riders, including women traveling alone, the elderly, and children, must feel safe and comfortable when riding the ART.​
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Expand the ART — We call on the city and MRCOG to develop an expansion plan for the ART network, based on the concept of maximum ridership. The new lines should be of the same or higher quality, including dedicated lanes and level-boarding.
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Fund the ART — We call on the state and NMDOT to fund both capital projects, such as ART expansion, and annual transit operating budgets. The state should play a role in local transit since a large proportion of the highway's use is from local travel; transferring even a small proportion of trips from personal vehicles to transit could save the state billions of dollars. ​Effective regional transit also requires convenient local transit at your destination.
