RAILS BULLETIN March 2000
We would like to make a few comments inspired by
the recent "Listening Session" sponsored by the
Middle Rio Grande Coucil of Governments (MRGCOG)
Urban Transportation Planning Policy Board
(UTPPB) on March 22, 2000 at the City/County
Chambers in Albuquerque, featuring attendance by
members of the Federal Highway and Transit
Administrations.
We understand that the MRGCOG serves as the
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for this
area of New Mexico and is charged with building
public awareness toward compliance with the Clean
Air Act, ISTEA, TEA-21, etc., and that federal
representatives were in town to see what progress
is being made.
There are some hard-working right-thinking people
in MRGCOG and other concerned organizations, but
we believe that the deck is stacked in favor of
highway/automotive interests at the expense of
far better transportation options. Two of many
reasons we believe this to be true are:
- The Chair of the above mentioned meeting
stated repeatedly that we need to wait until some
"peer community" moved ahead first. He even used
the term "being good copiers." We submit to you,
as we did to him, that if everybody did that,
nothing worthwhile or innovative would ever get
done in this world. (Check out St. Louis,
Missouri and the Phoenix initiative.)
- A member of the NM Transportation and
Highway Department recently told a MRGCOG Rio
Grande Connections meeting that a regional
commuter rail line is impossible because of "tort
liability" concerning the BNSF Railroad. We
believe this thinking is negative at best,
represents vested interests at worst, and that
these issues already have been explored and can
be worked out.
A glance at MRGCOG's "Connections" material shows
us a pretty full menu of transportation options.
The problem is that our public, in general, is
aware of only some of these first-hand. We feel
that high priority should be placed on funding
and operating working demonstration projects in
these missing areas, as follows:
- A simple, comfortable, "beginner's"
commuter rail system on existing tracks including
paved or graveled Park-and-Ride lots at the
station stops.
- A couple of well-located HOV lanes (set
aside for buses, car pools, van pools, and
motorcycles) carved out of existing freeways or
arterials. These lanes could be operated in
conjunction with Albuquerque's ACT NOW
initiative.
- Conversion of at least one bus corridor in
Albuquerque from service by a few big buses to
that of many amd more frequent small ones, not
forgetting CNG fuel, wheelchair access and those
great bike racks.
- A publicity program promoting the above,
along the lines of the campaigns for seat belts
and sober driving.
Notes:
We are not promoting super-fast rail, magnetic
levitation or other sophisticated and expensive
systems now or in the near future. Such proposals
can actually hinder the step-by-step progress we
need to make, at least here in New Mexico. We
want Cheap and Soon.
Excellent studies and preliminary work have
already been done concerning our proposals,
especially in the commuter rail area.
Summary
In an era when the drawbacks of our present
transportation systems have become painfully
evident, we are squandering our health, our
sanity, our energy, and hundreds of millions of
dollars running to stand still. We feel that the
relatively minor cost involved in implementing
our proposals for several years will give the
public a chance to sample the full menu and
actually use all the alternatives presented by
MRGCOG and others. This strategy, if pursued,
could be long remembered and copied as a model of
shrewd and far-sighted investment in the public
good.
Contact us for more detailed information.