District 2 Newsletter

February 16, 2019 Newsletter from City Councilor Isaac Benton

Hello Neighbors,

The next Council meeting is Wednesday, February 20 at 5:00 pm in Council Chambers, basement level of city hall: Agenda

R-19-122 Establishing a Downtown Safe Zone (Benton) was moved from LUPZ with a recommendation of "Do Pass" and will be on the agenda for the Monday, March 4 Council meeting. This resolution establishes a boundary for a walkable downtown core with a maximum 20 mph speed limit. The zone also consolidates information in an attachment for several existing policies and plans, clarifying existing and future multi-modal projects. Lomas Boulevard is the northern boundary of the zone, but itself is not within the zone and remains at 30 mph.

Pedestrians have a 90% survival rate is when hit by car at 20 mph; the pedestrian survival rate is only 50% at a 30 mph car speed. The 20 mph zone emphasizes that the naturally-slow speeds of the Downtown core make cycling and walking an exceptionally safe activity within its limits.

O-19-48 Limiting the Use of Single-Use Plastics and Polystyrene (Benton, Davis, Gibson, Borrego) will be deferred at the February 20 Council meeting to allow for the requested Economic Impact Analysis (EIA) to be conducted. See a fact sheet on the proposed ordinance.
O-18-23 Amending the Police Oversight Board Ordinance (Benton, Winter) will also be on the agenda at the February 20 Council meeting for discussion and public comment. The bill will be deferred for additional Council hearings. This is a relatively minor update of the existing ordinance, which in my opinion has been working quite well. We are actively having discussions with advocacy organizations, the police union, and community members. I encourage you to follow the progress and participate.

Santa Barbara Martineztown Pedestrian Improvements: There will be a public meeting Tuesday, February 26th at 6:00 pm in the community room at the Santa Barbara School (1420 Edith Blvd NE) to discuss the results of the participatory budgeting voting process and the next steps for implementing the projects.
Silver Avenue Bicycle Boulevard Review (Yale to Paseo del Bosque): View presentation materials from the February 5 public meeting.
UPDATE: Rio Grande & Candelaria Roundabout: Patti Watson at CWA Strategies will be handling notifications, updates, public information, etc. regarding the Rio Grande/Candelaria Roundabout project as we approach and throughout construction. You can ask to receive all future updates on the project at http://rgc-roundabout.com/contact.php or by contacting Patti Watson at [email protected], (505) 245-3134 or (505) 269-9691.

On Friday morning, Feb. 22, crews will install barricades at the intersection of Rio Grande Blvd. NW and Candelaria Road NW so that the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority can relocate three water lines that are in conflict with the upcoming roundabout. The roundabout is planned for construction in the intersection later this year. The project team will be sending out regular construction updates during the ABCWUA project.

Artful Life Barelas Stories Workshops: Barelas stories wanted! Saturdays in March.
Valley Area Command Community Policing Council: The Valley Area Command Community Policing Council will be meeting every other month on the 4th Thursday from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at the Wells Park Community Center. The next meeting is March 28. Meetings are held at the Johnny Tapia Community Center at Wells Park, which is between 5th and 6th Streets on Mountain Road. The CPC is planning to have a public defender as a guest speaker. Contact Rowan Wymark, Chair with questions: [email protected].
Open Space Visitor Center Events: We have the best open space system in the country!
ABQ365 Events: Year-round events in Albuquerque.

Mural Fest 2019: Call for artists
CNM FUSE Makerspace: Learn about the community and opportunities!
Rail Runner's Seniors Ride Free: Wednesdays all year!
S.H.A.R.P. Program to Clean Up Needles and Syringes: Get information about reporting needles on public property.
City Traffic Construction Reports Available Online along with the Department of Municipal Development’s (DMD) Interactive Map!
Downtown Arts & Cultural District Interactive Map: Explore galleries, coffee shops, museums, theaters, restaurants, and more.
MurosABQ.com: Directory of murals in Albuquerque.

Sincerely,
Isaac Benton
City Councilor, District 2