District 2 Newsletter

March 2, 2019 Newsletter from City Councilor Isaac Benton

Legislation

R-19-122 Establishing a Downtown Safe Zone (Benton) will be on the agenda for the Monday, March 4 Council meeting. This resolution stablishes 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) was deferred for 90 days (until May) 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 be heard again at the March 18 Council meeting for discussion and public comment. 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.

Artful Life Barelas Stories Workshops: Barelas stories wanted! Saturdays in March.
UNM & Hispanic Bar Association Summer Law Camp: Applications due April 5.
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