1. Do you bike in New Mexico? Describe your experience biking for transportation and/or recreation.
Yes, I’m a recreation bike rider. My husband and I live near Tramway and we regularly bike on
the trail that parallels Tramway up to the Forest Service road turn-off and within the
neighborhoods east of Tramway. Like other residents, I would like to be able to bike to nearby
restaurants and businesses but safety is a concern. There are not sufficient and safe bike lanes
or bike routes. Where bike lanes may exist on specific streets, adjacent streets do not have bike
lanes or sidewalks (for example Spain Road off of Tramway Blvd. does not have designated
bike lanes).
2. Describe your vision of a healthy, safe, equitable transportation system for the Greater Albuquerque Region and the roles walking, biking, and public transportation play in that vision.
One of Albuquerque’s best attributes is its climate and the ability to be outdoors nearly year
round. Having spent the majority of my career with the United States Forest Service, first as a
backcountry ranger, and then as the District Ranger for Cibola National Forest, I’m a proponent
of outdoor recreation, environmental stewardship, and sustainable living.
I would like to see more people walking and biking—for recreation, and to get to work, to shop,
or get to school—or using Albuquerque’s public transit. Taking steps to encourage physical
activity, like regular biking and walking, throughout life makes for an overall healthier population.
The city, county, and state can work better to fund road design construction that incorporates
pedestrian and bike use and safety.
3. What are the biggest barriers to getting people to choose walking, biking, and public transit instead of personal vehicles for daily trips, and what would you do to address these impediments?
People choose to walk, bike, and use public transportation when it’s convenient, reliable, and
safe. People will walk to work or to local businesses to shop if it’s close to where they live and if
the route is safe. They would bike if safe, connecting bike lanes and routes existed. They may
choose to take a bus if they feel like it’s reliable,safe, and clean. We have a long way to go to
make more of Albuquerque more friendly to public transit, but it is something I support.
4. New Mexico consistently has the deadliest streets of any state in the US, with approximately 400 people killed by vehicles each year while walking, biking, or driving, and another 12,000 people injured. What should New Mexico, and in particular the New Mexico Department of Transportation, do to improve traffic safety?
The NM Department of Transportation needs to focus on two areas to improve traffic safety.
One is to do more education and signage reminding drivers that bicyclists and pedestrians
share the roadways. Adequate cross walks and bike crossings need to be installed and bikers
and pedestrians need to be reminded to use these when crossing streets.
The second is to enforce penalties for behaviors that make our roads less safe. We continue to
see too many accidents caused by speeding, drag racing and drivers under the influence of
drugs and alcohol. We need to ensure we enforce the DWI penalties as many of our car
accident injuries and fatalities are a result of drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Traffic death and injury can be reduced in Albuquerque by making streets safer for all
users—for drivers, pedestrians (including those using mobility devices), and bicyclists. I support
“Complete Streets” as a transportation policy where roads are designed that prioritizes the
safety and mobility of all users. As a legislator, I will support and invest in Albuquerque’s
transportation safety goals of zero fatalities from traffic collisions, and I will support legislation
and funding for roads that include bike lanes.
5. The New Mexico DOT is currently pursuing a pair of projects related to Interstate 25, following the South I-25 Corridor Study that calls for the widening of Interstate 25 in Albuquerque from Sunport to the Big I, to 8 lanes from the current 6. Do you support urban freeway widenings, or how would you prefer NMDOT enhance transportation options in this corridor?
No one likes traffic congestion. While adding lanes can initially decrease traffic, studies show
that as road capacity increases, so does the number of cars on the road increase. Soon, the
same problem resurfaces—congestion. I would need to better understand this specific lane
widening proposal and how it relates to future growth and potential solutions, like constructing a
beltway around the city.