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The city is seeking input on which designs/trains they should choose for the new Modern Streetcar. There currently are seven designs/trains to choose from, and the builders are from all over the world. The idea is to choose something that will reflect ABQ as the Rail Runner Commuter Train reflects New Mexico. Here is a post from the ABQ Tribune:
Completion is expected in early 2009. Incorporating this with the Rail Runner commuter train, and the bus system, ABQ will have a very reliable transit system. I am glad we are laying the foundation for mass transit now instead of waiting to hit the million population mark!!!!!!
Very nice addition to downtown! Marty is asking the transit dept. to have these operational by Fall 2009 (according to the city website), so I would actually expect to see them running sometime in 2010.
But judging by some of the posts regarding Downtown/Central Ave., they better be equiped with bullet-proof glass & gun turrets plus cow-catchers to push away all the homeless people that seem to be littering the streets.
Chap
http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/:sarcasm: (broken link)
I wonder if smarty is using all the revenue he is generating with his speed trap cameras to fund this project. 28 millon a mile is pretty high dollar. He better get a couple hundred more revenue camaras. I also wonder what the break even point for fare price is going to be.
I wonder if smarty is using all the revenue he is generating with his speed trap cameras to fund this project. 28 millon a mile is pretty high dollar. He better get a couple hundred more revenue camaras. I also wonder what the break even point for fare price is going to be.
I agree, 28 million per mile is way too high for this idea to get off the ground and pay for itself given the bugdet projection for the next 10 years. Marty's off his rocker again and trying to push this on the City for his own reasons.
First off, I am in agreement that is a great idea. Definitely better to be proactive towards inevitable growth, than being reactive when it is almost too late (and trying to play catch up).
However, my big, big complaint with this is the issue of funding it. Unless I am reading something incorrectly, the way the mayor and the council want to pay for this is by taking a transportation tax - that voters voted on in 1999 as agreeing to implement, with the understanding that it was earmarked to end in 10 years...eg: 2009 - and extending it to 2020. Council president Brad Winter is insisting that such a funding / changes needs to be presented to the voters [eg: us, the residents of Albuquerque] to decide, however, Mayor Chavez and most of the rest of the council sees no real reason to do that.
Frankly, I am disgusted by that. The principle of "government needs to take care of the simpleton public" or "we [eg: the government] know what is best for them (and their wallets)" is permeating more and more locally, and it is one of my big (actually by far my biggest) frustrations with Albuquerque.
In my opinion, the voters should have any say in an extension of a tax that they were - now seemingly erroneously - assured would end in 10 years (2009).
While I would personally rather see a redistribution of already wasteful local government spending to fund the streetcar project, I would not have a major beef if they presented this issue on a ballot, clearly stating and indicating their desire to extend the tax through 2020 for the purposes of funding the streetcar project. Then, if the majority of the public/voters here voted for the extension, democracy would rightfully rule and the plan could move forward in a much more prudent nature. Otherwise, among other significant reasons geared towards a lack of democracy, suspicions could (will) be in place that the reason for the apprehension to put the issue to the voters is that the plan would be exposed as undesirable to the general public...and that would mean the government couldn't get "their way."
So I agree with finmqa1 and Chap that the idea is a great one for the city. My strong opposition is in not allowing the people funding the project - all taxpayers - the opportunity to give their opinions with their votes. Just another example - of a disturbing many arising within the past year - of the concept of "big government" in Albuquerque desiring to grow bigger and bigger. (I really, truly abhore the Albuquerque City Council in general, and while I used to be a big Mayor Chavez fan, he is starting to lose me very quickly).
I feel your pain EnjoyEP. Sadly, though, I am really torn on this issue.
Under most circumstances I would be with you 100%, as I strongly feel the public should be able to have a say whether a tax with a sunset clause should be extended. (I also would support funding projects through less wasteful govt., but that could be another thread on its own.) But having lived in NM for over 30 years, I have seen the city get left in the dust by other cities for mainly a couple of reasons.
First is the contigent of people who think ABQ is "just getting too big" and would be more than happy to see ABQ revert to its size circa 1955. It is frustrating to hear these people who are actually more anti-change than anything else. This group has very little vision and will fight the inevitable growth you mention and force the city to play catch up.
Second are the folks who vote against any tax, no matter the potential benefit or merit. Period. They will vote against proposals for schools, roads, police, economic/cultural improvements. Anything. I would estimate these folks make up a good 25-30% of active voters. This means an issue must be overwhelmingly popular of overcome this hurdle.
Here is where I am torn. Do I support the elected officials who seem to actually have a vision of a better, more vibrant, modern Albuquerque, but who also appear to be side stepping the electoral process in the course of their leadership? Or should I be hoping the project (which I support) goes before the voters (where I would fully expect it to be shot down) and potentially see ABQ squander another opportunity to be proactive regarding its growth?
On a side note, I used to not be much of a fan of Mayor Marty. But as time has gone on, I have come to realize that there really isn't that much difference between one politician and another. But Marty has at least tried to move the city forward on a number of different fronts, which is more than I can say for the vast majority of previous mayors.
I feel your pain EnjoyEP. Sadly, though, I am really torn on this issue.
Under most circumstances I would be with you 100%, as I strongly feel the public should be able to have a say whether a tax with a sunset clause should be extended. (I also would support funding projects through less wasteful govt., but that could be another thread on its own.) But having lived in NM for over 30 years, I have seen the city get left in the dust by other cities for mainly a couple of reasons.
First is the contigent of people who think ABQ is "just getting too big" and would be more than happy to see ABQ revert to its size circa 1955. It is frustrating to hear these people who are actually more anti-change than anything else. This group has very little vision and will fight the inevitable growth you mention and force the city to play catch up.
Second are the folks who vote against any tax, no matter the potential benefit or merit. Period. They will vote against proposals for schools, roads, police, economic/cultural improvements. Anything. I would estimate these folks make up a good 25-30% of active voters. This means an issue must be overwhelmingly popular of overcome this hurdle.
Here is where I am torn. Do I support the elected officials who seem to actually have a vision of a better, more vibrant, modern Albuquerque, but who also appear to be side stepping the electoral process in the course of their leadership? Or should I be hoping the project (which I support) goes before the voters (where I would fully expect it to be shot down) and potentially see ABQ squander another opportunity to be proactive regarding its growth?
On a side note, I used to not be much of a fan of Mayor Marty. But as time has gone on, I have come to realize that there really isn't that much difference between one politician and another. But Marty has at least tried to move the city forward on a number of different fronts, which is more than I can say for the vast majority of previous mayors.
Chap
I think you touch on some very important dynamics here regarding the city officials and the voters that must change in order for Albuquerque to move forward. I wouldn't go so far as to credit many officials as having "vision" in the sense of setting a longterm goal and achieving it in an efficient and productive process, but many of them do have delusions that sound good from time to time that they act on too quickly in my opinion.
As far as Marty, I'm ready for his exit. I once thought he was a man with some integrity (as far as politicians go anyways) but my opinion changed when he decided to have the City of Albuquerque logo changed. This action, of course, cost the taxpayers because all city vehicles, public signs, stationary, patches on officer uniforms, etc. bearing the city seal had to be physically replaced. What a waste! And for what reason? I don't remember anybody ever complaining about the old logo.
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Streetcar
