It is also about fixing a "failing intersection" that connects the east and west sides of the metro area and sits in the middle of a major job center.Amazingly, the state DOT supports the move. So do we. After all, 170,000 vehicles a day, 200,000 plus people per day, and 6,000 jobs make the interchange an integral part of the city's infrastructure.
About 170,000 vehicles a day pass through the I-25/Paseo del Norte interchange, and "there are 6,000 jobs that are accessed daily from this intersection," according to MRCOG.
When you compare the interchange renovation ($350 MILLION) to Marty's trolley ($240 to $300 MILLION) to the Rail Runner ($450 MILLION) and the number of people and jobs this interchange serves daily, the Paseo/I-25 project just makes sense. That's why it will never, ever happen.
The Obama administration and his bobble-heads in Congress are dead set against anything that emits carbon. 170,000 vehicles burn a lot of gas and emit a lot of carbon. Plus, it's the type of "stimulus" that creates an immediately useful, tangible, object that has a relatively small long-term fiscal impact on local budgets. Again, it makes too much sense.
Look, we believe it's fundamentally wrong to use borrowed money to "stimulate" the economy which is made up of people who ultimately have to repay that money. But if Obama and Company are going are dead set on wasting borrowed money, at least let it go to something that is eminently useful and won't create huge future demands on local taxpayers.
For now, we'll hold on to the good feeling that there seems to be some common sense breaking out somewhere in government and forget about the fact that it follows incredible stupidity.
15 comments:
Every City Councilor’s vote, including Harris's, was in favor of the TIGER funds. The County Commission did not send one representative to the meeting.
They do not care about the City. If they do not even care enough to vote to reduce major congestion on city streets, why do they want to run for the Council? They don’t show up to meetings and they want to quit their jobs.
Really? Now commissioners who are running for council need to attend council mtgs in addition to their current responsibilities to make you happy?
Brasher has attended and spoken during public comment at council mtgs in the past on other issues.
Tell me, when was the last time Don Harris attended a commission mtg and spoke about issues that impact HIS district?
Google MRCOG or read the blog. MRCOG is an org that has voting members from multiple governing bodies. Councilors and Commissioners are on the board.
The Council takes hundreds of millioms of dollars very seriously, but the County has more important things to do.
The Commissioners will not show up to meetings when over $300 million are on the table.
Do they do anything? Do we even need them? The only thing they do is raise our taxes and blow money.
Did Armijo and Brasher give political advice to Palin? Did they tell her quitting a job is what is best for the people they represent?
This potential source of revenue would not be available if the streetcar was under construction. They would need to use all excess money to pay for cost overruns.
Thank you Councilor Harris for cutting off funds for the streetcar. Now that money can be used to improve the roads we use to get to work.
What about Palin? Does she really think she has a shot at president or has she just come to terms with the fact that the Republican party is done for?
Why do we need all these layers of crap. It is impossible for the citizens to keep track of all these organizations.
Our elected officials need to SHOW UP AND PROTECT OUR INTERESTS.
Where does all that money come from and how can Albuquerque get more money for our roads?
If the County cannot make a meeting concerning that much money for a road we need, get more city officials in the organization.
Yes Don did vote in support of transportation projects including the TRANSPORTATION TAX.
Thank you Councillor O'Malley for leading the charge to lower the that tax.
Don did vote in support of the MRCOG federal funding request for the Albuquerque Streetcar.
Also as a favor to the mayor, Don just sat quietly during the streetcar debate at the city council. He never said a word opposing the streetcar.
Great leadership - great opposition.
So the tree huggers don’t want a more efficient interchange? Cars aren’t going to stop driving through that area. As it is now sitting through multiple stop lights causes more pollution than if the vehicles were able to move through quicker. Why don’t people look at the big picture and get out of the box?
What an idiot Marty is with his freaking street car. It’s all about Snob-Hill & downtown. It’s true he does do improvements to the areas of the city where he got the most campaign money from. Also how come most of the red light speeding cams are in the Heights? None downtown and only 4 on Coors!
People continue to lie about Harris. Below is proof he killed the streetcar. Show some proof when you write.
O-06-49
http://cabq.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=249584&GUID=B5DAC306-35C3-451C-9D62-F94430813873&Search=Street+Car&Options=ID|Text|
Below is a story from the trib that expains the process, and it identifies the Counilors resposible, Harris included, for the demise of the streetcar.
http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2006/nov/21/streetcar-backers-will-seek-voters-approval/
"On Nov. 6, the council voted 6-3 to retool and extend a quarter-percent gross receipts tax to help pay for the streetcar.
The tax extension brought a revenue stream to the table, but the plan all along had been to use the money to issue bonds worth much more. The city administration had planned to ask the council to allow that on Dec. 4.
But while the council can impose a tax with a simple majority vote, seven of nine votes are needed to give the mayor permission to issue bonds.
And there's the rub: The three councilors who opposed the tax extension - Don Harris, Michael Cadigan and Brad Winter - said Monday they would stick to their opposition." Trib
Lets take a look at how many times Don has missed a MRCOG meeting, quite a few and the vote was to pay for a study on what types of cars travel on Paseo.
Once again Don tries to be something he is not a Rep. He votes for the transportation tax to make sure it gets out of his committee, which he is the chair and passes by he one vote and now tries to tell everyone he voted against the tax. I know I would never have him for my lawyer because when he speaks no cares and worst he does not have the basic idea what is going on, he waits until the Mayor tells him how to vote. Keep up the good work
Don Harris voted to keep the red light cameras in operation, maybe he owed the Mayor for hiring him as a city Attorney a few years ago.
Just think with decent public transportation you wouldn't need to spend money fixing an interchange that’s going to be outdated in a few years anyway. I wouldn't spend a dime on roads/intersections until a good reliable public transportation system is in place.
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