BPAC appoints ad hoc committee after cyclist fatality; police describe investigation, DA consultation

Chair Michael Garcia appointed a four-member ad hoc committee to develop a fact-based white paper on motorist accountability and collisions involving cyclists following the recent fatal crash of Steven Ballinger.

The appointments named Ellen Wang as chair of the ad hoc committee and included Gary Schiffmiller, Bill Adrian and Khalil Spencer. The committee is intended to produce policy recommendations and may seek crash data and other technical assistance from the Santa Fe Police Department, committee members said.

The committee formed after members pressed law enforcement about why the driver involved in Ballinger's death was charged with careless driving rather than the city's reckless-driving ordinance. Member Gary Schiffmiller (Member, BPAC) reviewed the city…