Commission creates task force to study speeding and enforcement; staff to pursue consultant review

The Bernalillo County Commission directed staff to establish a task force to study speeding, road safety and enforcement options and to pursue a consultant‑led scan of national best practices and technologies. The motion to form the task force and pursue consultant support passed.

Sponsor Commissioner Frank Baca said speeding is repeatedly raised in neighborhood meetings and described the problem as life‑and‑death in local hotspots. Commissioners discussed available tools — speed cameras, targeted enforcement, road diets, traffic‑calming infrastructure, license‑plate readers and data‑driven siting — and some members advocated for automated enforcement (speed cameras) as a force multiplier for public safety and a deterrent to risky driving.

Staff recommended using a consultant to perform a broader scan of innovations and to potentially subcontract to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute or similar organizations experienced in traffic‑safety innovation. The sheriff’s office and county traffic staff discussed the value of using data to site interventions and noted they have used automated camera enforcement as part of an overall enforcement strategy. Commissioners asked that the task force include traffic engineers and representatives from the sheriff’s office, neighbors and county staff.

Next steps: County staff will solicit consultant quotes, scope a scan of potential measures and assemble a task force to consider pilot projects, data collection methods and budget implications. Commissioners signaled willingness to pursue a consultant‑led review to expand the county’s toolbox beyond traditional policing.