Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Environment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Consultant says Paseo del Norte noise study may undercount impacts; urges DOT re‑examination
Summary
A village‑commissioned review found the Paseo del Norte sound‑wall study used a higher FHWA threshold and a limited monitoring window; the reviewer recommended reconsidering an applicable ‘category A’ standard, adding measurement windows and lower‑cost barrier options before concluding whether DOT funding is justified.
Petroglyph Consulting contractor Chuck Thomas presented Nov. 19 with a technical second look at a March 2024 Paseo del Norte noise study. Thomas, a licensed civil engineer, said the original study used FHWA category B/C criteria (about 66–67 decibels) to screen for abatement but noted that the village and settlement language describing the Rio Grande valley’s special character may better match FHWA’s category A (57 dB) standard, which would substantially change which receivers qualify for abatement.
Thomas flagged missing appendices in the study, the narrow sampling window (a single late‑afternoon/early‑evening period on the Friday before Thanksgiving 2023), and the absence of morning peak measurements and seasonal variability analysis. He also noted the report’s cost‑effectiveness metric (no more than $50,000 per benefited receiver using an assumed $35/sq ft barrier cost) would change if either more receptors were identified or lower‑cost barrier materials (aluminum, wood, composite panels) were considered instead of higher‑cost concrete masonry walls.
Trustees and staff asked about next steps; Thomas recommended discussion with NMDOT on appropriate abatement criteria, additional sampling during representative peak periods, and evaluation of alternative barrier materials to reduce per‑beneficiary cost. The board said staff would follow up with NMDOT and state representatives to clarify standards and pursue further analysis as warranted.
