NMDOT outlines downtown 'road diet' safety changes as residents press for more notice and fire access assurances

NMDOT technical support engineer Andreas Lunan presented a finalized downtown "road diet" design and a near-term schedule for implementing traffic-calming measures, telling a city commission meeting that the changes aim to slow vehicle speeds and improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

Lunan said the concept, which he described as creating "visual friction" by narrowing travel lanes to about 11 feet and using parked cars as vertical buffers, grew out of a 2021 city safety study and subsequent state–local coordination. "When you enter into your downtown area, narrowing the corridor ... everybody takes a deep breath, slows down," Lunan said.

The plan presented includes installation of 3-foot tubular markers at driveways and intersections, raised pavement markers (domes about 6 inches tall) spaced in the bike lane, refreshed striping and new pavement symbols and signage. Lunan said work is in design, currently under review in Santa Fe, and that the department expects to advertise for contractors in the coming weeks with construction beginning early next year; he also noted a preconstruction meeting for a related Oak Street project around Sept. 15.

Residents at the meeting raised several concerns, chiefly emergency access and whether outreach has been adequate. After meetings with the local fire chief and the state fire marshal, NMDOT said it revised designs to preserve a continuous 20-foot open pavement segment where apparatus need to set up. "We went back to the drawing board ... the fire chief is comfortable with a 20 foot open pavement segment so that each can get to the front of your buildings without any interruptions," Lunan said.

Several attendees said they had been surprised by the initial implementation and wanted broader notice. One resident asked, "When is the community ... a real public hearing?" and said many downtown business owners and longtime residents had not seen early notices. City staff responded that the project has an ongoing public comment period on the project website and that the city will continue to share materials, including instructional videos, through the new YouTube channel and social platforms.

On monitoring and enforcement, the police chief said enforcement has continued and that the corridor appears to have slowed traffic compared with the previous two-lane condition, but that speeding and driver confusion persist in places. Lunan said NMDOT has not yet completed formal speed monitoring on both Main and Broadway but will coordinate with city staff and police reports and noted statewide crash-reporting databases can run about two years behind for comprehensive accident statistics.

City staff acknowledged the balance between seeking more public input and meeting project timelines governed by state route procedures. "This is their design. This is their street," one commissioner said, noting the department incorporated many public comments but that some changes can be made quickly if they are feasible. Lunan said the department will continue to accept feedback and return for additional outreach if needed.

The public comment period on the project remains open on the project's website, and NMDOT said it will share outreach materials for the city to post. Work slated for construction will include refreshed striping, installation of tubular and raised markers, signage replacement, and installation of radar speed-feedback signs at corridor entrances. The department extended the construction contract window to 60 days to allow proper curing cycles for striping, but said that does not mean 60 continuous days of work.

The commission meeting concluded with officials urging continued dialogue and reminding residents where to find project documents online; staff said they will coordinate preconstruction planning with the city and local responders before work begins.