Los Ranchos project team says Phase 2A of Fourth Street revitalization is fully engineered and funded

The Planning & Zoning Commission of the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque heard a project update on the Fourth Street revitalization on June 10, 2025, and was told Phase 2A is fully engineered and has secured funding.

Project consultant and presenter Maria Raldi told the commission the design for the next segment — from Pablo Solano through the Ranchitos Road intersection — was selected after eight public-input sessions and adopted by the board of trustees in September 2024. "The project is fully engineered and designed," Raldi said, summarizing the typical cross-section that includes 5-foot sidewalks, landscaped swales, two 10-foot driving lanes and an 11-foot continuous center-turn lane.

Why it matters: Phase 2A contains the portion of Fourth Street the village plans to bid and build next; it includes stormwater collection integrated into roadside swales, pedestrian amenities and site furnishings intended to match Phase 1. The project footprint requires right-of-way acquisitions for turn lanes and an underground stormwater storage facility, and the commission used the presentation to press staff on timing, maintenance and safety.

Raldi provided the commission with an engineer's estimate for Phase 2A of $9,848,000 and reported secured funding of roughly $10,075,000. She said staff is acquiring five properties or portions of properties for right-of-way, and that appraisals and offers are expected to be completed by the end of August so acquisitions could be finalized in September. If right-of-way is acquired on schedule, staff plans to prepare bid documents for late fall and noted the stormwater work can proceed through winter conditions.

The presentation described materials and lighting standards chosen to comply with the New Mexico night-sky rules while improving pedestrian visibility: colored concrete with brick accents at intersections and bus stops, permeable-grout cobbles in driveways for visual cues (not as primary drainage), and down-directed pedestrian lighting to reduce glow. Raldi said the same benches, shelters and street furniture used in Phase 1 will continue in Phase 2A.

Commissioners asked several operational questions. On safety, a commissioner noted existing push-button crossing markers can be hard to see in daylight; Raldi said the design for future crossings includes larger signage, raised crosswalks in some locations and larger refuge islands, and she emphasized enforcement and speed reduction as complementary measures. On maintenance, Raldi said the village contracts maintenance and intends to keep landscaping and fixtures maintained "in perpetuity," and staff is working with a contractor to repair lights that have been out.

Commissioner Edward raised the village's limited cellular coverage along the corridor and asked whether light poles could host cellular equipment. Raldi said adding 5G or integrated cellular equipment was not part of the current project scope or budget but that staff will raise the question with network and franchise providers in upcoming coordination meetings.

What happens next: Project engineering remains under final review by the New Mexico Department of Transportation and right-of-way acquisition is underway. Staff will bring schedule updates to the commission; construction of the Phase 2A stormwater components is likely to be bid and could start in late 2025 if acquisitions and utility relocations proceed on schedule. Later segments connecting to Ortega and Pel del Norte remain unfunded and will require future grant or capital allocations.

Acknowledgements: The commission thanked staff and the consultant for the presentation and directed staff to continue coordination with Bernalillo County and utility providers on the intersection treatments and bike connections.