City of Albuquerque, Department of Municipal Development
Grants Awarded
With State support, DMD proposes to construct the West Old Town phase of the Rail Trail. This segment will connect the Bosque Trail to some of Albuquerque’s most visited attractions, creating an amenity with regional draw by allowing more people to access amenities by foot or bicycle in a highly congested part of the city. Because this segment connects to the Bosque Trail, users will be able to reach a wide range of other attractions beyond the Old Town area, including the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Zoo, and other popular retail/commercial destinations like El Vado and Bike in Coffee at Old Town Farm. The West Old Town Rail Trail segment will widen the sidewalk and enhance bike/ped safety in front of the Botanic Garden and create a connection through the historic West Old town neighborhood along Montoya Street and Panmunjon Road, crossing Rio Grande Boulevard using a HAWK signal to be installed at Hollywood Avenue. The trail in front of the Botanic Garden is 90% designed. Concurrently, traffic calming and pedestrian safety measures are being studied and a pedestrian trail north of Hollywood Avenue is in design. Dubbed “the Hollywood Alley,” the city acquired a wide strip of land (about 44 feet wide and 1,731 feet long, or 1.75 acres in area), that runs between Hollywood Avenue and Edna Avenue. This parcel, which is completely removed from vehicles, is being designed to be a linear park, with sculptures and other amenities—to benefit neighborhood residents and attract visitors to Old Town. The plan for the Hollywood Alley will be complete by the spring, with the Botanic Garden stretch ready to break ground upon securing funding. The goals of the West Old Town Rail Trail Segment are to: • Create a new, safe, non-vehicular connection to some of Albuquerque’s most popular attractions; • Reduce traffic congestion in one of the city’s more dangerous areas for crashes and pedestrian injuries/fatalities; • Build a new recreational attraction in what is already a major destination; • Enhance public spaces, add landscaping, and shade; • Improve the City’s transportation and recreation network; and • Foster job and economic growth. The completed seven-mile Rail Trail will connect historic lower-income residential neighborhoods (Barelas, Downtown, Wells Park, Sawmill, and Old Town) to jobs, key institutions, and mass transportation options while expanding opportunities for local businesses and the development of vacant lots and buildings that emerged after a decline of dominant industries in the area. The Trail will also reduce crashes and pedestrian and bicycle fatalities through a design that is largely separated from vehicular traffic. Increased pedestrian traffic from the project will increase the customer base for local businesses and enterprises, creating an investment opportunity that will enhance the quality of life in neighborhoods that have been disconnected from surrounding areas by roads and the railroad. These elements are an opportunity to link different neighborhoods while creating healthy and safe recreation that will drive economic development and create a more vibrant community that equitably serves the needs of residents.
The Department of Municipal Development (DMD) oversees the major capital construction projects for the City of Albuquerque. This includes not only buildings, but roads, trails, lighting, and a wide range of other construction projects. DMD assures capital projects will be completed efficiently and in a timely manner with high quality standards. DMD provides the operation and maintenance of city streets, storm drains, and traffic signals, as well as the development and design of capital infrastructure for streets and storm drainage. DMD’s divisions include the Capital Implementation Program, Engineering, Real Property, Storm Water Management, Street and Storm Maintenance, Traffic Engineering, Neighborhood Traffic Calming, and Construction. At any given time, DMD has hundreds of projects actively underway. The Rail Trail project is a current priority. One of the most ambitious public infrastructure projects in the city in many decades, when completed the Rail Trail will be a seven-mile linear park that connects some of Albuquerque’s most historic downtown neighborhoods to the existing Bosque Trail. Similar trails in other cities have helped to make neighborhoods safer and more accessible, stimulated massive economic growth, and fostered a stronger sense of community. One segment is complete, in the Sawmill neighborhood, and has proven to be a highly popular amenity. This segment, along with a new roundabout on Mountain Road, is a major accomplishment and was completed ahead of schedule. A wide, accessible trail, the Sawmill Rail Trail segment connects Old Town and Sawmill together and offers an inviting and well-lit recreational amenity. A trail project of the magnitude of The Rail Trail cannot be carried out alone. From the beginning, DMD has worked closely with the city’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency (MRA), which oversees redevelopment projects that foster economic development in the city’s urban core. A current Trails+ grantee for the Central Crossing bridge project downtown, MRA’s mission is to initiate collaborative public-private partnerships that lead to thoughtful and catalytic revitalization by investing in community for sustainable and equitable growth. DMD has also planned this trail in close consultation with the state’s Department of Transportation, BNSF Railroad (along segments with active rail lines nearby), the County, the Mid Region Council of Governments, Downtown Albuquerque MainStreet, businesses, and residents. Moving the Rail Trail forward is a core goal of Mayor Tim Keller in his third term. This goal was made more urgent by the federal administration cutting $11.4M in competitive grant funding for the downtown Rail Trail segment.