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Speed Limit on Camino de la Tierra Stays at 15 MPH |
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Written by Jeff Radford
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Saturday, 27 December 2008 |
Although the Village Council’s vote was 3-to-2 to raise the speed limit
from 15 to 25 miles per hour on Camino de la Tierra, it will remain at
15.
The motion at the November 25 council meeting to raise the speed limit
failed for lack of a majority vote; with the council now composed of
six members, it would have taken four votes, not just three.
Two villagers who opposed the speed limit hike, Camino de la Tierra
residents Marie and Karl Schaefer, had already left the council
chambers thinking they had lost the battle when councillors voted
3-to-2 in favor of the motion.
Mayor Phil Gasteyer had announced that the vote would raise the speed
limit. But Village Attorney John Appel pointed out the six-member
council now requires at least a four-out-of-six vote to approve a
motion.
Voting to raise the limit were Councillors Gerard Gagliano, Jim Fahey
and Bonnie Gonzales. Voting no were Councillors Pat Clauser and John
Alsobrook. Councillor Sayre Gerhart was out of town for the
Thanksgiving holiday.
The question was before the council due to a petition signed by 58
villagers who wanted the speed limit raised. The Schaefers objected to
the increased speed because they and other neighbors use La Tierra to
walk along for exercise. They said children are encouraged to use the
pavement for skateboarding and riding bikes.
Besides, they pointed out, raising the speed limit 10 miles per hour
would only shave 30 seconds off drive-time down to Loma Larga.
Residents along Angel Road have also sought an increase, but the
council only addressed the Camino de la Tierra petition November 25.
Back in September, a petition said to represent a majority of residents
along Angel Road asked that the speed limit there be raised to 25. It
is now 15.
Several of the petitioners addressed the Village Council September 9
urging that the speed limit be raised. They pointed out that the 15 mph
limit was set before Angel Road was paved, and had been kept low at the
insistence of a former Village councillor who wanted to deter use of
Angel Road as a thoroughfare linking to Rio Rancho.
But now Angel Road is closed at the Rio Rancho boundary, one of the petitioners pointed out.
Mayor Phil Gasteyer responded by saying a council member would probably
draft an ordinance raising the speed limit which would be discussed at
a future council meeting.
The councillor representing the council district that includes Angel
Road, Gerard Gagliano, indicated he would work on a draft ordinance to
achieve that and present it at a coming meeting.
The Angel Road request to the council September 9 was brought mainly by
Stephen Densford, whose August 26 letter to the council made the
residents’ case. It reads: “We are 77 law-abiding citizens who
wish to bring to your attention the unfair and unreasonable speed limit
on Angel Road. We ask that you change the speed limit to 25 miles per
hour.…
“The speed was set at 15 mph when Angel Road was a dirt road many years
ago and the speed was not changed after paving changed the
circumstances. Angel Road is completely straight with 10-foot setbacks
on either side of the road. A new road to the south of Angel Road
which is very curvy with no setbacks is posted at 25 mph. The dirt road
next to that is posted at 25 mph. The street north of Angel Road is
posted at 25 mph.”
Densford noted that one of the petitioners wants to have the speed
bumps on Angel Road removed also. That person, Bonifacio Gurulé, argued
that the speed bumps on such a long road would substantially delay
Village emergency vehicle response times, which could leave the
municipality vulnerable to legal liability. Gurulé estimated that a
rescue vehicle would lose 30 seconds slowing down for the speed bumps
while trying to reach someone in distress at the top of Angel Road.
Councillor Pat Clauser reported she had received a letter from former
Councillor Melanie Scholer, an Angel Road resident, opposing the speed
limit increase. It cited the safety for recreational use of the
roadside by keeping the limit at 15. |
