William Melhado
Vehicle traffic empties from the city as the sun sets on the recently redesigned section of Cerrillos—despite signs and painted lanes, no bikers were part of the evening exodus west.
Investments to address ongoing issues with speeding and muffler noise from cars emerged as a hot topic during the public comment portion of a special governing body meeting Tuesday night dedicated to outlining proposed city spending for civic projects.
Mayor Alan Webber announced the one-time investments and public comment opportunity during his annual State of the City address last week. But after Assistant Finance Director Alexis Lotero wrapped her presentation on the identified priorities, residents asked city officials to consider investments for speed and noise cameras.
Several members of Stop Aggressive Driving—a citizen action coalition—spoke, including Tim Langley, who requested the Council enforce existing traffic laws and “invest a portion of what’s available in making our safety and security more on the road and our peace of mind in the night.” He added the issues affects “a critical mass of our residents from Airport Road to Hyde Park Road.”
“If I were diagnosed on the same day with hypertension, type 2 diabetes and an abscess tooth, I’d deal with the tooth first…because it’s the most readily treatable,” Langley said. “Earmarking a modest slice of the $36 million for that available technology will make a difference for citizens who are trying to obey the law.”
The listed planned spending, which totals roughly $41.4 million, dedicates $20.5 million to various public works projects. These include $2 million for street and road improvements; $1.4 million for MRC soccer improvements; and $750,000 for Sandoval Parking Garage repairs and upgrades. In addition to this, the proposal earmarks $3 million for the City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund and $6.1 million to Midtown redevelopment efforts.
While the only speeding-related effort in the proposed investment list is $85,000 for speed humps on Calle Atajo, Webber noted the City’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget—which he and the City Council approved in early May—allocates $250,000 to lease noise and speed cameras.
Others, like retired instructor John Velasquez, asked the Council to consider additional spending due to the impact the noise issue has on tourism, noting it forms a large part of Santa Fe’s economy. “We are sitting on a treasure, Santa Fe is one of the best places in the world,” Velasquez said, but then asked, “What kind of impression are we making on these people when they go back home? We need to take pride in what kind of presentation we are making to people who spend time and money coming here.”
Councilors offered mixed reviews of the public’s proposal.
District 2 Councilor Michael Garcia joined the choir during his comments, saying he wanted to “invest in technology to keep our roadways safe,” and invest a total of $1 million—including the amount allotted within the FY25 budget—for noise and speed cameras.
“This is ultimately an issue that as we’ve heard loud and clear tonight, and it’s a concern for our residents,” Garcia said. “If we’re going to invest in resources, we need to invest in the quality of life as well for our residents.”
District 1 Councilor Signe Lindell, however, said she wasn’t as swayed on additional investments for road-monitoring technology, noting “this is one-time money” for staff-informed recommendations, “and this is how they think we can get the greatest amount of traction for all of our constituents.”
“This Council is not inclined to raise fines. This Council doesn’t like high fines. We’ve made that clear,” Lindell said. “But you can give out a ton of low-price tickets. You can go buy noise cameras, you can go buy speed cameras. Who’s going to run them? It takes a budget. It takes personnel…Let’s be real about this list and what we can get.”
District 3 Councilor Lee Garcia tells SFR he supports noise cameras “from a quality of life perspective,” but—in his opinion—the Council should focus on “making investments versus just expenditures,” given the amount of money proposed and the city’s size.
“Yes, it’s bothersome,” Garcia says, “but when that translates into a public safety issue, I’m on board 110%.”
He adds he believes the Council needs time to “digest what’s being proposed and what changes can be made.”
While additional one-time investments for traffic enforcement remain uncertain, Webber noted at the start of the meeting that the identified priorities are not yet “settled or voted on.” First, he said, he needed to “get some suggestions on how the governing body would best like to proceed.”
Lotero tells SFR she anticipates a finalized one-time investments list by the end of June, which will then be followed by individual budget adjustment requests to be approved by the City Council and the mayor.
Other suggestions from the public comment portion that lasted roughly one hour included more money for the city’s Southside; more funding for affordable housing; and further investment in city employees.
