OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Rio Rancho Work Session: 2025-12-18

Meeting Portal — Thursday, December 18, 2025
BodyRio Rancho, New Mexico
SessionMeeting Portal
DateThursday, December 18, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:29:04

Transcript — Verbatim
0:07

Good afternoon.

0:08

I'm gonna go ahead and call this meeting to order this work session.

0:12

Uh if you would please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:19

Thank you.

0:20

Um Councillor Colbert, would you lead us please?

0:23

I think to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

0:31

One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all.

0:36

Thank you.

0:37

You may be seated.

0:39

See I just need to grab them.

0:53

I don't know.

0:58

Ah, there we go.

0:59

Perfect.

1:01

Okie doke.

1:03

Let's see here.

1:03

Got a couple items on the uh work session agenda.

1:06

The first item is New Mexico Department of Transportation.

1:09

Do we have everybody here for that?

1:11

Okay.

1:11

We're good to go.

1:13

And uh if you'd like to come to the podium and make your presentation, that'll be great.

1:24

Oh, where are I turning three?

1:29

Assistant district engineers, Mr.

1:31

Greg Clark, who in charge of uh assistant district engineer for engineering, and then Mr.

1:36

Isaac Chavez, who's the assistant district engineer for construction.

1:40

We're here to talk to you about the matter before you today on the agenda.

1:46

Thank you.

2:01

Okay.

2:08

Start off with Mr.

2:09

Car Clark giving a little bit of background on the on the issue you have before you today from the DOT perspective.

2:18

I would appreciate it.

2:20

Thank you.

2:21

Thank you, Greg.

2:26

Hello, Mayor, Council.

2:27

Uh my name is Greg Clark.

2:29

I was Paul Brasher.

2:30

We work under Paul Brasher, he's our district engineer.

2:32

We also have Mo, he's deputy secretary of the department here as well.

2:37

Um we are here to to um to to present the uh New Mexico 528 uh Pasea Riverside Intersection.

2:46

Um I uh um I I know it's um uh uh it's been uh lately in the news and um we we have been um at the department level have been working on this project over several several months um and um we we've hired uh test out a uh firm uh named parametrics and um what what they've done is uh do us they did a signal warrant analysis for us to see uh what the intersection uh what was going on with the intersection um we did have uh some p uh some handouts I don't know if you got them if you get them to the clerk she'll be if you'd hand them to the clerk she'll get them to us uh I think BJ was making some copies okay okay great apologize for that um but um uh so I can just kind of describe the the area um so the vicinity is on along 528 and um on the south that's uh bound by Iris um and Riverside intersection and to the north it's Hydalia and Willow Creek and both of those intersections are are signalized uh before and after the Pasea and Riverside uh intersection um it was brought up to our attention um several months ago that um uh there were there was some accidents uh in the area so we um as a department uh uh passed out um one of our on calls to to restudy the intersection to see what was going on uh with it um that took several months because we had to the consultant had to uh recount the corridor recount the intersections and um that happened that took place over several months um and um so so a little bit of background for uh what what has trans transpired what was taking place in terms of previous studies um it was it was studied back in december 2014 and then again on February 2017 and then we had a traffic volume redistribution in October 2017 and then now in October 2025 uh again it was recounted again um every year since 2014 the volume along 528 has has increased um from nineteen thousand five hundred and twenty fourteen up to twenty one thousand five hundred vehicles per day that's an average annual daily traffic so it's a it's a yearly

5:00

Um it was it was studied back in December 2014, and then again on February 2017, and then we had a traffic volume redistribution in October 2017, and then now in October 2025, uh again it was recounted again.

5:11

Um every year since 2014, the volume along 528 has increased from 19,500 and 2014 up to 21,500 vehicles per day.

5:26

That's an average annual daily traffic, so it's a it's a yearly count, um, a yearly average over the days.

5:33

Um so um that's what the traffic projections were, and then um so looking at that um based on that we test out parametrics, they're a local uh engineering firm to uh recount the the the corridor plus recount each of the intersections and um we've asked them to do to look at rig and re examine uh the signal warrants uh for the intersection as well as uh crash data uh analyze crash records.

6:09

Now the crash records um all we have is available right now is from 2019 through 2023.

6:17

We're always a year behind uh because of um reporting through uh the UNM records uh department, it's always a year in our traffic safety division.

6:28

So I don't have 2024 data or 2025 because we're we're still in 2025.

6:35

So um so the crashes were analyzed during this period of 2019 to 2023.

6:41

Um so um I can go over some of the statistics and the crashes.

6:48

Um going back after the traffic was recounted and the intersection was recounted, uh we asked the consultant to do a signal warrant analysis, and what they follow is the METCD 11th edition.

7:04

It's a nationally adopted criteria, and it has nine warrants is what they call it uh warrants, and um uh like warrant number one is an eight hour vehicle count, second was four hour peak hour, pedestrian volume, school crossing, those kind of things.

7:21

And um the traffic volume has to, there's some thresholds set for each warrant, and um and and the traffic volumes and the TERT movements in order for the signal warrant to be met has to exceed those threshold values.

7:38

And um so as a result of that, going through uh the latest traffic count now, um the intersection right now as it sits, it does not meet the signal warrants during the weekday hours because we we did extend it to a weekend count uh as well as the crash data for the weekends as well.

8:00

So uh usually our typical analysis just includes the uh Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday during the weekday, but in this case we extended it to the weekends to include Saturday and Sunday as well, uh, because that was consistent with the previous years in 2014 of what they did.

8:15

So we just wanted to make sure we're comparing everything.

8:18

So the results came back and during the weekday it uh the intersection did not meet signal warrants for the week weekday.

8:28

However, it did for the weekend on Saturday and Sunday.

8:32

So then we started looking at that and saying, okay, what what is going on on Saturday and Sunday?

8:38

So um, and so that so that was a that was uh an analysis point that that we were looking at.

8:47

We um just had that on our backside there that it's meeting on Saturday and Sunday.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Transportation Safety█████████████████████████████████████████████51%
Public Safety██████████████████20%
Public Engagement███████████████17%
Engineering And Infrastructure███████8%
Procedural███3%
Capital Improvement Planning█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Rio Rancho Work Session Meeting - December 18, 2025

This work session addressed two primary items: safety concerns at the Pasea River and Interstate 528 intersection, and the status of Project Ranger fire service agreements and infrastructure funding. DOT representatives presented an analysis of crash data and proposed interim traffic calming measures, while city leadership and the Fire Chief discussed outstanding disputes regarding jurisdiction with Sandoval County for Project Ranger.

Consent Calendar

  • No consent calendar items were listed or voted on during this work session.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Representative Martinez: Expressed frustration regarding discrepancies between a previous meeting with the Secretary of the State Highway Commission and the reality of current approval processes for speed cameras on 528.
  • Councillor Tyler: Expressed strong concern that proposed U-turn diversion points at Iris and Idalia would impede emergency response access to the Fire Station and create new safety hazards due to traffic queuing. Councillor Tyler voiced support for designating the corridor as a "Safety Corridor" with enhanced fines.
  • Councillor Cobreth: Expressed skepticism that visual friction (striping) and delineators would effectively change driver behavior over time, noting residents get used to them. Councillor Cobreth raised concerns about pushing significant traffic volume from the church corridor to single-point U-turns, potentially causing rear-end collisions.
  • Councillor List: Expressed deep dissatisfaction with the ongoing negotiation regarding Project Ranger, stating that it is disrespectful for Sandoval County to contract out fire response while retaining authority. Councillor List voiced full support for terminating the automatic aid agreement if Sandoval County does not cede Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to Rio Rancho.
  • Councillor Colbert: Agreed with Councillor List regarding the need for Rio Rancho Fire to have full control, but noted disappointment primarily regarding the potential negative impact on Sandoval County residents who would lose county fire response if the agreement is terminated.

Discussion Items

  • NMDOT 528 Pasea Intersection Analysis:

    • Greg Clark (Assistant District Engineer): Presented data showing 25 crashes (2019-2023) at the intersection, with 11 (44%) occurring on weekends specifically during church service times. Traffic volume increased from 19,524 AADT in 2014 to 21,500 in 2025. The intersection meets signal warrants on weekends but not weekdays.
    • Proposed Interim Solutions:
      • Installation of 36-inch candlestick delineators to prohibit left turns from Pasea onto 528, forcing traffic to make right-in/right-out maneuvers and use U-turns at Iris or Idalia.
      • Enhanced striping and visual friction to be applied in the spring.
      • Potential speed cameras once approved by the State Highway Commission (expected January/February).
    • Councillor List & Tyler Concerns: Raised issues regarding the ability of fire trucks to navigate U-turns at Iris and Idalia, the potential for traffic backups blocking the fire station bay, and the impact of increased turns on the fire station's egress. They suggested a weekend-only signal with a flashing yellow on weekdays.
    • State Commission & Speed Cameras: Confirmed that speed cameras require a two-step approval process (informational tab followed by action) by the State Highway Commission. The process was delayed because the City of Rio Rancho was erroneously led to believe they could deploy them immediately. Lieutenant Pope (Traffic Unit) presented data showing speeds averaging 55.5-56.1 mph (nearly the limit), indicating speeding is not the primary crash driver, but perception and depth perception are.
    • Church Traffic Generation: Addressed that the three churches are "trip generators" that did not undergo a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) during their construction, contributing to current congestion.

  • Project Ranger Update (Fire Protection & Funding):

    • Chief Wenzel: Reported that Sandoval County rejected Rio Rancho's proposed terms for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The County is unwilling to transfer AHJ status, preferring to keep inspection and pre-plan authority while only assigning Rio Rancho as the responding agency. This leaves three outstanding issues: fire inspections, pre-plans, and the incident action plan.
    • Council Response: Councillors List, Cobreth, and Tyler unanimously expressed support for not renewing the automatic aid agreement if the County does not grant full AHJ control to Rio Rancho Fire.
    • City Manager: Acknowledged the deadlock and stated plans for Chief Wenzel to contact the County immediately to request an in-person meeting to re-negotiate the framework.
    • Paseo del Vulcan (PDV) Funding: The City Manager reported Sandoval County is seeking ~$21 million in legislative capital outlay funding. The project has a $12.5 million funding gap. Construction traffic routes (via Progress Road vs. 28th/29th Street) and employee access are pending final determination.

Key Outcomes

  • Interim Traffic Measures: The NMDOT and City agreed to further analyze the impact of U-turn diversions on the Fire Station at Iris before finalizing the installation of delineators. A study on left-turn volumes will be conducted to assess the impact on Riverside Drive.
  • Speed Camera Process: Clarified that speed cameras cannot be deployed until the State Highway Commission formally approves the plan, a process expected to conclude in January or February.
  • Future Public Meeting: The NMDOT representative agreed to attend a future public meeting or town hall, coordinated with Secretary Cernak (if available) or their team, to explain the limitations and status of the 528 intersection safety plans to residents.
  • Project Ranger Standoff: The City of Rio Rancho Fire Department will proceed with seeking full Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) or risking termination of the automatic aid agreement, pending a follow-up meeting with Sandoval County.
  • Funding Status: No new funding for Paseo del Vulcan was approved; the City must wait for the upcoming legislative session (January/February) for potential capital outlay appropriations from the state.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon. I'm gonna go ahead and call this meeting to order this work session. Uh if you would please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. Um Councillor Colbert, would you lead us please? I think to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. Thank you. You may be seated. See I just need to grab them. I don't know. Ah, there we go. Perfect. Okie doke. Let's see here. Got a couple items on the uh work session agenda. The first item is New Mexico Department of Transportation. Do we have everybody here for that? Okay. We're good to go. And uh if you'd like to come to the podium and make your presentation, that'll be great. Oh, where are I turning three? Assistant district engineers, Mr. Greg Clark, who in charge of uh assistant district engineer for engineering, and then Mr. Isaac Chavez, who's the assistant district engineer for construction. We're here to talk to you about the matter before you today on the agenda. Thank you. Okay. Start off with Mr. Car Clark giving a little bit of background on the on the issue you have before you today from the DOT perspective. I would appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you, Greg. Hello, Mayor, Council. Uh my name is Greg Clark. I was Paul Brasher. We work under Paul Brasher, he's our district engineer. We also have Mo, he's deputy secretary of the department here as well. Um we are here to to um to to present the uh New Mexico 528 uh Pasea Riverside Intersection. Um I uh um I I know it's um uh uh it's been uh lately in the news and um we we have been um at the department level have been working on this project over several several months um and um we we've hired uh test out a uh firm uh named parametrics and um what what they've done is uh do us they did a signal warrant analysis for us to see uh what the intersection uh what was going on with the intersection um we did have uh some p uh some handouts I don't know if you got them if you get them to the clerk she'll be if you'd hand them to the clerk she'll get them to us uh I think BJ was making some copies okay okay great apologize for that um but um uh so I can just kind of describe the the area um so the vicinity is on along 528 and um on the south that's uh bound by Iris um and Riverside intersection and to the north it's Hydalia and Willow Creek and both of those intersections are are signalized uh before and after the Pasea and Riverside uh intersection um it was brought up to our attention um several months ago that um uh there were there was some accidents uh in the area so we um as a department uh uh passed out um one of our on calls to to restudy the intersection to see what was going on uh with it um that took several months because we had to the consultant had to uh recount the corridor recount the intersections and um that happened that took place over several months um and um so so a little bit of background for uh what what has trans transpired what was taking place in terms of previous studies um it was it was studied back in december 2014 and then again on February 2017 and then we had a traffic volume redistribution in October 2017 and then now in October 2025 uh again it was recounted again um every year since 2014 the volume along 528 has has increased um from nineteen thousand five hundred and twenty fourteen up to twenty one thousand five hundred vehicles per day that's an average annual daily traffic so it's a it's a yearly Um it was it was studied back in December 2014, and then again on February 2017, and then we had a traffic volume redistribution in October 2017, and then now in October 2025, uh again it was recounted again. Um every year since 2014, the volume along 528 has increased from 19,500 and 2014 up to 21,500 vehicles per day. That's an average annual daily traffic, so it's a it's a yearly count, um, a yearly average over the days. Um so um that's what the traffic projections were, and then um so looking at that um based on that we test out parametrics, they're a local uh engineering firm to uh recount the the the corridor plus recount each of the intersections and um we've asked them to do to look at rig and re examine uh the signal warrants uh for the intersection as well as uh crash data uh analyze crash records. Now the crash records um all we have is available right now is from 2019 through 2023. We're always a year behind uh because of um reporting through uh the UNM records uh department, it's always a year in our traffic safety division. So I don't have 2024 data or 2025 because we're we're still in 2025. So um so the crashes were analyzed during this period of 2019 to 2023. Um so um I can go over some of the statistics and the crashes. Um going back after the traffic was recounted and the intersection was recounted, uh we asked the consultant to do a signal warrant analysis, and what they follow is the METCD 11th edition.

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