The Las Cruces City Council unanimously voted to establish a one-year contract with Alliance Transportation Group to further review the state of the city bus system.
$100,000, a combination of NMDOT and local match funding, will be used to assess the performance of bus routes, identify gaps in service and recommend improvements as well as technology.
City Transit Administrator Mike Bartholomew highlighted some of the city’s transportation goals.
“We were pointing out some specific areas also to look at, such as the East Mesa and how we might provide better service out towards where Centennial High School is,” Bartholomew said. “Those are other areas that this consultant will take into consideration and will certainly be involved in the El Paseo corridor interest as well.”
Councilor Gabe Vasquez noted he felt comfortable using Alliance Transportation because the group has previous experience in El Paso. He also spoke about the need to introduce free transit.
“This may be a model for us in the future, especially to encourage ridership and to just create more of a culture of public transportation use,” Vasquez said.
Councilor Johana Bencomo warned about the dangers of limiting the bus route to select areas of the city.
“It feels kind of like a really bad cycle to fall into, in terms of your higher focus is on the bigger ridership areas as opposed to the low ridership areas,” Bencomo said. “But if you don't focus on the low ridership areas it's probably never going to grow, even though there might be a need there. So I just feel like it’s kind of this not great cycle.”
The current short-range transit plan was established in March of 2016. Councilor Yvonne Flores stressed the need for the city to also establish a long-term plan.
“I think that there's a need for this,” Flores said. “We need our city integrated, we can't have the East Mesa over here, or people who don't have the financial wherewithal to either have a car or even have money for the public transportation.”
The city council also unanimously approved the allocation of aid to select nonprofits. In late August, 1.4 million in emergency assistance was sanctioned by the city, but all individual agreements over $75,000 were still in need of approval. Now, over eight different nonprofits will receive additional funding.
Councilor Bencomo brought up concerns from citizens about the difficulty some have had getting help from agencies.
“I've heard from some folks who've tried to get help, that the process felt really lengthy,” Bencomo said. “That's a really hard thing to do, to ask for help for your family, for yourself. And then you go to an agency, and they lay out this process that feels kind of overwhelming, that feels like I'm being questioned, or like our dignity isn't really being seen.”
Mayor Ken Miyagishima spoke about the restrictions that surround distributing aid.
“We are only allowed from the anti-donation clause to provide funds to these organizations, and they have to qualify that the people who are receiving it are at a certain income level or below,” Miyagishima said.
Organizations that qualify include The Mesilla Valley Community of Hope, which has been awarded $150,000 dollars, and The Boys and Girls Club, which has been awarded $100,000.
