ART foes ask federal court to halt work

Opponents cite traffic slowdowns on Central as construction begins

Opponents of the Albuquerque Rapid Transit project filed an emergency motion this week asking a federal appeals court to order a halt to the construction that began Monday.

They say the work — demolishing medians and making other changes to prepare Central Avenue for the project — has proven their point: Reducing the number of lanes has triggered intense traffic congestion along the corridor.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit also say the Federal Transit Administration hasn’t approved the final grant necessary to fund the project, making the city’s work premature.

“Now, as a result of lane closures that will become permanent when ART is complete, Central Avenue is a lengthy traffic jam and the city is encouraging drivers to seek alternative routes,” attorneys John Boyd and Yolanda Gallegos wrote in their motion.

Mayor Richard Berry’s administration, in turn, says the city is following the same process as every other similar project funded by the FTA, not acting prematurely.

And the traffic conditions this week aren’t an accurate prediction of what they will be like when the new bus system is running, said Michael Riordan, Albuquerque’s chief operations officer. People always drive slower during construction, he said, and the timing of traffic signals hasn’t been adjusted.

“The opposition has not offered any new evidence that would support a stop to construction of this project that has been approved by our City Council, FTA, and U.S. District Court,” Riordan said.

The city will respond in court next week.

The motion is part of litigation that began in April. A federal district judge and then the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals each refused to prevent the city from starting construction, though the opponents’ appeal is still pending.

The project aims to create a nine-mile network of bus-only lanes and bus stops in the middle of Central Avenue, between Louisiana and Coors.

To make room for the project, crews are removing medians from Central Avenue because the bus will generally run in the middle of the roadway. Throughout much of the route, there will be one lane fewer available for general traffic because of the bus lanes.