VII. Transportation Element

VII. Transportation Element A. Introduction The purpose of the transportation element is to guide improvements and any expansion of the transportation system needed to meet the demands generated by the existing population as well as future growth over the next 20 years. The future economic and social health of San Juan County will depend to a large extent on how effectively its transportation system can accommodate both personal mobility and the movement of goods under a wide variety of changing circumstances. As well, the transportation system affects other community needs. The county s transportation system will also have a powerful influence on where growth occurs and who benefits from it. The transportation-land use connection encompasses a multi-disciplinary approach that uses land use as a tool for transportation planning, which in turn becomes a means to implement land use goals. Roads should serve land use. For instance, greater dispersal of population requires a wider network of roads and more vehicle miles traveled per capita. On the other hand, more concentrated development in cities or county growth centers allows for more efficient transit service, walking and bicycle trips. Development of the future transportation system in the county will: Have profound fiscal implications by the extent to which maintenance of the system over time will burden county taxpayers Affect the affordability of living in the county Affect the degree to which the community will be able to adapt to changing circumstances, including higher (or lower) gasoline prices or changes in community demography Affect air quality, since tailpipe emissions contribute significantly to air pollution The design and functions of the transportation system also entail significant safety concerns. B. Conditions Planning Context for Transportation in San Juan County The primary existing framework for transportation planning in San Juan County is the Farmington Metropolitan Transportation Plan (FMTP), which was adopted in April 2005 by the Farmington Metropolitan Planning Organization. The FMTP is the long-range transportation plan for the urbanized portion of San Juan County, including both unincorporated areas and the municipalities of Aztec, Bloomfield, and Farmington. The plan identifies services and infrastructure projects that regional decision makers have determined are required to meet the transportation needs of the region through 2030. VII-1

The Northwest New Mexico Regional Planning Organization addresses broader geographic coverage in the Regional Long Range Transportation Plan, focusing mainly on rural systems and the broader network of federal and state highways. Figure VII-1 Socioeconomic Data for Analyzing Transportation Demands The San Juan County Public Works Department is responsible for planning, programming and maintaining the extensive county road system. Programming priorities cross metropolitan and rural areas. The following table shows the demographic data used by the MPO to forecast transportation demand. It presents an interesting picture of a trend distribution of growth in the area. Transportation Analysis Socioeconomic Data: 2003 Base Year General Subareas Housing Units Lodging Single Family Multi- Family Units Mobile Homes Total Housing Units Motel/ Hotel Rooms Industrial/ Manuf. Retail Big Retail Office/ Service Medical Total High School Waterflow/Fruitland 169 0 129 467 0 313 165 0 288 0 766 0 0 0 Kirtland 919 21 903 2,762 0 358 275 0 148 0 781 765 282 287 Bloomfield 1,601 170 2,531 5,903 60 2,804 1,601 0 2,895 732 8,032 1,977 650 63 Aztec 2,051 284 1,674 6,060 57 864 1,259 0 1,776 731 4,630 2,107 1,150 299 Flora Vista 1,012 82 395 2,501 32 230 238 0 259 21 748 515 0 0 La Plata 142 0 211 495 0 121 0 0 0 0 121 0 0 0 Farmington 9,615 2,580 3,606 25,416 1,608 8,577 4,642 2,417 8,174 2,979 26,789 7,845 3,117 5,885 Crouch Mesa 646 175 1,097 2,564 20 662 295 0 388 17 1,362 0 0 0 Total 16,155 3,312 10,546 46,168 1,777 13,929 8,475 2,417 13,928 4,480 43,229 13,209 5,199 6,534 Transportation Analysis Socioeconomic Data: 2030 Projections Single Family Multi- Family Units Mobile Homes Total Housing Units Motel/ Hotel Rooms Roadway System Middle/ Elem. School Middle/ Elem. School University/Voc a. School Industrial/ Manuf. Retail Big Retail Office/ Service Medical Total High School Waterflow/Fruitland 228 0 175 631 0 440 218 0 392 0 1,050 0 0 0 Kirtland 1,249 26 1,416 3,940 0 486 384 0 225 0 1,095 1,223 478 417 Bloomfield 2,560 372 3,803 9,295 90 4,640 2,410 0 3,916 998 11,964 3,196 1,168 91 Aztec 3,553 414 2,732 10,252 87 1,485 1,870 0 2,661 1,023 7,039 3,398 1,698 434 Flora Vista 1,952 82 474 4,460 32 230 773 0 259 21 1,283 1,027 0 0 La Plata 223 0 330 776 0 187 0 0 0 0 187 0 0 0 Farmington 11,660 3,670 4,417 31,407 2,158 11,098 6,961 2,613 10,617 3,934 35,223 9,675 3,719 8,540 Crouch Mesa 1,607 220 2,702 6,136 20 1,486 454 0 567 17 2,524 400 0 0 Total 23,032 4,784 16,049 66,897 2,387 20,052 13,070 2,613 18,637 5,993 60,365 18,919 7,063 9,482 Growth in Housing Units, Employment and Students from 2003 to 2030 Single Family Multi- Family Units Mobile Homes Total Housing Units Motel/ Hotel Rooms Industrial/ Manuf. Retail Big Retail Employment Middle/ Elem. School University/Voc a. School Office/ Service Medical Total High School Waterflow/Fruitland 59 0 46 164 0 127 53 0 104 0 284 0 0 0 Kirtland 330 5 513 1,178 0 128 109 0 77 0 314 458 196 130 Bloomfield 959 202 1,272 3,392 30 1,836 809 0 1,021 266 3,932 1,219 518 28 Aztec 1,502 130 1,058 4,192 30 621 611 0 885 292 2,409 1,291 548 135 Flora Vista 940 0 79 1,959 0 0 535 0 0 0 535 512 0 0 La Plata 81 0 119 281 0 66 0 0 0 0 66 0 0 0 Farmington 2,045 1,090 811 5,991 550 2,521 2,319 196 2,443 955 8,434 1,830 602 2,655 Crouch Mesa 961 45 1,605 3,572 0 824 159 0 179 0 1,162 400 0 0 Total 6,877 1,472 5,503 20,729 610 6,123 4,595 196 4,709 1,513 17,136 5,710 1,864 2,948 Source: Farmington Metropolitan Planning Organization data developed by LSA Associates for traffic forecast modeling, 2004. Students University/Voc a. School Existing Roadways The roadway system in San Juan County includes a combination of state highways, county arterial and local roadways, streets within municipalities, Navajo Nation and BIA-maintained roads, BLM roads, and private roadways serving oil and gas wells. Approximately 747 miles are maintained by San Juan County government. The county road system consists of 232 miles of paved roads, 437 miles of unpaved roads, and 79 miles of roads that are classified as lesser maintained. Planned Future Roadways The Metropolitan Transportation Plan for the Farmington Metropolitan Transportation Planning Area focuses heavily on expanding the roadway system in the county over the coming two decades. The plan includes a total of 18 recommended roadway projects, the total estimated cost of which exceeds $200 million (in 2005 dollars). Most of the recommended projects involve either constructing new or widening existing roads in currently undeveloped or moderately developed areas on Crouch Mesa or at the edges of Farmington and Aztec. VII-2

Figure VII-2 Farmington MPO Boundary Figure VII-3 2030 Vision Plan Public Transportation System Public transportation in San Juan County includes service provided by several agencies and organizations, including Red Apple Transit, Navajo Transit, and TNM&O (Greyhound) Bus Lines. VII-3

Red Apple Transit Red Apple Transit is a public bus system managed by the General Services Department of the city of Farmington. Its annual operating cost totals approximately $380,000. The agency currently provides scheduled service on five fixed routes, as well as diala-ride (i.e., demand-responsive) paratransit service. 7 Operating hours are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. There is no Sunday service. 8 Two of Red Apple s fixed routes (the Red Line and the Green Line ) operate as one-way circulators on hourly headways within Farmington. Another Farmington-only route (the Express ) runs every 30 minutes each way between Orchard Plaza and Animas Valley Mall. The fourth route (the Bronco ) runs three times per day each way from Kirtland to Farmington, while the fifth route (the Tiger ) runs three times per day each way from Aztec to Farmington. The paratransit service is free and provides transportation for eligible persons anywhere within the Farmington city limits and within 3/4-mile of all fixed-routes outside the Farmington city limits. 9 Ridership on the fixed routes currently totals approximately 43,000 boardings, with dial-a-ride service accommodating an additional 2,000 boardings per year. 10 Total annual miles of revenue service are approximately 186,600. 11 Figure VII-4 Red Apple Transit Expansion Option A recommendation to expand and improve the Red Apple Transit system has been Farmington Metropolitan Area Transportation Plan, April 2005, Figure 7.5, p. 39. 7 Farmington Metropolitan Area Transportation Plan, April 2005, pp. 8-9. 8 Red Apple Transit Web site: www.farmington.nm.us/city_services/red_apple_transit/ 9 Red Apple Transit Web site: www.farmington.nm.us/city_services/red_apple_transit/ 10 Farmington Metropolitan Area Transportation Plan, April 2005, p 9. 11 Farmington Metropolitan Area Transportation Plan, April 2005, Figure 7.5, p. 39. VII-4

incorporated into the Metropolitan Transportation Plan for the Farmington area. The recommendation would increase annual miles of revenue service by approximately 47% and would involve restructuring most of the existing routes within the city of Farmington (see Figure VII-4). All in-town routes except for one would operate with headways of 45 minutes in each direction. Service between Farmington and Kirtland and Farmington and Aztec would remain essentially the same, but a new route would be added between Farmington and Bloomfield. The new Bloomfield route would operate three times a day in each direction. The plan also considers the possibility of establishing a new route between Bloomfield and Aztec. There would be no service on Highway 64 to Shiprock or on Highway 550 to Durango. Navajo Transit Navajo Transit also provides public transportation service to San Juan County. The company operates a single route (Route #7) in the county between Shiprock and Farmington, with some service continuing on to Window Rock, Arizona. On Mondays and Fridays, the service runs twice a day in each direction between Shiprock and Farmington, while on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays it runs four times per day. Intercity Bus Service (Greyhound) TNM&O (Greyhound) Bus Lines provides a very limited amount of intercity bus service to San Juan County. The company runs a single trip each way per day from Albuquerque to Grand Junction via Bloomfield, Farmington, Aztec and Durango. Other Public Transportation Providers in the San Juan County Travelshed At least two other public transportation providers operate within the San Juan County travelshed. Both are located across the Colorado border in La Plata County. Durango Transit operates several fixed bus routes and a paratransit service within the municipal limits of Durango. In addition, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe funds a public transit service that makes three round trips per day between Ignacio and Durango. School and Non-Profit Transportation Providers Four public school districts operate buses on school bus routes in the county. In addition, several social service bus and shuttle services are associated with senior centers and other groups. Non-Motorized Transportation System The non-motorized transportation system in unincorporated San Juan County includes a very limited number of pedestrian facilities and bikeways. The pedestrian facilities (sidewalks, crosswalks, and other pathways) exist mostly within the incorporated areas of the county. Bikeways are mostly on-street shoulders or routes, and are located mostly within the incorporated areas. 12 There are currently no multi-use trails (i.e., trails suitable for use by pedestrians, bicyclists and sometimes equestrians) in the county. To improve pedestrian mobility and safety, the Metropolitan Transportation Plan emphasizes improvements within pedestrian districts (e.g., downtown areas), in commercial centers along arterial roadways, near schools, and to provide access to bus stops. The plan highlights the need to improve pedestrian route directness, continuity of pathways, street crossing safety, visual interest and amenity, and security. It calls for 12 Farmington Metropolitan Area Transportation Plan, April 2005, p 7. VII-5

funding for pedestrian facilities to be adjusted annually to reflect targeted pedestrian improvements based on input from the Metropolitan Transportation Organization s Technical Committee. It also calls for the development of pedestrian-friendly design standards and guidelines for new roadway construction and roadway reconstruction. 13 Bikeways The bikeways component of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan proposes expansion of the existing system to include a range of different types of facilities, mainly in and around Farmington (see Figure VII-5). Facility types would include wide shoulders along state highways, bicycle lanes along some urban streets, bike route designations along some suburban and rural roadways, and an off-street, multi-use pathway system. The multi-use pathway system would run mainly along the Animas and La Plata river valleys. Figure VII-5 Proposed Bikeway Improvements Railroads Historically, railroad service in San Juan County was provided by a narrow gauge branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad system. This branch extended 49 miles from Durango to Farmington via Aztec and was abandoned in 1968. 14 Since that date, there has been no intercity rail service to the area. While there has been local interest in reestablishing a rail link to San Juan County from the Gallup area or from Utah, no plans are currently in place to do so. Air Transportation The San Juan County area has two competing major airports: Four Corners Regional Airport in Farmington and Durango-La Plata Airport outside of Durango, Colorado. Four Corners Regional Airport is owned by the city of Farmington. It has two runways, one 6,700 in length and the other 6,500 long. The runways lie at an elevation of 13 Farmington Metropolitan Area Transportation Plan, April 2005, p 45-48. 14 David F. Myrick. 1990. New Mexico s Railroads (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press), pp. 130-131. VII-6

5,506. Direct commercial passenger airline service is available to Albuquerque via Mesa Airlines, to Denver via Great Lakes Airlines, and to Phoenix via America West Express and Great Lakes Airlines. The airport offers free short- and long-term parking immediately in front of the terminal. 15 The Durango-La Plata Airport is operated jointly by La Plata County and the city of Durango. It is located approximately 15 miles southeast of Durango at an elevation of approximately 6,700 and has a 9,200 -long runway. Direct commercial passenger airline service is available to Denver via United Express and to Phoenix via America West Express (US Airways). The airport offers both short- and long-term parking immediately in front of the terminal. Long-term parking charges are $6.00 per day up to a maximum of $30.00 in a seven-day period. Short-term parking is free for the first 30 minutes, and $1.00 for each half hour thereafter to a daily maximum of $7.00. Transportation Safety Transportation planners both nationwide and in New Mexico are becoming increasingly aware of the need to address safety as a key element in the transportation planning process. Federal law, in fact, requires communities to consider safety in order to be eligible for federal transportation funds. 16 The purpose is to save lives and reduce injuries for all users of the transportation system, including motorists, transit riders, pedestrians, bicyclists, and others. In New Mexico, the state s Department of Transportation (NMDOT) has begun to make Safety Conscious Planning (SCP) an imperative. According to the agency s Web site, SCP refers to a comprehensive, systemwide, multimodal, and proactive process... that better integrates safety into surface transportation decision-making. 17 The Web site explains that the process is: Comprehensive because it considers all aspects of transportation safety - engineering, education, enforcement, and emergency medical response Systemwide because it considers corridors and entire transportation networks at the local, regional and state levels as well as specific sites Multimodal because it includes transit, bicycle, and pedestrian safety improvements Proactive because it addresses current safety problems and prevents future hazards and problem behaviors 18 Crash rates on roadways in San Juan County have tended to be higher than elsewhere in New Mexico (see Figures VII-6, 7,8 and 9). For instance, in 2003, 2004 and 2005, there were a total of 2,780, 2,944 and 3,021 crashes, respectively, in San Juan County. These figures translate to rates of 22.7, 23.7, and 23.9 crashes per 100,000 residents and 182, 220, and 221 crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT). By contrast, the comparable rates for New Mexico as a whole (excluding Bernalillo County) were 22.1, 23.5, and 21.2 crashes per 100,000 residents and 161, 167, and 150 crashes per 100 million VMT, respectively. 19 15 http://www.fmtn.org/city_government/community_development/airport.html 16 See http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/scp/. 17 See http://www.nmshtd.state.nm.us/main.asp?secid=11463.. 18 Ibid. 19 The crash rate for Bernalillo County has tended to exceed that of all other counties in New Mexico by a wide margin. VII-7

Figure VII-6 Number of Crashes in the County Number of Crashes, Population, and Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT) CRASHES (all types) 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 San Juan County 2,717 2,810 2,805 2,833 2,859 2,463 2,638 2,952 2,851 2,780 2,944 3,021 New Mexico (excluding Bernalillo County) 29,112 30,509 30,438 31,835 29,661 24,835 28,998 29,550 29,923 28,535 30,783 28,106 San Juan County 99,252 100,470 102,508 103,520 106,020 109,899 113,801 115,380 117,132 122,272 124,166 126,208 POPULATION New Mexico (excluding Bernalillo County) 100 Million VMT 1,137,957 1,163,073 1,186,793 1,203,663 1,210,973 1,216,372 1,262,368 1,266,688 1,310,991 1,293,172 1,309,524 1,324,822 San Juan County 15.4 15.5 15.8 16.9 16.3 14.9 14.3 14.3 15.1 15.3 13.4 13.7 New Mexico (excluding Bernalillo County) Source: New Mexico Traffic Safety Bureau Annual Reports 166.5 179.1 181.5 197.3 187.6 189.6 178.5 178.5 177.2 177.3 184.3 187.4 Figure VII-7 County Crash Rates Crash Rates per 100,000 Residents and 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled Crashes per 100K Residents Crashes per 100 Million VMT 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 San Juan County 27.4 28.0 27.4 27.4 27.0 22.4 23.2 25.6 24.3 22.7 23.7 23.9 New Mexico (excluding Bernalillo County) 25.6 26.2 25.6 26.4 24.5 20.4 23.0 23.3 22.8 22.1 23.5 21.2 San Juan County 176.4 181.3 177.5 167.6 175.4 165.3 184.5 206.4 188.8 181.7 219.7 220.5 New Mexico (excluding Bernalillo County) Source: New Mexico Traffic Safety Bureau Annual Reports 174.8 170.3 167.7 161.4 158.1 131.0 162.5 165.5 168.9 160.9 167.0 150.0 Per capita statistics on fatalities due to crashes also indicate that San Juan County has a higher rate than elsewhere in New Mexico and, indeed, a far higher rate than in both the United States as a whole and across the border in Colorado. Figure VII-8 Crashes per 100,000 Residents Source for all traffic safety charts is the New Mexico Traffic Safety Bureau. Crashes per 100K Residents 30.0 25.0 20.0 15.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 Crashes per per 100,000 100,000 Residents Residents 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 San Juan County New Mexico (excluding Bernalillo County) VII-8

Figure VII-9 Crashes per 100 Million VMT 250.0 Crashes per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Travele Crashes per 100 Million Vehicle-Miles Traveled Crashes per 100 Million VMT 200.0 150.0 100.0 50.0 0.0 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 San Juan County New Mexico (excluding Bernalillo County) From 1994 to 2005, the number of fatalities due to crashes (of all types) in the county ranged from a high of almost 50 to a low of about 25 per 100,000 residents (Figure VII-10). The average was 34.8 deaths per 100,000. This number compares to a New Mexico average (including Bernalillo County) of 26.1 deaths and averages in the U.S. and Colorado of 15.2 and 15.6 deaths, respectively. Figure VII-10 Fatalities Due to Crashes 60.0 Fatalities Due to All Types of Crashes Fatalities Due to All Types of Crashes 50.0 Fatalities per 100K Population 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 San Juan County Colorado New Mexico United States VII-9

Most of the traffic fatalities that have occurred in the county since 1994 were either motor vehicle drivers, motor vehicle passengers, or motorcycle riders. Available data for this population suggests that the death rates have either met or exceeded the New Mexico average (see Figure VII-11). Figure VII-11 Vehicle Occupant and Motorcycle Rider Fatalities 35.0 Fatailities Fatalities - Vehicle - Vehicle Occupants Occupants and and Mortorcycle Motorcycle Riders Riders 30.0 Fatalities per 100K Population 25.0 20.0 15.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Colorado New Mexico United States San Juan County VII-10

Figure VII-12 Pedestrian Fatalities Pedestrians account for virtually all of the remaining traffic deaths. The available data indicate that the death rate for this group has been as high as 7.1 people per 100,000 residents (Figure VII-12). The average annual death rate is probably on the order of five or six deaths per 100,000 residents. This exceeds the national average for the 1994-2005 period (1.8) by a factor of about three. 8.0 7.0 Fatalities - Pedestrians Fatalities - Pedestrians Fatalities per 100K Population 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Colorado New Mexico United States San Juan County Bicyclists are relatively rare in San Juan County, perhaps because there are very few facilities available for their use. Not surprisingly, then, they represent a very small percentage of traffic deaths in the area. During the period for which data for this group are available (i.e., 2004 and 2005), no fatalities were recorded (Figure VII-13). Figure VII-13 Pedalcyclists Fatalities Fatalities per 100K Population 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 Fatallities - Pedalcyclists Fatalities - Pedalcyclists 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Colorado New Mexico United States San Juan County Travel Patterns and Behavior Similar to communities everywhere, travel patterns and behavior in San Juan County directly reflect both the characteristics of its transportation system and the larger VII-11

physical, social, and economic context within which the system operates. How, when, where, and under what conditions people travel (or goods move) in the county reflect both the supply of transportation infrastructure and services and travel demand generated by factors exogenous to the transportation system. To some greater or lesser extent, all of these things are subject to some degree of influence or control through the planning and policy making process. Supply-side characteristics of the transportation system that influence travel patterns and behavior include: The location, design, user cost, and operational performance of highways, streets, and other roadways The cost of gasoline and other motor vehicle fuels The availability, reliability, speed, and other characteristics of public transportation services The availability of safe, convenient, and comfortable sidewalks, crosswalks, and other pedestrian infrastructure The availability of facilities for bicyclists, including bike lanes, multiuse trails, bicycle parking, and so forth The availability, price, and convenience of auto parking at travel destinations Factors that lie outside the transportation system, but nevertheless affect demand for travel and goods movement, include: Land use and development patterns, including the degree to which land uses are spatially integrated and designed to support use of a wide range of travel modes Community demography, including the presence of people with special transportation needs (elderly, disabled, etc.) Topography and climate (influences willingness to walk or ride bicycles) Levels, distribution, types and patterns of employment, including the extent to which jobs require use of motor vehicles Levels of overall economic activity Today in San Juan County, most of these characteristics and factors tend to encourage or require use of motor vehicles to satisfy most travel purposes: Roadways tend to be designed with wide cross sections and for high-speed travel. Few are designed with features that provide for the safety and comfort of users of nonautomotive travel modes. Until recently, the price of gasoline and other automotive fuels has tended to be very low, especially when considered with respect to other household costs and in inflation-adjusted terms. Public transportation service is very limited, if not absent from most areas of the county. Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructures are relatively scarce. Parking tends to be free to the user, abundant, and ubiquitous. Land uses tend to be very spread out and built in segregated fashion. Land development has often occurred in locations that are not easily accessible by public transportation, foot, or bicycle or in a manner that does not allow their easy use. Many jobs in the region (e.g., oil and gas field jobs) require use of automobiles or trucks throughout the work day. VII-12

The source for all information about travel-to-work is the U.S. Census 2000 Summary File 4, sample data. Figure VII-14 Commuter Travel Pattern in the County Not surprisingly, under these conditions, automobiles and light trucks have become the dominant form of transportation in San Juan County, with relatively few trip purposes satisfied by using other travel modes. Data on commuter behavior from the most recent Census Journey to Work survey (U.S. Census 2000 Summary File 4, sample data) help illustrate this phenomenon. Figure VII-14 shows the county s general commuting pattern in 2000. As the data in this figure indicate, approximately 79% of trips between home and work in the county were made by people driving alone in their own (or a company) vehicles. Only around 15% were made by two or more people together in the same vehicles. About 2% were made by people on foot, while people who worked at home accounted for an additional 3%. All other modes (including bicycling, public transit, and motorcycles) accounted for the remaining 1%. Commuter Travel Pattern in San Juan County: 2000 Bicycle Motorcycle 0% 0% Public transportation 0% Carpool 15% Walk 2% Other means 1% Work at Home 3% Drive Alone 79% The Census data suggest that, by the standards of other comparable rural counties in New Mexico, the rate of drive-alone commuting in San Juan County is fairly typical (see Figure VII-15). In neighboring La Plata County in Colorado, drive-alone travel accounts for only about 69% of work trips (i.e., 10 percentage points less than for San Juan). Doña Ana and Lea Counties have drive-alone rates of 77% and 79% respectively, while Garfield County in Colorado has a drive-alone rate of only around 65%. The difference between the rate of drive-alone commuting in San Juan County and other counties in New Mexico and the rates of comparison Colorado counties can generally be explained by a combination of factors. In the Colorado counties, high-quality travel alternatives tend to be more widely available, convenient, and comfortable to use: transit services tend to be more extensive; pedestrian facilities more abundant; bicycling more appealing; land uses more compact, and so forth. A similar pattern is seen in rates of carpooling, public transit riding, bicycling and walking, which tend to be higher (see Figure VII-16). Drive-alone rates are also less in the Colorado counties because their rates of working at home tend to be greater. In San Juan County, only the data for the city of Farmington show rates of use of alternative travel modes that are similar to rates in the comparison Colorado counties. VII-13

Figure VII-15 Comparison of Drive-Alone Commuting Rates Percent of workers (age 16 and over) who drive alone to work 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Comparison between Counties of Drive-Alone Commuting Rates: 2000 San Juan County Doña Ana County Lea County Source: Census 2000, Summary File 4, Sample Data La Plata County, CO Garfield County, CO Figure VII-16 Comparison of Alternative Travel Modes Percent of workers (age 16 and older) who use mode 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Comparison Comparison between Between Counties Counties of Alternative of Alternative Travel Mode Travel Use: Modes: 2000 2000 Carpool Public transportation Motorcycle Bicycle Walk Other means Work at Home San Juan County Doña Ana County Lea County La Plata County, CO Garfield County, CO The amount of time that people spend commuting to and from work is also a variable of interest for planning purposes. Again, journey-to-work data from the Census can shed light on how San Juan County performs relative to the comparison counties. These data indicate that commute times in San Juan County reflect a high degree of variation; however, the data also indicate that, on average, workers in San Juan County tend to spend considerably more time commuting than workers in Coconino and La Plata County, but less time than Garfield County workers (see Figure VII-17). VII-14

Figure VII-17 Travel Time to Work Average Travel Time to Work (Minutes) 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 23 minutes Average Travel Time to Work 22 minutes 18 minutes 21 minutes San Juan County Doña Ana County Lea County La Plata County, CO 28 minutes Garfield County, CO For comparison, in Garfield County, Colorado, high average commuting time relates to proximity to the Aspen / Snowmass resort area. Many people who are employed by resort-area businesses there are unable to find affordable housing close to their work sites; instead, they live in Garfield County, where housing is cheaper, but the commute distances are longer. A similar relationship appears to be emerging today between San Juan County and the Durango resort area. Already, as many as 2,000 people commute from San Juan County to jobs located outside the state, many of which are in the Durango area (see Figure VII-18). To the extent that conditions in San Juan County become more similar to conditions in Garfield County over time, average travel times can be expected to increase. This increase would be in addition to any increases in average travel time that occur due to more general growth in traffic volumes and congestion that occur in San Juan County in the future. Travel times can be expected to increase as employment grows and residential development takes place in areas of the county that are currently vacant. Figure VII-18 Location of Employers Outside New Mexico Where Employed Residents of San Juan County Work (Source: Census 2000, Summary File 4, Sample Data) 2,002 Outside San Juan County, but still in New Mexico 880 San Juan County 40,785 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 Number of Employed Residents Age 16 and Over VII-15

C. Goals and Policies 1. Promotion of a thorough public involvement process in planning for transportation infrastructure and services a. Ensure broad-based, early and continuing involvement of the public in all aspects of the transportation planning and implementation process. Provide complete information, timely public notice, and full access to decision-making processes by all affected populations (including those traditionally under-served or under-represented in the planning and design process). 2. Support for transportation projects that improve safety for all modes of travel a. Give highest priority for transportation funding to projects and programs that improve or maintain safety for all users of the transportation system, including the users of both motorized and nonmotorized travel modes and people of all incomes, ages and physical abilities. b. Secure rights-of-way to develop trails along and access to the San Juan, Animas and La Plata Rivers c. Acquire a trail easement and construct a regional multiuse pathway along the former Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad grade between Farmington and Durango. 3. Support for preservation and maintenance of the transportation system a. Give priority to preserving and maintaining existing transportation facilities over roadway system expansion. 4. Assurance that roadway system expansion projects meet critical travel needs and support desired compact land use patterns a. When roadway system expansion is deemed necessary, give priority to facilities that ensure the creation of efficient, compact land use patterns in San Juan County. b. Conduct an alignment study and the engineering required to extend Piñon Hills Road eastward from Farmington to (and through) Crouch Mesa. c. Develop a framework plan for roadways on Crouch Mesa that supports the creation of compact, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods and respects the area s rural context and spectacular viewsheds. d. Develop multimodal design standards for streets and roadways on Crouch Mesa and elsewhere in San Juan County. 5. Design of roadway networks and facilities that are context-sensitive and cost effective, and support alternative modes of travel a. Design roadway networks and facilities with sensitivity to their environmental, historical and community context and to support development patterns that minimize public infrastructure costs; minimize costs of providing public services; encourage walking, VII-16

bicycling and use of public transportation; facilitate the efficient movement of goods; and help to improve air quality in San Juan County. 6. Promotion of intergovernmental coordination in the planning and operation of transportation systems a. Coordinate among the local, regional, tribal, and state jurisdictions (including those in both New Mexico and Colorado) that own and operate the different elements of the region s transportation system in order to ensure efficiency and promote local and regional economic health. b. Work with the Farmington Metropolitan Planning Organization to regularly update the Metropolitan Transportation Plan and with the Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments to update the Regional Long Range Transportation Plan, promoting actions that include: i. Determine how to improve the productivity of the Red Apple transit service to unincorporated growth centers ii. Identify opportunity sites for park-and-ride and other transitsupportive infrastructure in the San Juan region (including bus stops along major roadways) iii. Realize opportunities to establish bus transit service between the Farmington area and Durango 7. Promotion of transportation alternatives that are free of barriers to people of all ages and abilities a. Provide easier access to more and better transportation choices for travel throughout the region by people of all ages and abilities. 8. Improvement of the energy efficiency of transportation systems a. Ensure that the transportation system promotes efficient use of energy. 9. Design of regional streets accessing multiple communities with differing design components based on the functions and character of surrounding land uses a. Design regional streets to reflect the function and character of surrounding land uses, consistent with regional street design concepts and the need to ensure the safety of all roadway users (including bicyclists and pedestrians). b. Develop access control standards for turn lanes and driveways along state highways and other arterial roadways in unincorporated areas of the county. 10. Creation of a street network that is highly interconnected a. Design street networks with high levels of interconnectivity to reduce dependence on major streets for local circulation. VII-17

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