NORTHEAST REGIONAL PLANNING ORGANIZATION

LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department

 

 

 

 

 

Fall, 2002
TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

I.          INTRODUCTION

 

II.         PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM

 

III.        GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

 

IV.       REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PRIORITIES

 

V.       IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

 

VI.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

APPENDICES

 

 

 

 

 

 

I.                    INTRODUCTION

 

 

The Federally-mandated Planning Process

 

The Regional Long-range Transportation Plan for the Northeast Regional Planning Organization (NERPO) is designed to be combined with the plans for the six other regional planning organizations to form a cohesive plan for the State of New Mexico.  The plan is based on the seven planning factors required to carry out the statewide transportation planning process found in Title 23 USC135.B.1:

 

a.      Support the economic vitality of the United States, the States, and metropolitan areas, especially by enabling global competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency;

b.      Increase the safety and security of the transportation system for motorized and non-motorized users;

c.      Increase the accessibility and mobility options available to people and for freight;

d.      Protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, and improve quality of life;

e.      Enhance the integration and connectivity of the transportation system, across and between modes throughout the State, for people and freight;

f.        Promote efficient system management and operation; and

g.      Emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system.

 

In order to provide for cooperative planning for transportation improvements among the state, local, and tribal governments, the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department (NMSHTD) works with and through Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) in urban areas and Regional Planning Organizations (RPOs) in rural areas.      

 

Since 1960, federal highway legislation has required that in urban areas over fifty thousand (50,000) in population, federal transportation projects must be the products of a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive planning process.  As a result, all affected local governments, state transportation agencies, and federal transportation agencies are utilized for this process.

 

 
The Regional Planning Process in New Mexico

 

RPOs are planning forums which were modeled on the administrative structure of the Metropolitan Planning Organizations.  They were created to assist in the development of an efficient and fiscally constrained statewide transportation system, as mandated by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA), outside the urban areas.  Currently, these RPOs function as an advisory and educational forum for the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department (NMSHTD).

 

The consultative process (current FHWA nomenclature for the public outreach process for non-metropolitan areas in New Mexico) focuses primarily on the development of the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).  The balance of the transportation planning process also utilizes appropriate public outreach protocols.  However, the NMSHTD Regional Planning Section is not generally involved in those portions of project development. The primary means for carrying out the public outreach process for development of the STIP is the RPO structure modeled after the MPO (utilized in urbanized areas for many years) as noted above.

 

In New Mexico, the RPOs were created in 1991 within the Transportation Planning Division to address the requirement for a consultative planning process as outlined in the Intermodal Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA).  Prior to this requirement by ISTEA, New Mexico had already created a similar outreach structure in response to the New Mexico State Transportation Commission concerns regarding rural entity participation in transportation planning.  The process requirement was subsequently included in the new Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21).  There are seven RPO regions within the state loosely based on the Council of Government (COG) regions.  The NMSHTD has contracted with five of the COGs to staff and administer their respective RPOs while the remaining two (one of which is NERPO) are staffed by the NMSHTD.

 

TEA-21 requires that the state determine transportation needs in non-metropolitan areas in consultation with local elected officials.  Projects in rural and urban areas of populations less than 50,000 are selected by the state in cooperation with affected local officials.  The RPOs are used to solicit information in the development of the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and the Long-range Transportation Plan and to disseminate information about the department and various programs such as Bikeways, Scenic Byways, Bridge, and Safety.

 

 

New Mexico’s Regional Planning Organizations

 

Each RPO is comprised of a Policy Committee and a Technical Committee (or a joint committee, as in NERPO).  Policy Committee members are elected officials or those individuals who are authorized to make policy decisions on behalf of the entity that they represent.  Technical Committee members are those professional staff persons who have been appointed by their elected officials to provide technical expertise to the transportation planning process.  Agencies other than municipalities, county governments, or tribal governments are also included in the process when they are stakeholders in a project.  These agencies include but

 

are not limited to the Forest Service, State Land Office, Bureau of Land Management, and other state and federal agencies.  Involvement of private citizens, organizations, and interest groups is solicited and encouraged.

 

The nature and philosophical approach of the various RPOs varies widely throughout the state.  New Mexico is a large state in which there are very diverse populations and interests, three major ethnic groups, and many smaller ethnic populations.  Town sizes range from a few hundred to over a half million, with the

majority of towns having less than 30,000 people.  Any public outreach process has to be sensitive to and reflect the requirements of each group in order to achieve meaningful public participation.  Cultural factors, perceptions of equity, and the ability to participate successfully in the transportation development process generally determine the approach used.  A specific methodology is used because it is comfortable for the entities within their own specific region.

 

 

The Northeast Regional Planning Organization

 

Overview

 

District 4 of the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department and the Northeast Regional Planning Organization encompass seven counties in the northeastern part of the state: Colfax, Union, Mora, Harding, San Miguel, Guadalupe, and Quay.  In 2000, there were 46,617 licensed drivers in these seven counties, and the total population was 69,314. 

 

This part of the state is largely rural and sparsely populated, and the economy is based on ranching, farming, hunting, tourism, camping, fishing, and skiing.  The median household income in New Mexico is $34,133; the median household incomes in all seven of the counties in District 4 are lower, and four of the seven are included in the 30% of the poorest counties in the state. 

 

Elevation in District 4 ranges from an average of 4,086 in Quay County to 6,312 feet in Mora County.  The western part of the District is in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, but the terrain quickly levels out, and most of the District is plains or gently rolling hills.  The region’s climate varies due to changes in geography and elevation but is generally moderate with warm summers and snow in the winters.

 

Road System

 

District 4 is crossed by two interstate highways.  Interstate 25 runs from the Colorado border north of Raton south to Las Vegas and then east out of the district.  From Wagon Mound to Las Vegas and then east to Santa Fe, I-25 closely parallels the old Santa Fe Trail.  Interstate 40 runs east/west, in many places overlying the alignment of Route 66, which was decommissioned in 1985.  Route 66 passed through Las Vegas and Tucumcari, but when the interstate bypassed those towns, they suffered from economic depression. 

 


The federal aid primary system in District 4 consists of nine designations.  US 54, which enters the southwestern part of Guadalupe, continues northwesterly to Santa Rosa, follows I-40 to Tucumcari, and then travels through Logan and Nara Visa before crossing the Texas border.  US 60 and US 285 cross US 54 at Vaughn, briefly traveling through the southwest corner of Guadalupe County before leaving District 4 for other parts of the state.  US 84 enters Guadalupe County from Fort Sumner in District 2, then follows I-40 west of Santa Rosa for sixteen miles, when it heads north to Romeroville.  At Romeroville, it follows I-25 west into Santa Fe County and out of District 4.  The northern part of the district is crossed by US 64, in Colfax County, US 64/87, from Raton to Clayton, and US 56/412 from Springer to Clayton.  At Clayton, both alignments continue into adjoining states, with new designations of US 87 (southeast to Texline, Texas) and US 56/64/412 (northeast to Boise City, Oklahoma).  

 

The state road system must support most of the local traffic in District 4.  Only one of these roads is even considered a principal through highway; most of them run through very sparsely populated ranching areas and have little daily traffic.  They connect tiny settlements that offer no services to travelers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transit

 

Transit is an important option for reducing traffic congestion and decreasing the number of single occupant vehicles that travel our roads and highways.  It is important to the economic vitality of communities and to the state as a whole.  Public transit enriches communities by facilitating the affordable and reliable movement of people to and from work, vital services, business, and recreation. 

 

There are four general types of transportation programs funded by Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grants:  fixed route and demand response service for the general public, specialized transportation for the elderly and disabled, transportation for moving people from welfare to work, and transportation planning programs.  The FTA further categorizes the transportation services for the general public and the welfare to work programs into urban and rural. 

 

The Specialized Transportation Programs supplement the services for the general public by aiding seniors and disabled citizens who have special transportation needs.  The grants are for both rural and urban communities.  They are specifically for capital and are generally given to private non-profit organizations, although government entities are also eligible to apply.  The program is normally funded under FTA Section 5310; however, the NMSHTD has been using the Discretionary Section 5309 award to fund these programs.  The annual Section 5310 allocation has been transferred to the rural public transportation program under Section 5311. 

 

Welfare-to-Work Transportation is jointly funded by federal dollars from the FTA Job Access and Reverse Commute program, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Temporary Assistance to Needy Families grants and the U.S. Department of Labor Welfare to Work grants.  Only funding from the Federal Transit Administration is included in this document. 

 

Because of the rural nature of District 4, few transit programs are available.  Angel Fire and Las Vegas each have Welfare to Work (Section 3037) and rural transportation (Section 5311) programs.  Interest has been shown in transit programs to transport students living in rural areas to Highlands University and Luna VoTech in Las Vegas, and also in providing transport to Raton.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rail

 

New Mexico’s northeastern quadrant is an important freight and passenger rail corridor for the region.  The area is significant historically because Raton Pass was the entry point for the Santa Fe Pacific Railroad Company when it entered the New Mexico Territory on December 7, 1878.  Richens Lacy Wootton operated the state’s first (and only) toll road on Raton Pass, profiting even after that facility and alignment was sold to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company.

 

At the close of the Mexican War, General Kearny’s Army of the West utilized Raton Pass to access Las Vegas, where the territory was claimed for the United States.  Between 1821 and 1878 wagons ladened with a variety of goods came over the Pass until the construction of the railroad made such traffic impractical

 

and unprofitable.  From 1906 until 1921 cars and horse-drawn vehicles used the Old Pass road, which later became US 85/87 and then Interstate 25, a major improvement over Wootton’s wagon road.

 

Today, two Class I railroads (those carriers with annual operating revenue in excess of $267 million annually) operate in District 4. Those are the Union Pacific Railroad (formerly the Southern Pacific Transportation Company in New Mexico) and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (formed by merger of the Burlington Northern and the ATSF Railway Companies).

 

The Burlington Northern Santa Fe serves the communities of Las Vegas, Watrous, Wagon Mound, Springer, Raton, Folsom, Des Moines, Grenville, and Clayton.  Commodities originating in New Mexico and carried by the BNSF include coal, chemicals, petroleum, and stone products.  Outbound products include food, agricultural products, and metallic ore.

 

The Union Pacific serves the communities of Tucumcari and Nara Visa en route from El Paso northeasterly to Hutchinson and Topeka, Kansas.  The Union Pacific hauls automobiles, agricultural products, and containerized freight.

 

Amtrak’s long distance train, the Southwest Chief, carries passengers from Los Angeles to Chicago and stops at Las Vegas and Raton.  The train operates in each direction daily.  With an approximate annual ridership of 20,000 at Raton, primarily because of the Philmont Scout Ranch, more passengers board and get off in Raton than do in any other Amtrak location in New Mexico.  Las Vegas Amtrak ridership averages about 3,000 riders annually.  Both Raton and Las Vegas have embarked on long-term efforts to rehabilitate their historic depots, providing improved accommodations for Amtrak riders and simultaneously making attractive tourist facilities while capitalizing on the historic value of the two areas.

 

Aviation

 

Air travel for tourists in New Mexico is confined primarily to the Santa Fe County Municipal Airport and the Albuquerque Sunport.  Air travel in District 4 is limited primarily to local traffic.  Many ranchers have unpaved airstrips, for personal use only.  The airstrips in Tucumcari, Raton, and Springer occasionally get other than local traffic.  Most air traffic that isn’t local is for emergency response and firefighting, or to lessen the interstate travel time for business people. 

 

There are paved airstrips at Tucumcari, Clayton, Conchas Lake, Santa Rosa, Raton, Springer, Las Vegas, and Angel Fire.  The municipality of Logan operates an unpaved airstrip.  A new airstrip is proposed for Harding County in the area of Valmora, to replace the one at Roy that was closed because of low traffic volume.  Vaughn has been considered as the site of a new airstrip for about twenty years.  The high velocity winds in that area have been problematic.  Several sites have been chosen, and a feasibility study is now underway. 

 

 

 

 

 

County Profiles

 

Colfax County.  Before the advent of automobiles, Raton Pass was the entryway to the rolling prairies, rimrock mesas, and alpine meadows of Colfax County.  Explorers, cattle and sheep drivers, and the railroad all went through Raton Pass.  Located along New Mexico's border with southeastern Colorado, Colfax County is diverse in geography.  Plains and ranch land cover expanses of land near Springer and Miami in the far eastern part of the County.  Further west is the beautiful Cimarron Canyon, opening to a spectacular view of Eagle Nest Lake and the high alpine Moreno Valley.  Wheeler Peak, the highest in the state at 13,161 feet, forms the western boundary of the Moreno Valley.

 

Visitors come to Colfax County for hunting, fishing, skiing, camping, and hiking.  Along the Colorado border lies Valle Vidal, a unit of the Carson National Forest, offering fishing and recreation and abounding in elk, deer, turkey, and other game.  The National Rifle Association's Whittington Center encompasses 33,000 acres of pinon-juniper wildlife with shooting ranges and developed and primitive camping facilities.  Sugarite Canyon State Park, Cimarron Canyon State Park, and Vermejo Park offer fishing, picnicking, hiking, and camping.

 

Traveling west along Highway 64, visitors pass through the old west town of Cimarron, home to Philmont Scout Ranch.  More than 18,000 scouts come from all over the world each year for treks and a variety of programs at Philmont Scout Ranch, the world's largest camping facility. Excellent trout fishing is available on Eagle Nest Lake.  In the southwestern corner of the county, Angel Fire Resort offers a wide variety of year-round recreational opportunities, especially skiing, snowboarding, and golfing. The Maxwell Wildlife Refuge, Lake Number 13, Charette Lake, and Springer Lake provide fishing opportunities. 

 

The county seat, Raton, is home to 7,759 and is the largest town in Colfax County.  The county’s population, based on 2000 census data, is 14,189.  Population has increased approximately 10% since the 1990 census.  The average per capita income in 2000 in Colfax County, again based on census data, was $19,638.   Colfax County ranks 24 out of the 33 New Mexico counties in wealth, with the poorest, Luna County, at number one.  Five hundred and one business establishments produced $116,716,000 in gross receipts from retail trade in 1999.  The top three agricultural commodities, cattle, hay and silage, and horses, produced $39,979,000 in cash receipts.  According to 2001 New Mexico Department of Labor statistics, the biggest employer in Colfax County was accommodations and food service, followed by retail trade, state government, other services besides public administration, and local government.

New Mexico State Highways 38 and 64 were originally developed as pack routes between isolated mountain villages.  Over time they were widened and improved to meet the increasing demands of changing populations and transportation modes, but they still retain the narrow and winding characteristics of their original uses.  In addition to being the only east-west routes available to residents of Colfax County, they are also the only routes available for heavy commercial trucks carrying forestry and mining products.   In the last ten years they have also become part of the Enchanted Circle Bike Tour; that annual event attracts up to 800 bicyclists during September.   Highways 38 and 64 are also heavily used by tourists traveling between Colfax County’s two major tourist destinations, the Philmont Scout Ranch and the National Rifle Association’s Whitington Center.  The highways are also primary routes for vacationers traveling from states east of New Mexico to the skiing resorts of New Mexico.  The result of these increasing and competing uses is that the widths and conditions of the roadways are no longer adequate.

In recent years, touring bicyclists have discovered the region’s attractions.  The annual “Enchanted Circle” bicycle tour attracts up to 800 bicyclists for a 100-mile circuit of high mountain terrain during September.  Trans-national touring pedal-cyclists use I-25 and I-40, as well as the state highways that cross the region. 

Bicycling and walking are also an important form of local transportation within many communities. 

 

This county is also home to a substantial population of equestrians; facilities designed to accommodate that population are essentially missing from the highways in the region.  Because of its predominantly rural nature, the use of horses for transportation and recreation is common in this region.  For the same reason, trans-shipment of livestock is an important economic factor.  Most highways in the region do not have signs warning of equestrian activities, and there are virtually no facilities available along the highways and interstates for resting animals during trans-shipment.  

The potential for significant conflicts between through traffic and locally generated motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic exists along U.S. 64 and NM 21 where they pass through the communities of Cimarron, Rayado, and Miami, and in the region of the Philmont Scout Ranch Headquarters. 

Guadalupe County.  Guadalupe County was created by the territorial legislature in 1891. The name honors Our Lady of Guadalupe, the vision of the Virgin Mary which appeared to Juan Diego near Mexico City in 1531.  Its population in 2000 was 4,680, a density of 1.48 persons per square mile.  The capital and largest town in Guadalupe County is Santa Rosa.

 

Guadalupe County ranks sixth among New Mexico counties in income, with number one being the poorest.  Per capita income in 2000 was $13,712, and median family income was $28,279 in 1999.  In 1999, a total of 113 business establishments brought in $34,274,000 in gross receipts from retail trade.  Agriculture is an important economic factor in Guadalupe County.  The top five commodities produced by its 236 farms are cattle, sheep, hay, horses, and vegetables.  Cash receipts from these products total $12,329,000.  A total of 1,418,966 acres of land is in farms.  In 2001, the top five employers in the County were accommodations and food service, retail trade, local government, construction, and state government.  In 2000, there were 1,731 people in the labor force. 

 

The Pecos River flows through the hills, mesas, and rolling grassland of Guadalupe County’s 2,999 square miles.  It crosses the county from northwest to southeast before flowing into Sumner Lake just south of the Guadalupe-DeBaca county line.  Throughout the history of Guadalupe County, from the trails followed by Spanish settlers and Texas cattlemen to the railroads and Route 66, people followed the path of water. 

 

Much of the land in Guadalupe County is devoted to agriculture and ranching.  Alfalfa, hay, and wheat are cultivated, and the county is home to 43,000 cattle and 14,000 sheep.  The tourist industry is boosted by the presence of Mesalands

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Scenic Byway and Route 66.  The Scenic Byway traverses 320 miles of the ranching mesalands in the eastern part of the state.  Much of the original character and architecture of Route 66 still exists in Guadalupe County.

 

Because of the presence of Santa Rosa Lake and Blue Hole State Park, recreational activities also play an important role in the county’s economy.  Recreational bicyclists, hikers, and equestrians are common users of the NMSHTD’s right-of-ways.   As a result, planning for additional facilities for those communities have become increasingly important to park planners and NMSHTD staff.

 

Despite the importance of livestock in the County’s economy, there are no rest facilities for trans-shipped animals on the interstate or highway system within Guadalupe County.

 

Harding County.  Although small in terms of population, Harding County is rich in history and geography. The Kiowa National Grasslands are located in the northern section of Harding County, about 20 miles east of I-25.  They are part of a 263,954-acre national grasslands system in three states which is administered for the U.S. Department of Agriculture by the Cibola National Forest.  In addition to their recreational value, the grasslands furnish feed for cattle and wildlife, provide protection to important watersheds, and host a number of producing oil and gas wells.  Ranches dot the northeast plains landscape.  Red-rock canyons, grasslands, and pine forests mark the landscape.  Dinosaur tracks start at Mosquero Creek and stretch northward through New Mexico and southeastern Colorado.  The wide-open spaces of Harding County are bounded on the west by the steep-sided Canadian River Canyon.  The canyon forms a wildlife island in the prairie for mountain lion, wild turkey, bald and golden eagles, antelope, bear, Barbary sheep, ducks and geese. 

 

The county was created by the state legislature on March 4, 1921, the same day Warren G. Harding was inaugurated 29th President of the United States.  At that time approximately 5,000 people lived in Harding, but the county has lost population ever since, to a low of 810 people in 2000.  There was a population decrease of 18% between 1990 and 2000.  Harding is the least populous and second least densely populated county in the state, with 0.4 persons per square mile.  The county encompasses 2,125 square miles.  Mosquero is the county seat, and the largest community is Roy, with a population of 360. 

 

The per capita personal income of Harding County in 2000 was $16,240, and gross receipts from retail trade at 19 business establishments totaled $2,044,000.  Median family income in 2000 was $36,667.  The county ranks 11th in wealth in the state.  The unemployment rate in 1995 was 5.4%.  The top five employers are local government; agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting; federal government; construction; and retail trade.

 

Much of the personal income in the county comes from cattle ranching.  Farmers and ranchers and other agricultural wage earners account for half of Harding's total employment.  Harding County’s 172 farms total 1,254,877 acres.  The top five commodities, cattle, horses, wheat, hay, and sheep, generate $13,668,000 in cash receipts.

 

Harding County shares with most of the adjoining counties a lack of rest facilities for trans-shipped livestock.

 

Mora County.  The Mora River watershed, which stretches from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the west to the Canadian River Canyon in the east, waters Mora County.  The beautiful, rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains level off towards the rolling prairie grasslands in the east, which are dotted with occasional peaks and ridges. 

 

Large-scale ranching operations on the eastern plains constitute a major source of income.  Good water and a landscape that climbs almost 7,000 feet from east to west provide habitats for a variety of plants and animals.  Deer, bear, elk, lion, turkeys and antelope populate the mountains and plains.  Flowers range from the isolated and endangered tiger lily to whole fields of wild oregano.  Eagles cruise the airways, the water dipper frequents the abundant trout streams, and a host of other birds are found in meadows and groves.

 

The Pecos Wilderness, Santa Fe National Forest, and Carson National Forest are all located in the western part of Mora County, offering access to remote hunting and fishing in the mountains.  Morphy Lake State Park is located in the southeast part of the county and Coyote Creek State Park is located in the northeast part of the county.  The Wagon Mound Wildlife Refuge is located one mile north of Wagon Mound.  The Santa Fe Trail ran through Mora County and was used by traders and merchants, mountain men, gold seekers, military expeditions, emigrants and a few early-day tourists.  This is the route followed by US 85, and later by Interstate 25.

 

The seat of Mora County is Mora, the only unincorporated county seat in New Mexico.  The county covers 1,931 square miles.  The population in 2000 was 5,180, with a density of 3.7 persons per square mile.  The population rose by 22% between 1990 and 2000.  Approximately two-thirds of the population is under 18 years of age. 

 

Per capita income in Mora County in 2000 was 12,340.  The median family income the same year was $27,648.  Mora County is the fifth poorest county in the state.  The unemployment rate in 1996 was 23.2%, and 20.9 percent of the population was below the poverty level in 2000.  The top five employers in Mora County are educational, health, and social services (28.2% of the workforce); agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (12.9%); arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services (11.7%); construction (10.3%); and public administration (8.4%).  Gross receipts from retail trade totaled $8,371,000 from 60 business establishments in 1999.

 

The top five agricultural commodities in Mora County are cattle; hay; horses; other livestock; and fruits, nuts, and berries.  These generate $11,059,000 in cash receipts annually.  Mora County has 183 farms totaling 974,759 acres.

 

As is the case with virtually all the east – west roads in the northern third of the state, New Mexico 518 was originally used as a pack road between isolated villages.  It still serves that function, but current modes and volumes of traffic far exceed its original designs and construction.  As a result, the villages of Mora, Cleveland, and Holman are subject to conflicts between locally generated motor vehicle, pedestrian, and equestrian traffic, and through traffic on the highway.

 

Because I-25 provides a continuous north-south link, and because U.S. 56 provides a direct link to more eastern states, the highway and interstate system in Mora County are important elements in any future pedal-cyclist corridor that may be developed.

 

Quay County.  Tucumcari, the capital of Quay County, is on old Route 66 and Interstate 40.  With more than 1,200 motel rooms, it takes advantage of its location between Albuquerque and Amarillo, Texas, attracting a good share of tourists.  Agriculture is also a major factor in Quay County’s economy.  Alfalfa, wheat, vegetables, corn, and cotton and cottonseed, and sorghum are cultivated, and cattle and sheep are raised.   The county has 383 farms totaling 1,855,726 acres, and agricultural products produce $40,630,000 in cash receipts every year.

 

Quay County had a population of 10,155 in 2000, a drop of 6% since 1990.  In 1999, 297 business establishments generated $64,132,000 in gross receipts.  Most inhabitants work for local government agencies, followed by retail trade, accommodations and food service, state government, and health care and social services.  The per capita income was $14,938 and the median family income 30,362, according to 2000 census figures.  The county is the eighth poorest in the state, and almost 16% of the population is below the poverty level.

 

El Llano Estacado, "the staked plains", encompasses much of southern Quay County.  This extremely large mesa covers about 32,000 square miles and extends into west Texas.  In northern Quay County, the landscape generally consists of grassy mesas and rolling plains cut by numerous arroyos and canyons. The Canadian River, which flows from west to east across the northern part of the county, has been dammed to form Ute Reservoir.  A variety of wildlife, including herds of pronghorn antelope and mule deer, flocks of Canadian geese, and sand hill cranes, make their homes in Quay County. 

 

The population of Quay County decreased by 4.9% between 1990 and 1996.  Ten thousand eight hundred twenty-three people lived there in 1990, but by 1996 that number had decreased to 10,291.  This amounted to 3.6 persons per square mile in 1996.    Per capita income in 1994 was $14,573, placing it eighth among New Mexico counties.  Median family income in 1996 was $25,700.

 

The county’s 2,875 square miles are crossed by the Mesalands Scenic Byway and Route 66.  Swimming, fishing, boating, and sailing are available on Ute Lake, and Tucumcari Lake and Wildlife Area provides excellent wildlife viewing.  The shallow lake and wetlands attract numerous birds, including ducks and geese, bald and golden eagles, doves, quail, and pheasants.

 

The decommissioning of Route 66, which passed through Tucumcari, in 1985 and its replace with Interstate 40, which bypassed the town, was a severe economic blow.  Three interchanges route travelers on I-40 into Tucumcari, but local businesses are still bypassed more frequently than they were prior to the construction of I-40. 

 

Several factors cause Quay County to be a destination or preferred route for touring pedal-cyclists.  Its history as a part of the western rail corridor, its location along old Highway 66, rolling and diverse terrain, clean air, and large populations of wildlife all contribute to the county’s appeal for pedal-cyclists.  Additionally, U.S. Highway 54 serves as a major highway link between New Mexico and more eastern states. 

 

Offsetting the county’s appeal, U.S. Highway 54 is a two-lane road for most of its length, and it was designed and constructed to carry lower volumes and a more limited mode of traffic than it does now.  Its narrow traveling lane widths, narrow shoulders, and high volume of high-speed traffic make this highway virtually unusable for bicyclists.

 

There are no resting facilities for transshipped livestock in this county.  The heavily rural nature of the county indicates that these are needed in the future.

 

San Miguel County.  The terrain of San Miguel County varies widely from 11,800 foot peaks in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the western portion to broad, flat plains of less than 4,000 feet in the east.  The sources of the Pecos River and its tributaries flow to the southeast out of the Sangre de Cristos.  The Canadian River flows through the eastern part of the county and was dammed to create Conchas Reservoir.

 

San Miguel is a relatively poor county with a low per capita income.  Agriculture, primarily in the form of cattle ranching, is important to the economy.  Government agencies are a major source of jobs and include New Mexico Highlands University, Luna Vocational-Technical Institute, and the Las Vegas Medical Center, all located in the county seat and largest community, Las Vegas. 

 

San Miguel measures 4,717 square miles, and the 2000 census reported a population of 30,126, a density of 6.4 persons per square mile.  There are 11,134 occupied house units.  San Miguel is the twelfth poorest of New Mexico’s 33 counties in income.  Per capita income in 2000 was $13,268, and median family income in was $31,250.

 

In 1999, 512 business establishments generated $157,428,000 in gross receipts from retail trade.  Two hundred ninety-five farms. a total of 2,556,803 acres, produce primarily cattle, hay, horses, nursery crops, and wheat.  Cash receipts from agricultural products total $20,654,000.  Other employers include, in descending order of importance to the economy of San Miguel County, are state government, local government, retail trade, accommodations and food service, and health care and social services.
 

San Miguel County is a paradise for lovers of the outdoors.  Camping, fishing, trail riding, water skiing, windsurfing, ice-skating, sledding, and cross-country and downhill skiing are all available.  San Miguel County has national forests, a national park, a national wildlife refuge, and two state parks.  Storrie and Conchas lakes offer all kinds of water recreation.  The Pecos Wilderness, accessed by foot or horseback, offers a wide variety of game.  Two historically important transportation routes cross San Miguel County:  the Santa Fe Trail and Route 66.   Both of these routes are still in use as transportation corridors.  The Santa Fe Trail follows the alignment of Interstate 25 closely from Wagon Mound to Santa Fe.  I-25 also follows the pre-1937 alignment of Route 66 from Santa Fe to Romeroville, where it went south to Santa Rosa on the alignment of what is now US 84.

 

The importance of bicycling and pedestrian traffic was the subject of a recent study and a field analysis of conditions within the City of Las Vegas and on the highways adjacent to it.  The study and field analysis both indicated that a substantial need exists to retain, improve, and expand infrastructure improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians along the state’s right-of-ways.

 

Union County.  Union County forms the northeastern corner of New Mexico, bordering Colorado, Texas, and the Oklahoma panhandle.  Union County is home to the Kiowa National Grasslands, Capulin Volcano National Monument, and Clayton Lake State Park.  Clayton Lake State Park has more than 500 dinosaur tracks, estimated at 100 million years old, late in the age of dinosaurs.  Union County is crossed by the Santa Fe Trail.  During its colorful history, the Santa Fe Trail was used by traders and merchants, mountain men, gold seekers, military expeditions, immigrants and a few early-day tourists.  Follow the old Santa Fe Trail and honor the thousands of men and women who bravely pioneered across the unknown plains in modern-day Union, Colfax, Mora and San Miguel counties.  Folsom, site of the discovery of the ca. 12,000 BC Folsom Man, lies between Clayton and Raton.  Step back in history by taking the Dry Cimarron Scenic Byway through 215 road miles in Union and Colfax counties. Drive through spectacularly beautiful country, see actual Santa Fe Trail wagon ruts, wander through an old mining camp, see dinosaur tracks and walk into the crater of a volcano.

 

Clayton, the county seat and largest community, has a population of approximately 2,484.  Clayton offers golf, parks, museums, and the Union County Fairgrounds.  Every April, dinosaur days are held in Clayton.  An arts festival takes place each October, and the city hosts the Union County Fair in August of each year. 

 

The average per capita income of Union County is $17,151.  The county measures 3,830 square miles, and the 2000 census reported a population of 4,174, a density of 1.1 persons per square mile.  There are 1,733 occupied house units.  Union County ranks number 16 among New Mexico’s 33 counties in income.  Per capita income in 2000 was $24,549, and median family income in was $35,313.

 

In 1999, 121 business establishments generated $22,606,000 in gross receipts from retail trade.  Four hundred forty-eight farms totaling 2,556,803 acres produce primarily cattle, corn, wheat, hay, and horses.  Cash receipts from agricultural products total $130,494,000.  Other employers include, in descending order of importance to the economy of Union County, are local government, accommodations and food service, health care and social services, finance and insurance, and the combination of agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting.

Because of the importance of livestock to the county’s economy, and because of the high quality of feed and water available there, show quality animals are commonly transported over the highways in Union County.  Despite those facts, there are no roadside rest facilities within Union County.


II.  PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM

 

 

 

On October 31, 2001, every incorporated municipality and county government in District 4 was mailed a letter requesting available planning documents for use in the preparation of the Regional Long-range Transportation Plan.  Most local governments responded, and a great deal of documentary information was received as a result of that mailing.  That information has been useful in the preparation of this document.

 

The Long-range Transportation Plan Task Force met three times at the District 4 office in Las Vegas, on August 5, October 28, and November 6, 2002, to determine goals and suggested projects for the Plan, and to approve the final product.  The Task Force was composed of at least one local government official from each of the seven counties in the Northeast Regional Planning Organization.  County Commissioners from Colfax and Harding counties attended.  Both the County Roads Superintendent and the Tucumcari Community Development Coordinator attended from Quay County.  The representative from Guadalupe County was the County Manager.  The Mayor of Des Moines attended from Union County.  The representative from Mora County was the County Road Superintendent.  San Miguel County was represented by the Las Vegas Public Works Director, the Las Vegas Community Development Director, and the County Manager.  In addition, the Grants Administrator for the Town of Red River, which is part of the Northern Pueblos Regional Planning Organization, attended committee meetings to lend the perspective from a neighboring RPO.

 

A Citizens’ Conference held in Tucumcari, Quay County provided valuable guidance to the Task Force in its determination of goals for the plan.  On Thursday, June 13, 2002, a random sample of nine “Citizen Advisors” from north central New Mexico communities recommended that the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department (NMSHTD) focus its long-range transportation plans on alleviating congested roadways in New Mexico’s major cities and tourist destinations and on ways to increase the funding available to the NMSHTD. 

 

The Citizen Conference was a unique public meeting because its main participants were chosen at random by the UNM Institute for Public Policy (IPP), which convened the day-long conference on long-range transportation planning. The citizen advisors reached their conclusions after questioning transportation experts on a variety of transportation-related issues and deliberating among themselves about the types of projects that would best meet the needs of the state.

 

The public involvement program for the NERPO Regional Long-range Transportation Plan was supported by meetings for the Ports to Plains Feasibility Study, which was prepared for the Texas Department of Transportation, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department (NMSHTD), and the Colorado Department of Transportation by Wilbur Smith Associates.  The Ports to Plains corridor was designated by TEA-21 as a High Priority Corridor on the National Highway System.  Alternative N1, one of two northern routes, includes US 64/87 between Dalhart, Texas, through Clayton, New Mexico, and up to the Colorado/New Mexico border through Raton, New Mexico.  Two series of public meetings were held in various communities along the corridor, in May 2000 and in February 2001.  The NMSHTD sponsored an additional well-attended meeting in Raton, Colfax County on March 6, 2001.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

III.   GOALS AND OBJECTIVES