The EDD/NMMS program and the NM Department of Transportation (NMDOT) have recently been engaged in strengthening our collaboration on the state highways that serve approximately 28 of the 36 communities associated with the NMMS programs, whether they’re MainStreets, ACDs, or Frontier Communities.
There’s agreement that NMDOT builds great highways: they are safe, reliable and efficient and a pleasure to travel in vehicles across our spectacular landscape. There is also agreement on what a great street is. A NMDOT planner provided this definition: “A Great Street is a street which has unique architectural features or a setting which distinguishes it from other streets and makes it suitable for special uses. The space is primarily for people and places, not for cars and traffic.”
So, can a great highway respond to the economic development districts that comprise the NMMS communities, and become a great street? These districts – typically four or five blocks long – represent a significant shift from vehicle and traffic movement to pedestrian. The focus becomes placemaking and economic revitalization, drawing on distinct “character-defining features” (historic preservation) and “context change” (transportation planning).
Defining appropriate Context Sensitive Solutions from a highway to a street has been the challenge. There are case studies in other states that have helped to demonstrate this can be accomplished.
Check out: www.ite.org/css/FactSheet7.pdf and www.smartgrowthamerica.org/documents/cs/factsheets/cs-revitalize.pdf.
NMDOT is also in the process of developing its 2040 Statewide Long Range Transportation Plan to determine criteria for these commercial districts. There are meetings regionally collecting your input on the transportation and pedestrian characteristics that need to be addressed to make your downtown a great street. They need your voice in that discussion. Information is available at www.newmexicotransportationplan.com.
More on great streets and creative placemaking will be presented at the Building Creative Communities Conference in November! www.buildingcreativecommunities.org.