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Neighborhood Goals - Lunch with Mayor Berry and Councilor Benton
On March 25th, Board members from the EDo Neighborhood Association and the Huning Highland Historic District Association Boards met with our Mayor and City Councilor to discuss how to make our neighborhood a greater place to live. Here are the topics discussed:
A "Road Diet" for Central Avenue 
We want to make Central Avenue in EDo a "place" and not just a "road." How? A road diet! Great "Main Streets" across the USA move substantial traffic in a "pedestrian-first" environment, with one travel lane in each direction and a center turn lane. This condition exists just west of us, in Downtown. A demonstration project to do this on West Central is underway. Both Boards strongly support doing this in EDo. Please visit http://www.cabq.gov/council/current-projects-and-studies/west-central-avenue-corridor-study.
New Rapid Ride Stops at Edith & Central 
The Rapid Ride buses stop Downtown at First & Central, and then not again until Presbyterian. Edith stops would be mid-way between them. Over 2,000 residents plus Lovelace Hospital are within a 5-minute (1/4 mile) walk from the stops. It's the perfect 'pedestrian shed' for transit usage.
Improved Bus Shelters 
Ever noticed how bus stops can make one feel like a second class citizen? We say "no longer" in EDo. We have requested attractive shelters with protection from the weather and up-to-date bus route times at all our EDo stops.
Bringing Retail to EDo  Our goal is the proper "mix" of retail tenants in a "park once and walk" environment that is safe, comfortable, and friendly. Our property owners understand the need to collaborate in trying to bring a grocery, pharmacy, florist, fitness center, garden store, book store, shipping/mail store and others EDo. Great neighborhoods have great local retailers.
Make Special Collections Library a Lending Library 
The beautifully renovated City Library at 424 Central NE is about to reopen. We have requested that it now become a place to check out and return books, as well as hosting the special collections and genealogy materials. In addition, Botts Hall at the Library is a perfect venue for lectures, small music and dramatic performances, films, and other cultural events. We will work with the City to program the facility in this way.
Highland Park Improvements 
A new design is underway to bring Highland Park back to its former early 20th century greatness and beauty for our neighborhood and our city as a whole. Once complete, we will work with the City to fund the renovation work.
Lead and Coal Avenues  You may have noticed the work underway on Coal Avenue east of I-25, where underground utilities are being upgraded, and new lighting, sidewalks, and street striping for both vehicles and bicycles is being added. That work will shift to Lead in the near future. We have requested that those same improvements be made to our sections of those streets, as was originally planned but eliminated by budget constraints.
Acquire First Baptist Church Site for Redevelopment 
The Church is gone. The school district is not going to buy the site. As with Albuquerque High, these big projects don't happen without a public-private effort. The City is studying this matter, and we will keep our readers informed. | 
