A New Mexico state representative is pressing the state transportation department to immediately release findings from a traffic safety study that has been delayed for months, warning that lives remain at risk on a dangerous stretch of highway near Rio Rancho.
House Republican Whip Alan Martinez wrote to New Mexico Department of Transportation Cabinet Secretary Ricky Serna on Dec. 8, demanding the completion and public release of a study examining conditions along NM-528 in the Pasilla/Riversedge corridor.
“These delays are unacceptable. Lives are at risk every day that this dangerous corridor remains unaddressed,” Martinez wrote in the letter.
The Rio Rancho Republican said NMDOT committed to conducting the safety study during a June 24 town hall attended by Serna, where residents voiced concerns about speeding vehicles and called for traffic signals to improve safety on the roadway that Martinez said has been the site of numerous severe accidents.
Nearly six months later, the study remains incomplete. Martinez said his office was informed Oct. 24 that preliminary findings existed and an engineering review was underway, but neither his office nor the community has received updates in the six weeks since.
“This lack of communication undermines public trust and raises serious concerns about whether this issue is truly being treated as a priority,” Martinez wrote.
The lawmaker, who represents District 23 covering parts of Sandoval County, said he has coordinated with the Rio Rancho Police Department to increase patrols and enforcement as a temporary measure but emphasized that long-term infrastructure solutions fall under NMDOT’s responsibility.
“It is the responsibility of NMDOT to implement long-term infrastructure solutions, not local law enforcement,” Martinez wrote.
In the letter, Martinez urged Serna to honor the commitment made at the town hall by finalizing the study and releasing results to the public immediately. He said New Mexicans “deserve transparency, accountability, and timely action, not continued delays and uncertainty.”
NMDOT did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.