Albuquerque may be seeing more street repairs and upgrades, depending upon the fate of a proposed fuel tax increase.
Members of the Albuquerque City Council have approved an ordinance that will institute a 2 cents per gallon tax at all gas stations within the boundaries of the city.
City officials say it would cost upwards of $500 million to bring all of Albuquerque’s roadways up to date, adding that as of now only between $20 million and $30 million is available for rehabilitation work.
As approved on a 5 to 4 vote by the council, the ordinance defines rehabilitation projects as those needed to “extend the service life of an existing facility, improve its operation, improve safety, or restore original performance or capacity.”
Improvements would also include making the streets more Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, while also enhancing routes used by bicyclists and pedestrians.
The fate of the fuel tax ordinance will ultimately be decided by Albuquerque voters in the November 2022 election.
By Garry Boulard
