SM 30

                                1  SENATE MEMORIAL 30
                                2      57TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 2026
                                3  INTRODUCED BY
                                4  Shannon D. Pinto and D. Wonda Johnson
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                                10  A MEMORIAL
                                11   REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE COMMERCIAL
                                12   VEHICLE ENFORCEMENT BUREAU OF THE NEW MEXICO STATE POLICE
                                13   DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO STUDY THE
                                14   VARIOUS PROBLEMS ON UNITED STATES HIGHWAY 491, FROM MAINTENANCE
                                15   TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND THE NEED TO IMPROVE SAFETY FOR
                                16   DRIVERS, SCHOOL CHILDREN AND OTHER PEDESTRIANS.
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                                18        WHEREAS, United States highway 491 is the major north-
                                19   south route through western New Mexico and the eastern Navajo
                                20   Nation; and
                                21        WHEREAS, both a scenic route for tourism and a major
                                22   commercial trucking corridor from Gallup to the Colorado
                                23   border, the highway has been used for a thousand years and was
                                24   known as "the Navajo trail" or, more recently, by its
                                25   redesignation as "the John Pinto highway"; and
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                                1  WHEREAS, the route through high desert features a
                                2    strikingly beautiful landscape of mesas and canyons, with the
                                3    major junction connecting to United States highway 64 in
                                4    Shiprock; and
                                5  WHEREAS, the highway serves as a critical commerce,
                                6    tourism and daily travel route for the Navajo Nation and the
                                7    four corners region, and includes school transportation routes;
                                8    and
                                9  WHEREAS, the highway is prone to extreme weather events
                                10   such as sandstorms and blizzards, which affect visibility and
                                11   safety; and
                                12  WHEREAS, apparent dumping of sand piles along the highway
                                13   right of way, including filling in earth depressions,
                                14   interferes with drainage and results in hazardous road
                                15   conditions due to flooding on the roadway during heavy
                                16   rainstorms; and
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                                17  WHEREAS, the highway received major upgrades in 2003
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                                18   through 2014 with crucial safety improvements added, including
                                19   widening sections from two to four lanes, which helped lower
                                20   the high fatality rate on the road; and
                                21  WHEREAS, with greater safety also came significantly
                                22   increased commercial truck traffic on the road; and
                                23  WHEREAS, many regular travelers on United States highway
                                24   491 feel that road maintenance and enforcement of New Mexico
                                25   traffic, transportation and motor carrier laws have not always
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                                1    kept pace with the increased traffic, particularly from heavy
                                2    commercial trucks traveling to and from oil and gas activities
                                3    in the area; and
                                4  WHEREAS, the department of transportation is responsible
                                5    for road maintenance on United States highway 491, and the
                                6    commercial vehicle enforcement bureau of the New Mexico state
                                7    police division of the department of public safety is
                                8    responsible for commercial motor carrier vehicle and driver
                                9    enforcement pursuant to the Motor Transportation Act, the Motor
                                10   Carrier Act, the Motor Vehicle Code, the Criminal Code and
                                11   other state and federal laws; and
                                12        WHEREAS, the Navajo Nation or McKinley or San Juan county
                                13   is responsible for maintenance of the roads that intersect
                                14   United States highway 491, and they also have trouble
                                15   maintaining certain roads as a result of commercial truck
                                16   traffic and environmental conditions;
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                                17        NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE
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                                18   OF NEW MEXICO that the department of transportation and the
                                19   commercial vehicle enforcement bureau of the New Mexico state
                                20   police division of the department of public safety, in
                                21   consultation with the Navajo Nation and McKinley and San Juan
                                22   counties, as appropriate, be requested to study United States
                                23   highway 491's road, traffic and environmental conditions and
                                24   make recommendations on how to improve safety and comfort for
                                25   all travelers, passenger cars and commercial heavy trucks; how
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                                1    to improve safety through increased enforcement of the Motor
                                2    Transportation Act, the Motor Carrier Act, the Motor Vehicle
                                3    Code and the Criminal Code; and how to improve traveler safety
                                4    from environmental conditions and manmade problems; and
                                5  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department of
                                6    transportation and the commercial vehicle enforcement bureau
                                7    provide data concerning United States highway 491, including:
                                8  A.   an analysis of road conditions by mile marker,
                                9    as applicable, on United States highway 491 and the effect on
                                10   road conditions of commercial motor carrier vehicle traffic,
                                11   particularly water, sand and equipment haulers traveling to and
                                12   from the oil and gas fields;
                                13  B.   daily traffic counts, including totals and
                                14   separate counts for passenger cars, school buses and commercial
                                15   motor carrier vehicles;
                                16  C.   daily traffic counts at intersections with
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                                17   United States highway 491, particularly in state transportation
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                                18   commission district 5, and to cooperate with the Navajo Nation
                                19   or the appropriate county to collect commercial motor carrier
                                20   vehicle traffic counts from the intersection connections to
                                21   United States highway 491 and, if data are available, a report
                                22   of which feeder roads bear the most commercial traffic;
                                23  D.   the number of accidents and fatalities with mile
                                24   marker locations, including pedestrian-related accidents;
                                25  E.   the number and statistical details of law
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                                1    enforcement stops involving speeding, careless or reckless
                                2    driving, distracted driving or other reasons for a stop;
                                3  F.   results of port-of-entry and field enforcement
                                4    of truck drivers and commercial motor carrier vehicles,
                                5    including data regarding:
                                6  (1)   verification of driver- and commercial
                                7    motor vehicle-required credentials;
                                8  (2)   proper trip paperwork, including weight-
                                9    distance and oversize-overweight permits;
                                10  (3)   assessment and collection of taxes and
                                11   fees;
                                12  (4)   driver and mechanical inspections; and
                                13  (5)   an analysis of the effect that increased
                                14   law enforcement on commercial motor vehicles and drivers has on
                                15   traffic safety and law enforcement;
                                16  G.   consideration of environmental barriers or other
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                                17   means to ameliorate the driving hazards from blowing sand or
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                                18   snow and water on the roadway and from drainage issues along
                                19   the highway;
                                20  H.   consideration of improvements to pedestrian
                                21   safety, particularly the need for school bus stops to have
                                22   flashing safety lights warning drivers to slow down; and
                                23  I.   other information that should be called to the
                                24   attention of the legislature concerning United States highway
                                25   491; and
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                                1  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include data on the
                                2    number of commercial truck drivers needed nationally and in New
                                3    Mexico over the next ten years, the number and cost of public
                                4    and private programs in the state that train intra- and
                                5    interstate commercial drivers, the number of graduates each
                                6    year and strategies for increasing the number of qualified
                                7    commercial truck drivers in New Mexico; and
                                8  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department of
                                9    transportation and the commercial vehicle enforcement bureau
                                10   report their findings and recommendations to the appropriate
                                11   legislative interim committees prior to November 1, 2026; and
                                12        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
                                13   transmitted to the secretaries of transportation and public
                                14   safety, the governor, the president of the Navajo Nation, the
                                15   county managers of McKinley and San Juan counties and the
                                16   director of the legislative council service.
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