City votes against adding increased safety features for streetcar project

The City Council this week voted against submitting a matching-funds grant application to enhance pedestrian and vehicle safety for the streetcar project.

“When we actually start testing the trams on the line there are things we think we need to add to it.,”Sun Metro Director Jay Banasiak said during the council meeting. He suggested adding raised buttons to delineate better where lanes are, where turn lanes are and where additional signage needs to be.

The proposal would spend $53,000 and might have brought in $230,000. However, the city voted against, 5 – 3, instead choosing to submit grant applications for school safety improvements and a hiking and bike trail.

City Rep. Michiel Noe vwas among those voting against adding more money to the project. “I made it really clear on the day we voted for it and I believe my exact words were, ‘Not one cent more.”

City Rep. Peter Svarzbein voted for the proposal. “I would think that you would want to be proactive as a community and city to give us the opportunity to anticipate and deal with anything that goes on with this project.”‘

Rep. Cassandra Hernandez-Brown voted against the agenda item, but still believes something should be done to ensure safety for El Pasoans. “I think its important for the representative to seek additional funding and work with the city manager, getting creative with the funding that’s already existing to see how can we start playing with those dollars.”

“I want to stress that while I’m disappointed the grant authorization for the streetcar enhancements project didn’t pass,” Rep. Cissy Lizarraga said. “Sun Metro and those involved in the Streetcar project have made it clear that the necessary safety considerations were figured into the project from the beginning. The enhancements would have been a bonus, but they are not a vital part of the safe operation of the Streetcar. There may be future opportunities to look at funding some of these enhancements some other way without a cost to taxpayers, and I hope we consider them as they arise.”

The city maintains the streetcar project is already safe. This proposed project would have only enhanced the safety along Stanton Street.