MRCOG budget includes quiet zone money

June 10, 2010

The Mid-Region Council of Government (MRCOG) board of directors today voted unanimously to approve a budget that includes quiet zone money for Belen.

Belen City Councilor Jerah R. Cordova is a member of the MRCOG board.

The more than $12.7-million budget includes $356,000 for improvements to various railroad crossings in the counties under MRCOG’s jurisdiction, including the crossings at Molina and Valentin roads in Belen.

Citizens in the Belen area have worked for years to create a railroad quite zone in Belen, focusing on the crossings at Molina, Valentin, Don Felipe, Lopez and Mesa roads.

The latter three roads aren’t within MRCOG’s New Mexico Rail Runner Express route, so the council can’t fund improvements to those crossings.

According to an article published in the Valencia County News-Bulletin in April, Rep. Elias Barela, who has been working on the issue, was able to secure the funding from MRCOG, as well as additional funds for quieting of two more crossings.

Improvements of the Lopez Road crossing hasn’t been funded, according to newspaper article.

In addition to working on the Belen crossings, MRCOG anticipates receiving a $1.7-million safety grant in October 2011 to consolidate railroad crossings and establish a quiet zone in Isleta.

Posted in: Infrastructure