SENATE MEMORIAL 30

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Shannon D. Pinto and D. Wonda Johnson

 

 

 

 

 

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ENFORCEMENT BUREAU OF THE NEW MEXICO STATE POLICE DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO STUDY THE VARIOUS PROBLEMS ON UNITED STATES HIGHWAY 491, FROM MAINTENANCE TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND THE NEED TO IMPROVE SAFETY FOR DRIVERS, SCHOOL CHILDREN AND OTHER PEDESTRIANS.

 

     WHEREAS, United States highway 491 is the major north-south route through western New Mexico and the eastern Navajo Nation; and

     WHEREAS, both a scenic route for tourism and a major commercial trucking corridor from Gallup to the Colorado border, the highway has been used for a thousand years and was known as "the Navajo trail" or, more recently, by its redesignation as "the John Pinto highway"; and

     WHEREAS, the route through high desert features a strikingly beautiful landscape of mesas and canyons, with the major junction connecting to United States highway 64 in Shiprock; and

     WHEREAS, the highway serves as a critical commerce, tourism and daily travel route for the Navajo Nation and the four corners region, and includes school transportation routes; and

     WHEREAS, the highway is prone to extreme weather events such as sandstorms and blizzards, which affect visibility and safety; and

     WHEREAS, apparent dumping of sand piles along the highway right of way, including filling in earth depressions, interferes with drainage and results in hazardous road conditions due to flooding on the roadway during heavy rainstorms; and

     WHEREAS, the highway received major upgrades in 2003 through 2014 with crucial safety improvements added, including widening sections from two to four lanes, which helped lower the high fatality rate on the road; and

     WHEREAS, with greater safety also came significantly increased commercial truck traffic on the road; and

     WHEREAS, many regular travelers on United States highway 491 feel that road maintenance and enforcement of New Mexico traffic, transportation and motor carrier laws have not always kept pace with the increased traffic, particularly from heavy commercial trucks traveling to and from oil and gas activities in the area; and

     WHEREAS, the department of transportation is responsible for road maintenance on United States highway 491, and the commercial vehicle enforcement bureau of the New Mexico state police division of the department of public safety is responsible for commercial motor carrier vehicle and driver enforcement pursuant to the Motor Transportation Act, the Motor Carrier Act, the Motor Vehicle Code, the Criminal Code and other state and federal laws; and

     WHEREAS, the Navajo Nation or McKinley or San Juan county is responsible for maintenance of the roads that intersect United States highway 491, and they also have trouble maintaining certain roads as a result of commercial truck traffic and environmental conditions;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the department of transportation and the commercial vehicle enforcement bureau of the New Mexico state police division of the department of public safety, in consultation with the Navajo Nation and McKinley and San Juan counties, as appropriate, be requested to study United States highway 491's road, traffic and environmental conditions and make recommendations on how to improve safety and comfort for all travelers, passenger cars and commercial heavy trucks; how to improve safety through increased enforcement of the Motor Transportation Act, the Motor Carrier Act, the Motor Vehicle Code and the Criminal Code; and how to improve traveler safety from environmental conditions and manmade problems; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department of transportation and the commercial vehicle enforcement bureau provide data concerning United States highway 491, including:

          A. an analysis of road conditions by mile marker, as applicable, on United States highway 491 and the effect on road conditions of commercial motor carrier vehicle traffic, particularly water, sand and equipment haulers traveling to and from the oil and gas fields;

          B. daily traffic counts, including totals and separate counts for passenger cars, school buses and commercial motor carrier vehicles;

          C. daily traffic counts at intersections with United States highway 491, particularly in state transportation commission district 5, and to cooperate with the Navajo Nation or the appropriate county to collect commercial motor carrier vehicle traffic counts from the intersection connections to United States highway 491 and, if data are available, a report of which feeder roads bear the most commercial traffic;

          D. the number of accidents and fatalities with mile marker locations, including pedestrian-related accidents;

          E. the number and statistical details of law enforcement stops involving speeding, careless or reckless driving, distracted driving or other reasons for a stop;

          F. results of port-of-entry and field enforcement of truck drivers and commercial motor carrier vehicles, including data regarding:

                (1) verification of driver- and commercial motor vehicle-required credentials;

                (2) proper trip paperwork, including weight-distance and oversize-overweight permits;

                (3) assessment and collection of taxes and fees;

                (4) driver and mechanical inspections; and

                (5) an analysis of the effect that increased law enforcement on commercial motor vehicles and drivers has on traffic safety and law enforcement;

          G. consideration of environmental barriers or other means to ameliorate the driving hazards from blowing sand or snow and water on the roadway and from drainage issues along the highway;

          H. consideration of improvements to pedestrian safety, particularly the need for school bus stops to have flashing safety lights warning drivers to slow down; and

          I. other information that should be called to the attention of the legislature concerning United States highway 491; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include data on the number of commercial truck drivers needed nationally and in New Mexico over the next ten years, the number and cost of public and private programs in the state that train intra- and interstate commercial drivers, the number of graduates each year and strategies for increasing the number of qualified commercial truck drivers in New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department of transportation and the commercial vehicle enforcement bureau report their findings and recommendations to the appropriate legislative interim committees prior to November 1, 2026; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretaries of transportation and public safety, the governor, the president of the Navajo Nation, the county managers of McKinley and San Juan counties and the director of the legislative council service.

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