By Rodd Cayton
The $10 fine for not having reflectors on one’s bicycle in Corrales is probably going away.
The Village Council next month will review changes to its uniform traffic code, and one item to be considered is updating the fee schedule. Some fines haven’t been increased in decades, and Police Chief Victor Mangiacapra said earlier those now-low amounts don’t produce much of a deterrent effect for violators.
The proposed rules divide traffic infractions into three classes. The fines for Class 1 violations such as walking on the improper side of a roadway and riding a bicycle without basic required equipment would be increased to $50, according to an early draft councilors discussed at an Aug. 11 work study meeting. The fines for Class 2 and Class 3 violations are currently $50 and $100-plus, respectively. The proposed increase for Class 2 violations such as failure to yield, running a stop sign or turning without signaling properly, is to $75. Class 3 violations such as failing to stop or yield for a pedestrian in a lit or marked crosswalk, speeding through active school zones, illegal passing or distracted driving/using a mobile phone while operating a vehicle could cost the driver $150 or more.
A prohibition on all-night parking is unlikely to be included, as councilors expressed a desire not to penalize motorists who responsibly choose not to drive while impaired. “I am adamantly against that because I think if somebody’s making the decision (of whether) they’ve had too much to drink or not, the last thing I want is them thinking that their car is going to be towed because they made the choice to leave it somewhere,” Councilor Zachary Burkett said.
Councilors are also poised to align local e-bike rules with Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District policies. The bikes would be allowed on paved multi-use trails and banned from unpaved dirt paths, ditch banks, and levees.
Councilors considered removing a section from the state code on which the village code is based pertaining to “rotary traffic islands” — commonly referred to as roundabouts — but Village Attorney Randy Autio recommended that language remain, as the junctions could reasonably be a part of the future roadscape. Municipal Judge Michelle Frechette likewise suggested councilors maintain language about lane violations, to allow police to cite drivers who cross over the middle of Corrales Road and cause crashes.
The council pored over the document, which consists of about 170 pages, but took no formal action. Autio will compile input from that session and produce both a redlined version (showing all agreed-upon deletions and changes to the code) and a clean draft for review at the Sept. 8 regular council meeting. After that, the council will evaluate the clean draft before moving to officially publish and post the proposed ordinance for a final vote and adoption.