Jul. 1—If vanity is a sin, RV owners in New Mexico are saints.

RV aficionado Steve Morrison said he’s had vanity plates on all his vehicles and is “glad to contribute the extra charge.” But when he’s tried to get a vanity plate for his RV, he has been denied.

“Other states have it, and it’s a great way to socialize with other RV people when we travel,” Morrison said. “Since it is a money-maker, why can’t we get vanity plates for our RVs?”

Charlie Moore, director of communications for the New Mexico Department of Taxation and Revenue, said that vehicles with their own designated plates — including manufactured homes, government vehicles, trailers, and yes, RVs — are precluded from vanity plates. That designation is included in state statute, and a vanity plate cannot supersede those specified plates.

Qualified RV owners can get special plates, Moore said, including Purple Heart, disabled veteran, armed forces veteran, medal of honor, ex-prisoner of war, Pearl Harbor survivor or patriot plates.

ROCK DOWN TO ELECTRIC AVENUE: Former electric bike owner Gil Gutierrez wanted to know if e-bikes are allowed on Albuquerque bike paths.

In a bid for my job, Gutierrez called 311 himself to find out. He was told that e-bikes are allowed on all bike paths in the city (not including the state-operated Tramway trail).

I checked in with Parks and Recreation spokesperson Emily Moore. Turns out, not all e-bikes are created equal.

Class 1 e-bikes — which don’t have a throttle, only give a boost when pedaling, and have a max speed of 20 mph — are permitted under state law on any trails where acoustic bikes are allowed, Moore said.

But Class 2 and Class 3 bikes aren’t allowed, unless they’re on a street or highway, or “political subdivision of the state” that allows them. E-bikes also aren’t currently allowed in the city’s open spaces, although power-assisted mobility devices are exempt.

The motor on Class 2 e-bikes works whether a rider is pedaling and can only reach 20 mph.

Class 3 e-bikes, like Class 1, only pedal-assist, but can reach a higher speed of 28 mph.

The 311 operator told Gutierrez another thing: that maximum speeds might soon be coming to a bike trail near you.

So I swapped out my Road Warrior hat for my City Hall hat. There is a piece of legislation, proposed by Councilor Brook Bassan, to define and regulate e-bikes and other motorized transportation. The bill would set a maximum speed limit of 20 mph on paved trails in the city, Moore said.

If passed, “it would also allow the city to set lower speed limits where appropriate for safety purposes.”

The bill would also allow all classes of e-bikes on trails in open space land, unless expressly prohibited by sign.

Use on open space trails could be prohibited “based on safety, resource management and other open space management considerations.”

The bill has been through the Land Use, Planning and Zoning Committee and is in full council’s hands now.

LOUISIANA CONSTRUCTION: A $1 million road project on Louisiana, from Gibson to Central, is the first major construction funded through the city’s automated speed cameras.

The project, which is expected to last 45 days, targets a perilous pedestrian area. Children often walk to nearby schools, Emerson Elementary and Van Buren Middle School. For the duration of the project, at least one lane will be open in each direction.

The restriping project will create new bike lanes and add intelligent transportation systems to “improve communication between traffic signals,” a release said.

“We’re investing in critical design improvements to keep everyone safe, no matter how you use the road,” said Jennifer Turner, director of the Department of Municipal Development. “Road diets, bike lanes, and the other safety infrastructure we’re putting in are proven safety measures to slow traffic down and protect our neighborhoods.”

The first cameras were first installed in 2022. Currently, there are 20 around the city.

More than 200,000 citations have been issued between 2022 and May 2024. Each comes with a penalty of $100, although community service can be substituted.

About 9,300 hours of community service have been completed in lieu of paying tickets.