Cruising Task Force

Revisiting the City of Albuquerque’s “Cruising In Public Streets Ordinance.”

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Establishment of the Cruising Task Force

In December 2017, the Albuquerque City Council adopted R-17-250, creating a Cruising Task Force charged with making recommendations to promote responsible cruising in the City of Albuquerque. The Resolution acknowledged that the current Ordinance allows the City Council to limit cruising, calling "a threat to the public health, safety, and welfare through congestion created by the repetitive, unnecessary driving of motor vehicles," but also acknowledged that if done responsibly, cruising should be celebrated by the City as being part of the community's cultural heritage.The Task Force was originally established with ten representatives from the following stakeholder groups, but has grown since then to include a broader representation of the local lowrider community:

Three merchant representatives appointed by the Council with knowledge and interest in issues and community impacts associated with cruising;
Three car club representatives appointed by the Council with knowledge and interest in issues and community impacts associated with cruising;
One City staff member from the Albuquerque Police Department;
One City staff member from the Municipal Development Department;
One City staff member from the Planning Department;
One City staff member from the Council Services Department.

The Task Force held a total of six meetings throughout the months of February and March in 2018 to discuss local issues surrounding cruising and potential solutions to address those issues. During these six meetings, the Task Force discussed the existing conditions surrounding cruising behavior, culture, and regulation in the City of Albuquerque and provided a list of recommendations for the City to further support the cruising community. The Task Force identified the following recommendations and have acted upon the ones in bold:

Repeal the Cruising Ordinance (that includes the option to enact No-Cruising Zone Resolutions) and utilize existing definitions in other sections of the Traffic Code and add additional definitions modeled off of other municipalities to more effectively regulate irresponsible driving behaviors among all motor vehicle operators.
Develop a city-wide tactical plan that focuses on how to address irresponsible driving behaviors, in general, where these behaviors are most prevalent, and how to go about addressing concerns in those areas.
Encourage the Department of Municipal Development and the Albuquerque Police Department to produce Public Service Announcements and use variable message boards as tools to provide more education on local traffic laws.
Develop a standard Code of Conduct for motor vehicle clubs and individual motor vehicle operators to abide by in order to be recognized by the City.
Conduct economic impact analyses of both existing and future motor vehicle club culture, industries, and events in Albuquerque.
Ensure on-going communication between motor vehicle club representatives, neighborhood association representatives, business owners, property owners, residents, motor vehicle clubs, private security officers, law enforcement officers, City staff, and other stakeholders by coordinating a quarterly "check-in" meeting. This is to ensure that the City is able to implement findings and recommendations made by the Cruising Task Force.
Conduct any further research surrounding the celebration and regulation of cruising culture and events that is needed to keep up with national trends surrounding the cruising movement.