Vowing to Fix Problems Required To Fix By Law

It was reported that the ART bus project contractors have now vowed to resolve all the construction problems that have now been revealed.

(See January 15, 2017 Albuquerque Journal, page A-1, ART contractors vow to resolve concerns as city chases $75 M)

The manufacturer of the electric buses is also vowing to correct the problems discovered with the buses.

How big of them.

There is not a single quote or reaction from former Mayor Richard Berry in the entire front page, above the fold headline article.

Not surprising, seeing as the Albuquerque Journal endorsed the project, was a big promoter of ART and promoted Mayor Berry at every turn for eight years.

The single greatest lie spoken by former Mayor Richard Berry for three years was his repeated proclamation that the ART bus project is a “world class” transportation project.

The truth is that ART has always been nothing more than a cheesy nine-mile, $129 million bus route that is now costing $135 million that destroyed Route 66.

A “world class transportation project” costs billions of dollars like Denver’s and Phoenix’s light rail systems and one that transforms an entire community.

The biggest promoters were always the general contractors Bradury & Stamm, architects Dekker/Perich/Sabatini and lead engineer HDR who all made millions on the project.

It so big of them that they now “vow” to resolve all the concerns about ART seeing that the promises are nothing more than what they are REQUIRED to do under the construction contract and law.

What they should consider doing is paying the real damages to all the businesses along Central that lost business, were affected by the project or that were forced to close.

It is now clear the “world class” project will not be fully functional for probably a year even after Berry dedicated the project with great fanfare just a few weeks before he left office.

Only time will tell, but let’s not hold our breath.

The new administration is now tasked with “chasing” the promised $69 million from the Feds that was in fact reduced to $50 million by congress.

For a listing of the “Lemons and Lies Of ART” see my blog article at:

The Lemons And Lies Of Berry’s ART

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About

Pete Dinelli was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is of Italian and Hispanic descent. He is a 1970 graduate of Del Norte High School, a 1974 graduate of Eastern New Mexico University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a 1977 graduate of St. Mary's School of Law, San Antonio, Texas. Pete has a 40 year history of community involvement and service as an elected and appointed official and as a practicing attorney in Albuquerque. Pete and his wife Betty Case Dinelli have been married since 1984 and they have two adult sons, Mark, who is an attorney and George, who is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Pete has been a licensed New Mexico attorney since 1978. Pete has over 27 years of municipal and state government service. Pete’s service to Albuquerque has been extensive. He has been an elected Albuquerque City Councilor, serving as Vice President. He has served as a Worker’s Compensation Judge with Statewide jurisdiction. Pete has been a prosecutor for 15 years and has served as a Bernalillo County Chief Deputy District Attorney, as an Assistant Attorney General and Assistant District Attorney and as a Deputy City Attorney. For eight years, Pete was employed with the City of Albuquerque both as a Deputy City Attorney and Chief Public Safety Officer overseeing the city departments of police, fire, 911 emergency call center and the emergency operations center. While with the City of Albuquerque Legal Department, Pete served as Director of the Safe City Strike Force and Interim Director of the 911 Emergency Operations Center. Pete’s community involvement includes being a past President of the Albuquerque Kiwanis Club, past President of the Our Lady of Fatima School Board, and Board of Directors of the Albuquerque Museum Foundation.