This project builds on years of community-driven planning and is supported by the public involvement efforts of two major planning documents. 

The recently completed Horizon Boulevard Corridor Master Plan (2021) identified this corridor as a critical link for regional mobility and documented significant challenges related to congestion, safety, and multimodal access. Through an extensive public involvement process, which included three rounds of public meetings, virtual engagement tools, surveys, and stakeholder interviews, the community consistently highlighted the Union Pacific Railroad crossing on Horizon Boulevard as a major barrier to east-west connectivity and emergency response. The Horizon Boulevard Corridor Master Plan (2021) recommended a grade-separated crossing at Horizon Blvd. as a long-term solution to improve mobility, safety, and economic development. Public demand for grade separation, as an overpass, was identified as a top priority during public meetings and surveys. 

Building on that foundation, the Socorro 2040 Comprehensive Plan, adopted in July 2024, engaged the community through a robust bilingual outreach process. As part of its public engagement process, the development team compiled feedback from:

1. 369 questionnaire responses collected online and in person, revealing strong priorities for mobility improvements, safety, and connectivity.
2. Three major community meetings and multiple outreach events, including Socorro Sundays and the Harvest Festival, with over 200 participants across all sessions.
3. Interactive activities and visual preference voting: At the second meeting alone, 150 residents participated, ranking “Complete Streets,” “More public transportation,” and “Preservation of agricultural land” among top priorities.

Feedback was collected from the public and summarized in the Socorro 2040 Comprehensive Plan as follows: 

“…many residents have expressed concerns about the rail system and the lack of public safety accessibility when trains pass through. These interruptions cause delays in emergency response times and negatively impact community members. Additionally, the lack of above-grade separation impacts mobility in Socorro and exacerbates traffic congestion, hindering the efficient movement of both vehicles and pedestrians.”

Additional feedback from the public is now being requested through January 15th, 2026, via the online survey linked below: