Establish a School Zone for Explore Academy in Rio Rancho
The Issue
Sign this petition to support the establishment of a school zone for Explore Academy Rio Rancho AND make driving conditions safer on Pat D’Arco Highway 528!
Traffic safety concerns are personal to me because I live in the area, travel these roadways daily, & want my children & ALL of us have safer commutes to & from school & work.
I started this petition with a small idea of establishing a school zone, but as I’ve spoken with the community, it’s become a greater goal of functionality & safety for ALL of us on Zenith Court. This is a collaborative effort to make positive change!
As this area has seen exponential growth, concern grows for the safety of nearly 600 students & their families at Explore Academy Rio Rancho. Due to the lack of a designated school zone, dysfunctional traffic flow on Zenith Court, limited access to & from Zenith Court, & high speeds on a dangerous stretch of Pat D’Arco Highway 528 at the crossroads of Zenith Court, more traffic issues are arising.
Explore Academy is a public charter school located at 6090 Zenith Court NE right off one of Rio Rancho's busiest highways with a reputation for & history of serious traffic accidents. In 2026, our school is growing from 1 to 3 campuses, & will continue to grow as they add grades each year until it is a full K-12 school with max population of 1250 students. (We currently have 589 students with 300 cars worth of car-riders, 225 students bussing in, & a couple of dozen walkers/ bikers for our school alone.) The addition the new RioTech campus will also escalate traffic conditions. The pre-existing local businesses have had difficulty acclimating to this growth, AND ongoing construction of yet another school, CNM - Central New Mexico Community College promises continued growth & congestion. The morning & afternoon traffic jams exacerbate the dangers for students, parents, & the community, in general. Trying to enter or exit the school premises is becoming increasingly problematic. Drivers simply do not know what to do at times, & it’s not a reach to call it chaos in some instances. This congestion could be fatal, as drivers struggle to manage the chaos, increasing the likelihood of accidents! The speed limit of 55 MPH on HWY-528 is far too high, putting everyone on the road at serious risk while traffic congestion sometimes bascks up down the south of the highway into the next busy intersection at Corrales Road.
Without a school zone, there is no reduction in speed limits, nor warning signs to alert motorists of children in the area. *Zenith Court could benefit from a school zone, along with reduced speeds at the crossroads of HWY-528. A reduced speed limit during school hours will significantly decrease the risk of accidents & potential injuries. *Other important steps could also be taken by the city & state as well, with the addition of lanes or traffic lights to ensure better flow of traffic resulting in increased public safety. *There have been suggestions from the community of rerouting traffic through the back entrance via Grande Vista Road, but that being said, Zenith Court would need modifications to handle the traffic. There have been suggestions for additional entry/ exit points, as well. Most importantly, there just needs to be a conversation about how to improve this, & come up with a solution that benefits the schools, businesses, & community in both traffic function & safety.
Note that according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), school zones have been proven to reduce single-vehicle crashes by up to 40% & multiple-vehicle accidents by as much as 30%!!! These statistics make a compelling case for creating a safer environment around the school premises. Other schools in New Mexico benefit from designated school zones; it’s time we ensure the same safety measures for Explore Academy!
More interesting statistics to be aware of for Rio Rancho: There were 24 traffic accidents on HWY-528 in 2025. There have been 7 traffic fatalities on HWY-528 in the past 18 months. In April 2026, the most recent fatal accident was located at the intersection of Corrales Road & 528, due to speed racing. Most recently, HWY-528 was found to have had ~7000 citations from the new traffic cameras between June - August 2026. This supports our efforts to make our area safer!
With such vast growth in such a short period of time, we need to start now in order to improve tomorrow’s circumstances, & ensure a more functional & safer future for all travelers involved.
We appeal to the City of Rio Rancho, the County of Bernalillo, & NM Department of Transportation to take action, find a solution, grow with us, & make this area safe & functional for all of us involved, especially the children! Let’s prevent a tragedy before it happens. By prioritizing public safety, we would not only be safeguarding the lives of children but also ensuring peace of mind for their families. Join us in urging the local government to address these critical safety issues.
288
The Issue
Sign this petition to support the establishment of a school zone for Explore Academy Rio Rancho AND make driving conditions safer on Pat D’Arco Highway 528!
Traffic safety concerns are personal to me because I live in the area, travel these roadways daily, & want my children & ALL of us have safer commutes to & from school & work.
I started this petition with a small idea of establishing a school zone, but as I’ve spoken with the community, it’s become a greater goal of functionality & safety for ALL of us on Zenith Court. This is a collaborative effort to make positive change!
As this area has seen exponential growth, concern grows for the safety of nearly 600 students & their families at Explore Academy Rio Rancho. Due to the lack of a designated school zone, dysfunctional traffic flow on Zenith Court, limited access to & from Zenith Court, & high speeds on a dangerous stretch of Pat D’Arco Highway 528 at the crossroads of Zenith Court, more traffic issues are arising.
Explore Academy is a public charter school located at 6090 Zenith Court NE right off one of Rio Rancho's busiest highways with a reputation for & history of serious traffic accidents. In 2026, our school is growing from 1 to 3 campuses, & will continue to grow as they add grades each year until it is a full K-12 school with max population of 1250 students. (We currently have 589 students with 300 cars worth of car-riders, 225 students bussing in, & a couple of dozen walkers/ bikers for our school alone.) The addition the new RioTech campus will also escalate traffic conditions. The pre-existing local businesses have had difficulty acclimating to this growth, AND ongoing construction of yet another school, CNM - Central New Mexico Community College promises continued growth & congestion. The morning & afternoon traffic jams exacerbate the dangers for students, parents, & the community, in general. Trying to enter or exit the school premises is becoming increasingly problematic. Drivers simply do not know what to do at times, & it’s not a reach to call it chaos in some instances. This congestion could be fatal, as drivers struggle to manage the chaos, increasing the likelihood of accidents! The speed limit of 55 MPH on HWY-528 is far too high, putting everyone on the road at serious risk while traffic congestion sometimes bascks up down the south of the highway into the next busy intersection at Corrales Road.
Without a school zone, there is no reduction in speed limits, nor warning signs to alert motorists of children in the area. *Zenith Court could benefit from a school zone, along with reduced speeds at the crossroads of HWY-528. A reduced speed limit during school hours will significantly decrease the risk of accidents & potential injuries. *Other important steps could also be taken by the city & state as well, with the addition of lanes or traffic lights to ensure better flow of traffic resulting in increased public safety. *There have been suggestions from the community of rerouting traffic through the back entrance via Grande Vista Road, but that being said, Zenith Court would need modifications to handle the traffic. There have been suggestions for additional entry/ exit points, as well. Most importantly, there just needs to be a conversation about how to improve this, & come up with a solution that benefits the schools, businesses, & community in both traffic function & safety.
Note that according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), school zones have been proven to reduce single-vehicle crashes by up to 40% & multiple-vehicle accidents by as much as 30%!!! These statistics make a compelling case for creating a safer environment around the school premises. Other schools in New Mexico benefit from designated school zones; it’s time we ensure the same safety measures for Explore Academy!
More interesting statistics to be aware of for Rio Rancho: There were 24 traffic accidents on HWY-528 in 2025. There have been 7 traffic fatalities on HWY-528 in the past 18 months. In April 2026, the most recent fatal accident was located at the intersection of Corrales Road & 528, due to speed racing. Most recently, HWY-528 was found to have had ~7000 citations from the new traffic cameras between June - August 2026. This supports our efforts to make our area safer!
With such vast growth in such a short period of time, we need to start now in order to improve tomorrow’s circumstances, & ensure a more functional & safer future for all travelers involved.
We appeal to the City of Rio Rancho, the County of Bernalillo, & NM Department of Transportation to take action, find a solution, grow with us, & make this area safe & functional for all of us involved, especially the children! Let’s prevent a tragedy before it happens. By prioritizing public safety, we would not only be safeguarding the lives of children but also ensuring peace of mind for their families. Join us in urging the local government to address these critical safety issues.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on August 5, 2026