Albuquerque still deciding name for Cesar Chavez street

Albuquerque city leaders have not yet finalized a new name for the section of Avenida Cesar Chavez, despite promising a change months after credible sexual abuse allegations against the labor organizer emerged in March.

The street runs east and west across the Rio Grande. The eastern portion, starting at Yale Boulevard, currently bears Chavez's name. The western section, beginning after Fourth Street, is named Avenida Dolores Huerta in honor of the late civil rights activist who passed away recently.

City spokesperson Dan Mayfield said officials spent the last six months gathering public input. This process included collecting emails and hosting two in-person meetings where residents offered suggestions.

Proposals included renaming the entire corridor after Huerta, restoring older names such as Stadium or Bridge, or honoring Andres Arellanes. Arellanes was shocked multiple times by police officers in 2007, and his advocacy work influenced stun gun design policies nationwide. His father, Ralph Arellanes, stated the reforms have saved countless lives.

An informal online poll hosted on the city website found Stadium to be the most popular option, according to Mayfield. Ralph Arellanes disputed the method in a letter to media and city leadership. He argued that comparing the historic name Stadium Boulevard to the name of his son was like comparing a plastic bag to red and green chile served during Lent at the Santuario de Chimayo.

The City Engineer's Office is currently drafting recommendations for the City Council. Once those recommendations are submitted, a council member must sponsor legislation to enact the change. The final decision may or may not follow the engineer's advice.

Residents will have an opportunity to comment again when the proposal reaches the full council. Council members did not provide a timeline for when the issue will return to the agenda when asked on Thursday.