NEW MEXICO - New Mexico State University issued the following news release:

Daniel Estrada wants to keep people on the move! And, he hopes funding from a fellowship program will help him do just that.

The graduate student, working toward a master's degree in applied geography, was recently awarded $5,000 from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program to help him research commuter railways and how they can affect driving patterns, especially along Interstate 10, between El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces.

Estrada said he hoped to bring to light the many positive benefits of utilizing public transportation, from ease of travel to better air quality.

"I feel that commuter rail lines would ultimately serve us in a greater capacity, in our state and in the metro area, rather than have commuters deal with road congestion," said Estrada.

The graduate student is modeling his research after the New Mexico Rail Runner Express that runs between Belen and Santa Fe.

In his study, Estrada is looking at four different scenarios: the original configuration of four traveling lanes along I-10, plus a railway; the original configuration without a railway; the new configuration of six lanes along with the railway; and the six-lane road without the railway.