A Santa Fe city councilor has backed off his challenge to state plans to bring Rail Runner Express commuter trains into Santa Fe.

Councilor Matthew Ortiz changed his tone Monday after the state Transportation Department secretary told city councilors on the Finance Committee the state is planning more public meetings in the city.

Ortiz said he would await the outcome of two more sessions on the train project this month before moving ahead with a formal resolution aimed at revoking the city's conceptual approval of train plans and demanding revised environmental assessments by the state.

Transportation Secretary Rhonda Faught told councilors the state is working on an environmental analysis of the train's effects in the city and would hold a public meeting Oct. 30 to meet with locals about noise, safety and traffic concerns.

Likewise, the city is organizing a meeting Oct. 23 with people who live near the railroad tracks.

On a separate but related track, the city and county's joint Metropolitan Planning Organization meets at 9 a.m. today to discuss transportation issues including the train. County Commissioner Jack Sullivan has introduced a resolution asking the state to pay for a private engineer who will offer peer review for additional train station locations that are not yet determined.

Faught told city councilors she was willing to pay for a three-month contract of such an engineer chosen by local governments.

Contact Julie Ann Grimm at 986-3017 or jgrimm@sfnewmexican.com.