ambitious plan to build bike and walking paths across las cruces announced

More than 200 miles of new bike and walking paths are planned for construction in Las Cruces as part of a more comprehensive citywide transportation effort.

The plan, as approved by members of the Las Cruces City Council, will see the building specifically of 98 miles of path geared especially for bikes.

Walkers will be treated to the construction of 128 miles of new sidewalks, along with another just over 30 sidewalks designed to fill in existing gaps.

Those gaps currently comprise some 236 linear miles.

As proposed, the plan calls for the construction of new trails and side paths primarily on the growing north side of the city, along with a combination of separated bike paths, buffered bike lanes, and exclusive bikes lanes throughout the rest of the city.

City officials say the new bike route construction will make more complete a sometimes patchwork current network.

What is being called the Active Transportation Plan, according to city documents, is specifically designed to “guide decision-making on the development, retrofit, and investment of pedestrian and bicycle facilities/network throughout the city.”

The plan is the result of a series of public outreach meetings and focus group sessions, and won the approval of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission late last month.

A construction schedule for the pathways work has not yet been announced.

By Garry Boulard

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