new bike route network proposed for new mexico

The public comment period for the draft of a plan creating a statewide bike network in New Mexico is slated to expire on November 9.
That plan has been put together by the New Mexico Department of Transportation and puts an emphasize on the use of existing roads and highways, as well as the construction of new bike infrastructure.
Officially called the Prioritized Statewide Bicycle Network Plan, the draft has been in the works for more than a year and sets as a goal the identification of locations “where bikeway infrastructure would be the most beneficial.”
The draft also hopes to provide “design guidance that indicates the appropriate types of infrastructure by roadway context.”
The plan will almost certainly lead to the “integration of infrastructure into the roadway redesign and reconstruction process, as well as during routine maintenance projects.”
In putting together the draft, the Department of Transportation, which manages over 30,000 lane miles, hosted a number of public input meetings across the state.
The department also worked with the Albuquerque-based engineering and planning firm Bohannan Huston, Inc., along with Alta Planning + Design, of Los Angeles, a firm that specializes in public transportation projects.

By Garry Boulard

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