By DAVID HAMPTON
Chair
Los Alamos Transportation Board
At our last Transportation Board meeting, March, 7, 2024, we started with a presentation and public comment on the Bathtub Row Reconstruction Project. This project will begin at Central and curve around Bathtub Row and Juniper Street to 15th Street, improving vehicle, pedestrian, ADA, and utilities conditions. Additional options for improvements to adjacent areas will be provided to Council for consideration.
The next presentation was on new Median Design Standards, which will be piloted on Canyon Road before being extended to Diamond Drive. There are four designs which will focus on xeriscape (including plantings appropriate to our plateau), encased river rock, colored gravel, and stamped concrete, to improve maintenance safety, reduce maintenance cost, and use less water. Transportation Board members provided comments regarding the importance of retaining pedestrian refuge characteristics at crossing points.
The final presentation was regarding incorporation of a guide to our Dial-a-Ride Program to address a comment from NMDOT to assure compliance with Federal Transit Administration Best Practices. Current services have been extended until 9pm Monday through Friday to accommodate final regional bus departures. The Dial-A-Ride Program is a necessary component of our public transit system to supplement fixed routes, and is likely to be expanded in the near future. Transportation Board members voted to endorse draft revisions to the guide, which looks to go before Council on March 26th.
Councilor Hand shared information from her recent attendance of the North Central Regional Transit District Board of Directors meeting regarding regional cooperation on transportation issues, including progress on workforce housing at the Jim West Regional Transit Center in Española, which looks to be entering the design stage.
Safety concerns for pedestrians crossing Highway 4 in White Rock were raised.
May 16 is currently planned to be the annual Bike-to-Work Day. If you are interested in helping with this event, including planning, please email Louise Romero at lb.romero@lacnm.us.
Our next meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4 in Council Chambers. It will feature, among other things, a presentation on the Denver Steels Phase II Roadway and Utilities Improvements Project, and a presentation on Transportation Accessibility Challenges.
If you are interested in serving on the Transportation Board, we need 3 new members. Apply here. You can also get more information by emailing us at tb@lacnm.us.