A pedestrian using the crosswalk Wednesday on Central Avenue. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
There is more than one way to move around town. Some rev up the car, other people hop onto their bikes but still others tie their shoes and hit the pavement.
As part of its efforts to be accessible for everyone, Los Alamos County does have a pedestrian plan, but it is 26 years old. So, it was decided that the 1998 plan needed to be updated.
Public Works Director Juan Rael told the Los Alamos Daily Post Wednesday that as projects come up for improving things for pedestrians around the County, a refreshed, updated plan would be useful.
Wilson and Co. Project Manager Noah Berke reported on the work thus far on the pedestrian master plan during the Sept. 5 Los Alamos County Transportation Board meeting.
Berke explained the purpose behind this update.
“The update of the pedestrian transportation plan we feel is a very significant milestone for Los Alamos County,” he said. “It is focusing on enhancing safety, infrastructure and accessibility, particularly it is focused on Los Alamos and White Rock town centers. The plan’s core goals are safety, equity, vibrancy and health and will guide decisions on where to implement new sidewalks, curbs, ramps, crosswalks, signage and other vital improvements that make walking in our neighborhoods safer and more enjoyable.”
Berke listed the objectives, too, which are: reviewing plans and documents that are pertinent to pedestrian planning and safety and assessing existing infrastructure related to pedestrians. Also, to analyze pedestrian crashes and safety, identifying gaps and then recommending how to improve pedestrian network and safety.
Berke mentioned that there is a plan in place, but it is from 1998. To update it, various other plans are being referenced including the 2016 comprehensive plan, the 2017 ADA transition plan, the 2017 bicycle plan, the 2018 tourism strategic plan, the 2019 economic vitality plan, the 2021 Los Alamos and White Rock downtown master plans and the 2023 strategic leadership plan.
In looking at existing conditions, he reported that in Los Alamos townsite, there are a little more than 78 miles of sidewalks, 117 crosswalks with signage, nine overhead signal intersections and approximately 98 miles of trails. In White Rock, there are a little more than 28 miles of sidewalk, 47 crosswalks with signage, two overhead signal intersections and approximately 54 miles of trails.
Los Alamos’s ADA compliance for curbs and ramps increased 34 percent since 2017, Berke added.
The County is proud of this; Rael told the Daily Post.
“We have made big improvements in the last five years in increasing accessibility … we are continuing to make improvements because those do allow us to provide more ADA accessible pathways for everybody … it really helps with access.”
Regarding crashes, according to crash data from the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the police department from 2018-2022, the highest crash locations in Los Alamos are Trinity Drive, East Road and Diamond Drive. In this period, there were 520 crashes and of those seven involved pedestrians and 16 involved bicyclists. These crashes resulted in 131 injuries and two fatalities. In White Rock, during the same period, the highest crash locations were Rover Boulevard and Meadow Lane. There were 53 crashes, one involving a pedestrian and none involving bicyclists. These crashes resulted in nine injuries and two fatalities.
Berke further reported that since 2000, advocates have pushed for sidewalk projects on Canyon Road, Central Avenue and throughout the Historic District. Additionally, there are 60 miles of trail networks that link the foothills, mesas and canyons around Los Alamos and the County trail network links to move than 100 miles of federal trails.
“Trails and mobility are the focus of the pedestrian master plan update and are the foundation of the plans’ goals and strategies,” Berke said. “Open space is largely entwined with the pedestrian environment …”
He added that the pedestrian master plan does touch on the County’s open space and trails. Its objectives include supporting infrastructure while minimizing impact on open space and developing storm water drainage management standards.
A survey is out and everyone is encouraged to participate in it.
Transportation board member Michael Altherr noted that another plan for open space and trail management is in the works. He asked if there was any interaction between the two efforts.
“It seems like we are paying two organizations to do somewhat overlapping studies and surveys, and it would be useful if we actually benefited through integrating these two organizations,” he said.
Berke said there hasn’t been any interaction. The pedestrian plan is primarily looking at how many trails there are and where they are in relation to the study areas including the pedestrian plan.
Public Works Engineering Project Manager Justin Gibson added, “The primary focus for the plan is to update the 1998 plan and in doing so the trails are adjacent but they are not the primary focus. The primary focus would be integrating the pedestrian master plan with the bike plan and also with the overall transportation plan … another thing we are going to be looking at is connectivity and that is a big driver of this survey to see where people are uncomfortable walking adjacent to multi-modal facilities, how it integrates with bus and transit and their ability to get from point a to point b as a pedestrian.”
However, Rael told the Daily Post that making connections between the two plans is a good idea.
It was asked what the timeline is for the plan. Gibson said public comments are just beginning to be accepted but the project is expected to be finished either later this year or early 2025. The survey is expected to be open a minimum of 10 days.
Once finished, Rael told the Daily Post that the plan will be a guiding document as Public Works look at improvements for pedestrians. He said an objective for the County is to offer “complete streets” or roadways for everyone: pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.
“I envision we will use this to be a guide for future decisions and future projects,” he said.