BY MICHAEL DOLEJSI
Vice Chair
Los Alamos County Transportation Board
Increasing transportation by bicycle benefits both riders and non-riders alike. Along with the direct health benefits and reduction of emissions, higher adoption of cycling can relieve the road stress experienced by drivers as well. The recent Transportation Board presentation by Hermann Geppert-Kleinrath discussed the merits of bicycling and conjectured that with cost-effective infrastructure changes, Los Alamos County would increase how safe potential bicyclists would feel riding and actually get them on their bikes more.
Mr. Geppert-Kleinrath related personal experiences with issues cycling through the roadways of Los Alamos and discussed opportunities for Los Alamos County to invest in transportation improvements. In order to encourage more bicycle use it is important to make those interested see bicycling as a safe alternative. Physically separated bike paths can be a major factor in increasing safety for bicycle travel. With sufficient use, separated paths could even be a savings on maintenance by reducing road wear from cars.
The Transportation Board is considering a subcommittee to investigate the most feasible ways of incorporating bicycle infrastructure with the findings from the previously conducted County Bicycle Plans. This subcommittee will be discussed at the next Transportation Board meeting, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 2, to be held at the Municipal Building but also accessible via Zoom. Any members of the public interested in participating can inquire by contacting the Transportation Board at tb@lacnm.us.
Other work by the Transportation Board includes an update of the FY24 Work Plan, which identifies two current openings. Interested parties are encouraged to apply at https://www.losalamosnm.us/government/boards___commissions. Public Works Director Juan Rael gave some highlights from the Public Works Department over the last month and provided information on upcoming projects. The 33rd/34th/Arkansas project was awarded, and The Urban Multiuse Trail and DP Road Phase II projects will be going out for bid soon. The Adopt-a-Road program is in development as a potential opportunity for community organizations to contribute to County beautification. This presentation was given at the Dec 1, 2022 Transportation Board meeting, and begins 5 minutes into that meeting. Further refinement will continue before this program is proposed to County Council.
The Transportation Board meets first Thursdays of the month at 5:30 pm and everyone is welcome to attend in person or virtually. County Meeting schedules and videos of prior County Board meetings are available at the County’s Legistar site: https://losalamos.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.