[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6574940,"mediaKeyId","3184486-b95496257d0118b09d2c7ad5615cfd75","parentId",3184486,"title","County staff seek board endorsement of Midblock Crossing Policy grounded in MUTCD and FHWA guidance","audioSeconds",537,"startMs",2510000,"endMs",3047000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3184486-b95496257d0118b09d2c7ad5615cfd75&start=2510&end=3047","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3184486-b95496257d0118b09d2c7ad5615cfd75/thumbnail_2510000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6574940/New-Mexico/County-staff-seek-board-endorsement-of-Midblock-Crossing-Policy-grounded-in-MUTCD-and-FHWA-guidance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6574940-dcb971b3efdcf00c8ad33de974f020f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770828737&Signature=FbP5jc66lBw8E5AKeDAJQ-z1EqJRNeDI-9sJOzORppWWZYHTBIMqPnfNTwt10zzKpG~wZXdawtuJMRiijgeh728aVCMMxbdFmjmYgOOYsR8LjbW-v-5pyoiirozo0r0Cc3aEw2MdzFB04YtKfv7CZGFg4HhfP1Vj-fnO3yWQ~cee21wePzbH-SBX0XsEY1KAU8ASHrjHQsfGH6MAFIYCM6cyrPZ7SLiKsPpk~aOmc~TrB3R2NRpc54919xCb39ZeQJlmqAn6agxHJUzInwrbYuxFswpSIXlHQVRQ-g8jfGygX3MMrFD1WsykXCXGCiFObqyGhPJzDp~1L0K-VFphDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Los Alamos County","date","2025-05-01T00:00:00Z","article","Los Alamos County Public Works presented a proposed Midblock Crossing Policy that lays out a standardized, engineering-based procedure for evaluating and installing pedestrian mid‑block crossings across county roads, using national guidance from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and Federal Highway Administration studies.

Karen Henderson, the county staff lead, said the policy sets evaluation steps—starting with average daily traffic and pedestrian thresholds—and a menu of countermeasures ranging from pavement markings and signs to raised crosswalks and pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHB, sometimes called a HAWK). Henderson told the Transportation Board the county receives one or two requests every few months and that staff had analyzed high-profile requests such as Sycamore Street at Diamond Drive and crossings along Canyon Road near the aquatic center.

Henderson reported that camera counts at the Sycamore/Diamond location recorded three pedestrians in a 12-hour period; MUTCD guidance uses a 20 pedestrians-per-hour threshold for standard warranting, so staff recommended making no enhancements at that location unless land use or pedestrian generators change. For Canyon Road crossings near the aquatic center and Rose Street, staff found slightly higher pedestrian counts (as many as nine pedestrians in the busiest hour at one crossing) and recommended targeted enhancements at some locations, including pavement markings, signs and refuge island adjustments.

Board members raised accessibility concerns. Member Edwards noted that a crossing that meets numeric thresholds could still be difficult to use for people with vision or mobility impairments and asked how ADA and accessibility considerations are incorporated. Staff and traffic engineers replied that ADA standards apply where crossings exist and that national guidance allows reduced pedestrian-volume thresholds when users include children, the elderly or people with disabilities; in those cases the agency may treat individual pedestrians as weighted counts toward the threshold. The staff said the policy includes steps to account for land use and vulnerable users and that crossings adjacent to schools or known generators could warrant lower numeric thresholds.

Public commenters, including pedestrian advocates, urged the county to consider access to transit stops and to look at crossing options that improve safety for transit users without creating a proliferation of unnecessary devices. Wendy Swanson, a pedestrian advocate, suggested outreach and school-based pedestrian education as part of broader walkability efforts.

Staff asked for Transportation Board feedback and signaled they will bring the policy back for adoption after incorporating input. No formal vote to adopt the policy was taken at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Los Alamos County - May 1, 2025 Transportation Board at 5:30 PM - May 01, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Public Works proposed a Midblock Crossing Policy establishing a consistent engineering process to evaluate pedestrian mid-block crossings using MUTCD and FHWA thresholds; the board and public discussed accessibility trade-offs and recommended monitoring land-use changes that could change crossing justification.","taxTitle","Los Alamos, New Mexico","taxId",51137,"location","New Mexico","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6574945,"Atomic City Transit presents zero-emissions fleet transition plan, requests federal funding for initial vehicles and chargers",941,1063000,2004000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3184486-b95496257d0118b09d2c7ad5615cfd75&start=1063&end=2004","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3184486-b95496257d0118b09d2c7ad5615cfd75/thumbnail_1063000.jpg","/articles/6574945/New-Mexico/Atomic-City-Transit-presents-zero-emissions-fleet-transition-plan-requests-federal-funding-for-initial-vehicles-and-chargers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6574945-1be8edd9e6a51ec761ad358b8bb7655c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770828737&Signature=N6sJip9nGLCXsRQ0AjtwPMM6SpMr8nGrA9YRlM36v2jpYqKSZvJorNOdO80e~G5B0e33EaEkuosazcZV~Fq4QIresEYznlOFygSEpMJZ5FdFq-3L5HYtlKK0R740LJ2dCovMFTmFgtJ3pjqTMHpwtz14mRY1yZZ9k8ahX9RtWk8uxT3DDYywhkcGyX0C7Mq8XRmTQOjK0Cty4outT1ia5Z~jP3aCOM2sMBrkkU1HVO3I69Y5OwnqO4k3LA0daEqQEKBzGX48rAvQx2znhQGD~57wqHQP4gduaaiGmO-9fCGsEKPE8ukyDW~w1Mh5g7oQLRs11XcE1F4991GdidAnOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Atomic City Transit staff and consultant Stantec presented a zero-emissions fleet transition plan and funding strategy to the Transportation Board, recommending battery-electric vehicles as the primary near-term technology and outlining funding needs, facility upgrades, utility partnerships and workforce training requirements.

James (Atomic Transit staff) introduced the report and said the work was undertaken to meet federal grant requirements. Anna Lee Castillo of Stantec, the project manager, described a six-element plan required for FTA “low- or no-emissions” grant applications: a long-term fleet strategy, funding needs assessment, policy assessment, facility assessment, utility partnerships and a workforce development plan. Castillo said the study used a proprietary modeling tool to test operational feasibility and concluded that battery-electric buses are the recommended technology for most vehicle types today, while hydrogen may become feasible in future years if regional fuel supplies and infrastructure develop.

Castillo summarized the phased approach: replace vehicles as they reach the end of natural service life and phase in zero-emission buses to reach a full transition by the 2040s. The report projected approximately $35,000,000 in vehicle procurement costs over the multi-decade transition and calculated initial facility and charging capital of about $5,500,000 for a complete implementation. The first funding request for the current federal application would seek about $3.9 million to procure five electric vehicles for initial implementation and support early charging equipment needs.

Castillo emphasized the operational requirement of on-route (opportunity) charging for some routes: “Without the on-ride charging, they will have to be very substantial modifications to the service or the size of the fleet,” she said, adding that demand-response and some vehicle classes (for example, cutaway vehicles) currently have better battery-electric availability than hydrogen.

Board members pressed on operational and cost details. Vice Chair Nancy Talley asked about en-route charging times, additional bus and staffing needs, and maintenance costs. Atomic Transit staff said they have modeled layover charging windows (10–15 minutes in service schedules) and are evaluating yard charging vs. on-route charging; yard-only charging would require more vehicles and drivers. The agency reported ordering two electric buses in November 2024 with expected delivery in November 2026 and described continuing coordination with the county power utility (DPU) for electrical upgrades. Stantec said DPU has been supportive and was preparing a letter of support once mapping and charging plans are provided.

On workforce planning, Stantec recommended a “train-the-trainer” approach and collaboration with local training institutions; the firm estimated workforce training support at roughly $300,000 and included training timelines tied to vehicle arrival.

Public commenters and board members asked about earlier electric-bus procurements and funding stability amid federal budget changes; Stantec said its funding source list predated recent federal administration changes but the firm is preparing an update and that, to date, they had not seen notices freezing funding for current 2024–25 awards. Atomic Transit said they secured additional FY25 funding from NMDOT to support two buses ordered in late 2024.

No formal board vote was taken. Staff and consultants said the agency will continue to refine the grant application materials, finalize DPU coordination and return with required documents for any formal endorsements or approvals tied to specific funding requests.","Atomic City Transit and Stantec presented a fleet transition plan recommending battery-electric buses as the near-term pathway to reach 0-emission operations, projected long-term costs and an initial federal grant request for five electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6574947,"County presents design progress and timeline for Canyon Rim Trail Phase 3A",928,122000,1050000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3184486-b95496257d0118b09d2c7ad5615cfd75&start=122&end=1050","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3184486-b95496257d0118b09d2c7ad5615cfd75/thumbnail_122000.jpg","/articles/6574947/New-Mexico/County-presents-design-progress-and-timeline-for-Canyon-Rim-Trail-Phase-3A","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6574947-3e8e6b0adb8f25753b0bcc08cc23557e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770828737&Signature=nA27W9~0hIlmJqG6H1HEC~hMn-X448QQMEff5vj5Vv~aME8NdK3rYhNvctxMg4KdwBuU6f-lz2XuRjntq6ybk21CEIP5VT6B8rd5g81ajgGNCEm7fhbbrMvT6GcWuSBwuHtjyN5xggKxSdsXI58iIks6~CDd3ZzCRqGur1A57JyBlMAjG61yVJxiT13cPjTmM-~Eqt0lkeXjAAy6ehjQH4qc0eLFg4-ZoCZESeCVal033XVfsCUwUnAB1zn9vfVc6duw0wsqE9YfFikMCJEiBe7CQh7b-1j9R3qkJqKpY2Mthh9WhLozUelljm5tOAeuJ3fQAilVESM1E9ExaF8PHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Los Alamos County staff and consultants on Thursday updated the Transportation Board on design work and a proposed schedule for Phase 3A of the Canyon Rim Trail, a 10-foot-wide trail segment that will continue the county’s canyon-edge route and include a boardwalk-style structure and several retaining walls.

The county engineer, Eric Ulibarri, introduced the presentation and said the county and consultant are advancing the Phase 3A alignment and structure design, and recently submitted 60% plans for county and stakeholder review. Conrad Le, the consultant leading design work, said Phase 3A runs from the end of Phase 2 near Smith’s along the canyon edge and ties into 15th Street, and that the team is advancing a structure to span a deep drop near the Natural Grocers/VFW properties.

The project’s typical cross-section for the corridor is a 10-foot-wide path with 3 inches of hot-mix asphalt over 4 inches of base course. The design includes a roughly 200–225-foot boardwalk-style structure with precast concrete planks and about 52-inch high mesh fencing to preserve views while meeting ADA slope limits. Le said, “The one that we’re really moving forward with right now in design is the 3A portion,” and described multiple retaining walls with a ready-rock façade similar to previous trail phases.

Ulibarri told the board Los Alamos County completed site topography and has secured several easements from adjacent property owners for Phase 3A and has coordinated with U.S. Department of Energy stakeholders where DOE property abuts the corridor. The county’s schedule presented to the board calls for advancing 60% plans (already submitted), delivering 90% plans later in the month, completing final plans in July, advertising and bidding this summer, awarding a contract in September and, subject to contractor scheduling, beginning construction in spring of the following year.

Board members and the public raised alignment and property-impact concerns. Board member Nancy Talley asked whether the corridor still aims to extend past the medical center as envisioned in the 2011 Canyon Rim Trail master plan; staff said the master plan showed a western alignment toward Twentieth Street but noted 2016 feasibility work flagged land access, DOE property and solid-waste cleanup sites and the high cost of multiple bridge structures as constraints. Public commenters asked whether the project will use a single environmental review or phased assessments; staff said the work is being broken into phases to match timing and acquisition uncertainties and that Phase 3A will complete environmental review for that segment.

Several speakers urged connections to existing sidewalks and reduced impacts to private property. Phil Gerstny asked whether the design could include an offshoot to the existing 10-foot sidewalk on 20th Street; the consultant said preliminary alignments considered that connection but the current alignment emphasizes the scenic canyon rim and may change if property acquisitions make a straighter connection feasible. A public comment from Lisa Shin requested the county minimize impacts to private property, especially the Elks Lodge; the county said it had met with the Elks about concerns and will continue consultation before any changes are finalized.

The board did not take formal action on the Phase 3A design during the meeting; staff said they will return with updated plans, a refreshed summary of the 2016 feasibility results and responses to stakeholder comments as the design progresses.

Less-urgent details: staff noted the design’s ADA limits—slopes not to exceed 5% and cross-slope limits—and that retaining-wall facades will be similar to earlier phases. The county stressed coordination with DOE will continue for areas that cross federal property.

The board moved on to other agenda items after public comment and questions.","Los Alamos County staff and consultants presented design details, a proposed structure along the canyon rim and a timeline for Phase 3A of the Canyon Rim Trail; public commenters urged connections to existing sidewalks and minimal property impacts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County staff seek board endorsement of Midblock Crossing Policy grounded in MUTCD and FHWA guidance

Atomic City Transit presents zero-emissions fleet transition plan, requests federal funding for initial vehicles and chargers

County presents design progress and timeline for Canyon Rim Trail Phase 3A