Resident urges faster priority for Acequia Trail connection at San Felipe; committee to wait for staff update

A resident of District 3 told the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee on Thursday that the proposed Acequia Trail extension will end at a parking lot and leave no safe pedestrian or bicycle access to San Felipe Road and Airport Road.

Seisha McGee, resident of District 3, said the current design “ends the trail at a parking lot that will be created as part of the extension, so currently in that design there's no safe way for cyclists or pedestrians to access that stretch of trail.” She added that “San Felipe Road doesn't have a sidewalk or bike lane, and it also has fairly poor visibility.”

McGee told the committee she attended the April 2 public information meeting and learned the San Felipe Road reconstruction project is currently ranked 29 of 71 projects in the MPO list. She recommended elevating the project so trail users would not have to drive to the parking lot to access the trail and so bicyclists and pedestrians would face fewer hazards.

Committee staff said there are two practical options. A staff presenter (identified in the record as Mr. Ani) said reconstructing the entire roadway would be costly and slow; he proposed instead a narrower, faster-delivered sidewalk connection. He estimated preliminary design costs in the “$60,000 to $80,000” range and construction in the “$800,000 to $1 million” range for a targeted sidewalk connection, but said full roadway reconstruction would be a much larger and longer-term project.

Romella (staff) told the committee BPAC could add the project to its strategic plan and take a formal vote to prioritize it; staff recommended coordinating the MPO inclusion and city conversations so the item can move forward in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan update this summer.

After discussion, Chair Garcia summarized the committee’s preference to wait for a coordinated staff update instead of taking immediate action. The committee did not advance a motion to change the project ranking at tonight’s meeting; members asked staff to return with a report at the next BPAC meeting.

Why it matters: Without a higher-priority reconstruction or interim sidewalk connection, the Acequia Trail extension as currently designed would funnel users into a parking lot with no safe walking or bicycling connection to Airport Road, creating a potential safety and access gap for trail users.

Committee direction and next steps: Staff will discuss the targeted sidewalk option with city staff and the MPO and report back at the next BPAC meeting. No vote was taken tonight; the committee deferred action pending that update.