East Mountain Trails & Bikeways Master Plan - Bernalillo County

Section C. Master Plan Description
The Master Plan is shown in Figure 20 and is
also attached as fold-out map at the back of this
report. The Plan provides for the following types
of facilities, which are described in detail
previously in Chapter IV Section B:
• Rural Roads
• Bike Routes
• Multi-Use Trails in the ROW (paved and
soft surface)
• Trail Access Facilities (staging areas,
trailheads and access points)
• Soft surface Multi-use Trails with
separate ROW or easements
• Potential Recreation Areas
• ADA Accessible Facilities
The Master Plan has been divided into 15
segments that correspond to the 15 segments
used for field assessment and planning. Brief
descriptions of each segment’s character and
proposed facilities are presented below.
Figure 20 shows existing trail facilities and
proposed corridors for new facilities. Segment
descriptions are a guide for the County’s future
planning and design efforts. The final
determination of legal feasibility (right-of-way and
easement status), surveying, engineering
feasibility, alignment, and construction plans for
each trail facility will occur on a segment-bysegment
basis during separate planning and
design of projects to be undertaken by the
County for specific facilities as part of the
implementation of the Master Plan. New facilities
be built only upon completion of a final alignment
study, adequate design and construction funds.
1. Crest Highway (NM 536)
The Crest Highway is the principal route for many
users to visit Sandia Crest and to access the Crest
Trail and Faulty Trails. Currently, cyclists seeking a
challenge use the road. The Master Plan proposes
that it become a signed bikeway with a minimum
paved shoulder width of two feet, however when a
shoulder is less than 4 feet they share the travel lane.
Two proposed multi-use trail corridors are shown in
this area, including the pipeline utility corridor that
connects the University of New Mexico (UNM) La
Madera and Paa-Ko lands to the National Forest and
the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) trail corridor
through the Campbell Ranch lands. No additional
trail access facilities are proposed for the Crest
Highway.
2. La Madera Road
La Madera Road forms the dividing line between the
Paa-Ko lands and Campbell Ranch west of North 14.
The Master Plan proposes four-foot paved shoulders
along the entire length of the corridor to the Sandoval
County Line. In addition a soft surface trail is
recommended along the east side of the road inside
Paa-Ko lands where enough ROW exists. The existing
paved trail that connects the community center to San
Antonito Elementary school would be extended along
the northeast side of La Madera Road over to the East
Mountain Charter High School.
In addition to the off-road trails discussed above,
multi-purpose trails are proposed to connect the
cul-de-sacs within the Paa-Ko subdivision to La
Madera Road. A dirt trail/road at the north end of
the Paa-Ko subdivision is proposed as a trail,
which would connect through a proposed
potential recreation area to La Madera Road.
Inside the existing Paa-Ko subdivision, roads are
to be signed for pedestrians and bicyclists. A
Staging Area is proposed along the La Madera
Road junction of the middle Paa-Ko trail and the
Utility Easement Corridor Trail.
3. Far North 14 (NM14)
The Far North 14 segment goes from San Antonito all the
way to the Sandoval County Line. In addition to the
facilities described above that will tie into NM 14 in this
area, the Master Plan proposes six-foot-wide shoulders
along the roadway and a paved multi-use trail on the west
side of the road from the County line south to the Vista
Grande Community Center. A soft surface multi-use trail
is proposed for the east side of the roadway, which will
make connections into the Campbell Ranch subdivision
as those internal trail systems develop. The paved
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EAST MOUNTAIN TRAILS AND BIKEWAYS MASTER PLAN