East Mountain Trails & Bikeways Master Plan - Bernalillo County

Executive Summary
Bernalillo County Parks and Recreation
Department (BCPR) and Public Works Division
(BCPWD) are pleased to submit the East
Mountain Trails and Bikeways Master Plan for
review and approval by the County Planning
Commission and the Board of County
Commissioners. Through the diligent work of
lead consultant Sites-Southwest, this Master
Plan has been developed to guide trail and
bikeway siting, funding, design, and development
in the 120,000-acre plan area of the East
Mountains. Trails are intended to be multi-use for
walking, hiking, bicycling, or riding horses. The
plan map identifies a total of 290 linear miles of
trails and bikeways that could be developed at
plan build-out, which is expected to take over 10
years depending on funding. Bernalillo County
trail planners, the State of New Mexico
Department of Transportation (NMDOT) Bicycle,
Pedestrian, and Equestrian Trail Coordinator, the
East Mountain Coalition of Neighborhoods and
Landowners, East Mountain residents, East
Mountain developers, and elected officials are
the intended plan users and beneficiaries.
The Master Plan was developed during 2004 and
contains the cumulative input and analysis from:
• 300+ individuals contributing their time and
opinions at public meetings, community
events, and citizen steering committee
meetings;
• Representatives from twelve public agencies,
departments, and land grants contributing
their time and expertise on a technical
advisory committee;
• Numerous stakeholders contributing their
time and knowledge and sharing their
concerns and ideas with project planners;
• Dozens of volunteer hours conducting field
surveys to locate viable trail corridors;
• Coordination with Bernalillo County staff
updating the East Mountain Area Plan and
County and City staff preparing Open Space
Resource Management Plans for eight Open
Space properties in the East Mountains; and
• Existing plans, policies, and ordinances that
provide the context and rationale for
preparing the East Mountain Trails and
Bikeways Master Plan.
Proposed trail corridors (see fold-out map in
rear pocket) are identified that could physically
link most neighborhoods, commercial areas,
County and City-owned Open Space properties,
and federal lands managed by the Sandia
Ranger District through non-vehicular routes on
hard-surfaces or soft-surfaces. Most trail
corridors are identified on public rights-of-way
controlled by NMDOT or BCPWD. Some desired
trail corridors are on private properties whose
owners were contacted in Fall 2004. Bernalillo
County hopes to work with many of these owners
by obtaining trail easements through subdivision
dedication, fee-simple acquisition, or voluntary
arrangements using landowner protection
afforded by the New Mexico Recreational Use
Statute.
When and where possible, constructing specific
trail facilities as part of road improvements by
BCPWD, NMDOT, or private developers will be
pursued. All proposed trail and bikeway facilities
are categorized as one of the following types (as
described starting on page 44):
1) Shared Rural Roads
2) Bike Routes with Paved Shoulders
3) Multi-Use Trails within Road Right-of-
Way (hard or soft surface)
4) Multi-Use Soft Surface Trails in
Separate Rights-of-Way or Easements
Additional facilities identified in the plan as
means to support the trail types include a)
staging areas (5-10 parking spaces + trailers), b)
EAST MOUNTAIN TRAILS AND BIKEWAYS MASTER PLAN
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