Will it have continuous bike lanes? YES.
Here is a quick description of the Diamond Drive reconstruction project.
The text in green is copied from the Los Alamos County Diamond Project website (see link at right sidebar). The text in black is my commentary. The graphics are copied from a public presentation from February 2006, which used to be available for download on the County website but is no longer there. (E-mail me if you want a copy of that presentation.)
Phase I of Diamond Project
Phase I is the section from 35th Street to the San Ildefonso roundabout. Work in this section includes utility work, pavement reconstruction / rehabilitation, a multi-use pathway, bike lanes, roundabout improvements, and a pedestrian / golf cart underpass near Club Road.
Here is the planned nominal cross-section for this phase (click for larger picture):
There is also a version of this cross-section that shows a 4' median instead of a 14' center turn lane. Not shown (but in the plan) is a 10-foot multi-use path along the North side of Diamond.
Note that the County has awarded this bid and construction on this phase should begin April 5, 2007 and be completed by October 2007.
Phase II of Diamond Project
Phase II is the section from approximately North Road to 35th Street. Work in this section includes utility work, pavement reconstruction / rehabilitation, bike lanes, wider sidewalks, and upgrades to the Arkansas/38th Street signalized intersection. Design on this section continues with an anticipated schedule to advertise for construction bids in February 2008 with construction starting mid-March 2008. Informational open houses will be scheduled at approximately 30% and 95% design stages.
Here is the planned nominal cross-section for this phase (click for larger picture):
(Note that some stretches in this segment will have a left turn lane and some will have a narrow median in place of the center turn lane.)
Phase III of Diamond Project
Phase III is the section from the Los Alamos Canyon Bridge to North Road. Work in this section includes the addition of bike lanes, pavement reconstruction / rehabilitation, upgrades to the signalized intersections, and rehabilitation of the two existing overpasses. Council has also directed staff to investigate an additional pedestrian under/overpass at the Diamond / Trinity intersection. Design on this section continues with an anticipated schedule to advertise for construction bids in February 2009 with construction starting in mid-March 2009. Informational open houses will be scheduled at approximately 30% and 95% design stages.
The nominal road cross-section for Phase III is the same as that for Phase II above. The pedestrian overpasses near the High School will be rehabilitated but they will not be moved. Thus, in the stretch between Sandia and University, the bike lanes will be about where the sidewalks are now and the sidewalks will move outward 8 feet or so.
Please share your comments!
7 comments:
can you tell me, are they still planning to put all those street lights along the golf course stretch of Diamond? I remember the proposed number of lights would make that stretch of road look like a airplane runway.
Heyyy ... way to go bike blog!!! This a really great that you are doing this. I keep wondering who to ask if we are going to see bike lanes after all the construction. If I read this right ..we are. That is a huge relief! Now the backpack man won't get himself killed while pissing off all the cars at all the respectfull bike riders in town. Since it will be a while before the bike lanes are done, someone needs to slap that guy around a bit with all the loose straps flinging off the back of his pack while he rides.
If you're talking about the guy with the huge backpack and shorts, I think he's one of the more predictable and well-mannered cyclists on the road. He signals turns, rides a straight line, and obeys all the road laws. He's probably not making a lot of friends by taking the road to go south across the bridge, but he's still moving faster than a tractor or other heavy machinery, and might not want to endanger pedestrians with his gear.
He's doing fine in my book.
Regarding street lights, I think they're going for one level below how a boulevard should be lit. It will look a lot brighter than we're used to, but it will be in keeping with current design standards.
However, that particular issue is the topic of a lawsuit against the county, so who knows how it will end up.
Neale -
He so sux! In addition to riding south on the bridge, he shoots red lights and rides like an ass. He is so oblivious, you'd think he had an ipod on, but he doesn't. That guy pisses off more cars in this town than anyone - making the drivers hate the cyclists - and endangering me and you. I had a friend killed on a bike - hit by a car. I am quite sensitive to the auto-bike issues and I think this guy is moving the next death doomsday clock for this town closer to midnight faster than any cyclist I've seen. I definitely don't want to read you book.
We're obviously talking about two different guys, then.
the guy with the backpack and shorts is the same guy riding south across the bridge (a habit I really really wish he'd stop). He does follow some road rules but he doesn't follow others, when it's to his advantage to move ahead of traffic. I think we all should follow road rules, except for staying on the road going south across the bridge. Sometimes safety is more important than road rules. Courtesy is most important so cars and bikes get along!
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