Monday, January 23, 2012

Train Wreck: Will Los Alamos Downtown Planning Become Random Planning?

Urban Planning, Los Alamos Style?

There is still strong pressure to make Trinity Drive, right out to the Airport, four or five fast lanes, thus increasing speeding. Turning roads into speedways is often euphemistically referred to as an "improvement." There is also a strong drive to build a shopping mall on Trinity Place, across the street from Mari-Mac, and potentially across a four or five lane "improved" street built to increase capacity but will undoubtedly encourage speeding. Funny how the County can with one raised hand pass ordinances to promote a compact, liveable community and actually look like it might build just the opposite, thus spreading out the county in a design that almost requires one to drive to the store. As former Councillor Gibson has sometimes grouched, this county needs to engage in comprehensive planning rather than piecemeal planning.

There is little time left to register your two cents. I suggest doing so sooner rather than later. Send your carefully worded cards and letters to:  CountyCouncil@lacnm.us

2 comments:

Steve A said...

This post's timing is bad - coming after I watched two documentaries over the weekend about peak oil. I don't think we need five lanes for the LA population to ride down after gasoline starts costing more than a Big Mac per calorie. As I've said before, I'm not a fan of government subusidies to motorists that come out of my pocket. You need more with your instincts doing that planning...

Khal said...

I raised that issue of Peak Oil during the hearings, i.e., what makes us think that we will all be driving on and off the hill, one person to a car, in twenty years. That is the basis for the arguments that we need more capacity. I suspect if anything, we will probably need less.