Title
Discussion and Possible Action of Roadway Improvement Alternatives to Trinity Drive from Oppenheimer Drive to Knecht Street
Recommended Action
I move that Council select alternative(s) _________ [1, 2, 3 and/or 4] for further consideration for Trinity Drive roadway improvements and direct the County Manager to return with a Resolution of support for the selected preferred alternative.
County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that Council approve the motion and include the preferred design alternative as presented.
Body
Following completion of a Road Safety Audit in 2016, Los Alamos County was awarded $4.25 million in Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding through the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) for design, right-of-way acquisition and construction of safety improvements along the section of Trinity Drive (NM502) from Oppenheimer Drive to Knecht Street. Trinity Drive (NM 502) is a state-owned highway.
Los Alamos County contracted with Wilson & Company Inc. for preliminary engineering to develop roadway alternatives for the project area based on review of the 2016 Safety Audit recommendations. A survey of existing conditions, traffic data collection and an engineering analysis was completed to develop possible alternative improvements to this section of the Trinity Drive corridor.
The alternatives proposed have been developed in accordance with the goals of the Road Safety Audit to address roadway safety issues related to multi-modal safety and mobility. County planning documents including the Downtown Master Plan and Bicycle Transportation Plan, as well as state and national design standards were utilized in the development of project alternatives. Attachment A details the alternatives analyzed. The recommended alternatives are summarized as follows:
1. Alternative 1 (Road Diet): Includes one 12-ft lane in each direction with a center 14-ft two-way left-turn lane, on-street bike lanes in both directions, and 5-ft minimum width sidewalks.
2. Alternative 2 (Hybrid 1): Includes one 11-ft westbound lane, two 11-ft eastbound lanes, a center 12-ft two-way left-turn lane, a two-way multi-use path on the north side and a 5-ft minimum width sidewalk on the south side of Trinity Drive.
3. Alternative 3 (Hybrid 2): Includes one 12-ft westbound lane, two 11-ft eastbound lanes, a center 14-ft two-way left-turn lane, on-street bike lanes in both directions, and 5-ft minimum width sidewalks.
4. Alternative 4 (Side Path): Includes one 11-ft westbound lane, two 11-ft eastbound lanes, a center 12-ft two-way left-turn lane, separated 5-ft off-street bike side path in both directions, and 5-ft minimum width sidewalks on both sides.
A public meeting was held in conjunction with a regularly scheduled Transportation Board Meeting on June 6, 2024. Transportation Board and public comments were received during this time and have helped form the alternatives presented. See Attachment B for a log of public input received.
Staff is requesting that County Council review and provide input of the alternatives presented. Following input from County Council, staff will return to a future Council meeting to address any outstanding questions, comments, present any refinements of the selected alternative(s), and request approval of a resolution of support for the selected preferred alternative. NMDOT typically requires a resolution of support from the local governing body to illustrate the community’s support of the project and allows the project to proceed to final design and subsequent bidding and construction.
Alternatives
Council may select one or more of the proposed alternatives for further consideration with or without recommendations for modification.
Fiscal and Staff Impact/Planned Item
The project is funded through a Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant through a New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) cooperative agreement in the amount of $4.25 million for design, right-of-way acquisition and construction. The project is currently programmed in the County's Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and no County matching funds are required. The project is being managed by Public Works Engineering staff.
Attachments
A - Presentation
B - Log of Public Input Received