NMDOT Seeks Public Input on Statewide Active Transportation Plan

The New Mexico Department of Transportation launched a statewide outreach effort on December 25 to collect public comment for a new Statewide Active Transportation Plan. The online survey is offered in English and Spanish, and NMDOT invited residents from across the state to submit views that will help shape priorities for pedestrian and bicycle improvements on state owned roads.

The plan uses an all ages and abilities approach and builds on the state planning work completed in 2018 and 2021. Those earlier efforts prioritized a statewide bicycle network in 2018 and addressed pedestrian safety in 2021. NMDOT says the new plan will synthesize those priorities and provide guidance for future investments that improve safety and connectivity for walkers and cyclists across New Mexico.

For Los Alamos County the proposal matters because state owned corridors that pass through or near the county are eligible for projects guided by the plan. Improvements could influence safe routes to schools, access to trails and community centers, and connections between neighborhoods and regional transit or employment centers. Officials and residents who care about public health, equitable access to transportation, and reductions in vehicle emissions will be watching how priorities are set and which corridors move into project pipelines.

Beyond local travel, the Active Transportation Plan frames pedestrian and bicycle improvements as tools for broader goals. The plan lists public health, equitable access, better air quality, reduced vehicle emissions, and support for human scale economic development as expected benefits. Those aims align with national and international efforts to reduce transport emissions and to promote healthier, more walkable communities.

NMDOT expects to complete the Active Transportation Plan in early 2027. In the meantime the agency is collecting input and will use public feedback to refine priorities and recommend projects. Los Alamos County residents who want to influence how state owned roads accommodate walking and cycling are encouraged to participate through the online survey and to raise specific local concerns so that county priorities are considered as the plan is finalized.