Council approves bike plan designed to create network of connected lanes

El Paso City Council approved a new comprehensive bike plan planners said would provide a road map for the city to create a network of bike infrastructure over the next decade.

City Rep. Michiel Noe argued the plan did not have routes for Far East El Paso. Staff was directed to make some changes to the bike plan to reflect his concerns.

The plan incorporates more than a year of community feedback and input from stakeholders. It will also serve as a guide to identifying which routes are best for bicycling in order to create an interconnected network of bicycle lanes as well as serve as a guide during the planning and construction of new bike facilities including bicycle boulevards, protected bike lanes, buffered bike lanes, and two-way cycle tracks.

“The plan will allow the city to develop infrastructure which accommodates all users including motorists, pedestrians, mass transit users and bicyclists,” said Fred Lopez, assistant director of the city of El Paso’s Capital Improvement Department. “The plan is an important component of improving El Paso’s quality of life by encouraging regional cooperation and recommends key changes to planning processes and land use policies to ensure bicycle infrastructure is more thoughtfully integrated into existing roadways, off-street paths, and new development.”

There is currently 140 miles of bike facilities. The plan recommends between 900 and 1,100 miles of bike infrastructure, which can be built over time.

The plan was developed in a manner that will allow for modifications to adapt to future changing roadway and traffic conditions.