It's time for more bike lanes in Taos

Taos doesn’t have enough bike lanes downtown. Currently downtown bike lanes are incomplete, unmarked, and often used for parking.

If Taos is looking to increase tourism, it seems to me that we should make the downtown area more bike and pedestrian friendly. Towns that have some of the nicer downtowns in the country have made the space much more bike and pedestrian friendly. If Taos were to make the downtown area a one-way loop, and make the second lane into median protecting bike lanes and sidewalks, and closed off the Plaza to motorized traffic (at least for the busier times of year) then we would be a lot closer to a better downtown experience.

While it may seem like it would increase the downtown traffic, it might decrease it, as there would no longer need to be stoplights that are often the cause of congestion. Additionally, with the increased bike lanes and [Americans with Disabilities Act]-compliant sidewalks, more people may be inclined to walk or bike, rather than drive, further decreasing traffic.

Some worry that if traffic downtown were to be alleviated, then cars would drive faster not noticing the shops. However, most people who come to Taos come to visit, very few just drive through it. Additionally, some people believe that the increased speed of traffic could make the downtown more dangerous to pedestrians. However, the town could prevent this with speed tables (raised crosswalks that slow cars down), and with lower speed limits, coupled with speed cameras to prevent people from speeding.

Making the downtown loop one-way, and converting the extra lane into bike lanes and sidewalks would benefit downtown, decreasing traffic, encouraging zero emissions travel by increasing biking and walking, making the shops more accessible to pedestrians, especially those with disabilities and making the downtown a nicer place to be.