Past events

   This page highlights past events sponsored or participated in by LA Walks.

Trinity Drive: Complete the street encompasses a variety of activities, with more to come. See our Trinity Drive page for information on past and upcoming events.

Earth day 2009: On April 25, LA Walks again participated in Earth Day festivities at the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC). We were one of 34 community organizations displaying their activites related to sustainabilty, environment and quality of life issues. Last year we had a display showing the Central Avenue crosswalks project (see below). This year the LA Walks table featured three design concepts for Trinity Drive. These concepts had been created for the Trinity Drive public forum sponsored by LA Walks on March 5th of this year. The designs looked at strategies for makng Trinity Drive safer for multi-modal traffic, including improved pedestrian and ADA access along and across this important arterial.

Janie O'Rourke and Wendy Swanson of LA Walks were at the table to answer questions from festival attendees, and to encourage involvement in pedestrian issues in general and Trinity Drive in particular.

Central Avenue pedestrian crossings: In 2005 LA Walks received a $14,000 grant which was turned over to Los Alamos County to build a safe crosswalk on Central Avenue near Smith's grocery store. The grant was administered by the Center for Injury Prevention (CIPRE) at the University of New Mexico Department of Emergency Medicine. In 2006/2007 we received an additional $18,000 in grant money through CIPRE. After a long period of advocacy (see the entry below on Take a Walk Down Central), a project was finally started to fill in the remainder of Central Avenue with safe crossings at reasonable intervals. Here (from the LA Monitor, August 10) is the County's announcement of the start of the project. Here (from the LA Monitor, August 24) is a story on the project. The project was substantially complete by December 2008; on December 18, the County had a street lighting ceremony to mark the project completion. Here is an example of a finished crosswalk (from a previous project near the Post Office.) Besides being safer for pedestrians and reducing the incidence of speeding, these crossings dramatically improve the visual appearance of the street.

Earth day 2007: LA Walks participated in the PEEC (Pajarito Environmental Education Center) Earth day 2007 event (April 22, 2007). The theme was "Think a Bright Green Future," and we pushed walking as a low-environmental-impact form of transportation. At right is the button we handed out at the event, along with brochures on walkable communities, pedestrian design, and pedestrian safety.

Take a Walk Down Central: On November 2, 2006, LA Walks sponsored a lunch at the Blue Window Bistro in conjunction with a walking event to promote adding safe pedestrian crosswalks and improving the sidewalks on Central Avenue. The event was attended by members of the County Council and the County Transportation Board, who were treated to wheelchair rides (illustrating problems with the sidewalks) along with as the Blue Window's delicious pizzas. Here is the article written about the event by the Los Alamos Monitor. (This event had an effect—see the entry above on Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossings.)

Michael Ronkin, head of the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, visited in Los Alamos March 21-23, 2004. He evaluated aspects of walkability in the community, and shared his thoughts with the public. More details

Walkable Communities workshop: LA Walks representatives attended the statewide "Wonderful Walkable Communities" workshop in Albuquerque, March 24-25 2003.

Dan Burden, noted expert on walkable communities, visited Los Alamos in February 2002. His visit was a great success, and included presentations to County Council and the public. We hope to get Dan back for a future visit. More details




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