New Mexico The Bicycle Friendly State

[Westinghouse]

 Welcome crunch crackle thump bump To New Mexicocrunch bump bump crackle pop pop pop The Bicycle crack whack snap crackle pop Friendly State

I don't know for sure what NM means when they call themselves the bicycle friendly state, but I know what that doesn't mean, and it doesn't mean anything to do with their maintenance of the safety side lanes on the interstate traversing their state east to west--west to east. That much I do know. Bicycle friendly that most definitely is NOT. Bicycle indifferent is a lot more like it. Bicycle hating is an even more accurate where that route is the matter. Avoid it if you can.

[bogiesan]

Welcome crunch crackle thump bump To New Mexicocrunch bump bump crackle pop pop pop The Bicycle crack whack snap crackle pop Friendly State

I don't know for sure what NM means when they call themselves the bicycle friendly state, but I know what that doesn't mean, and it doesn't mean anything to do with their maintenance of the safety side lanes on the interstate traversing their state east to west--west to east. That much I do know. Bicycle friendly that most definitely is NOT. Bicycle indifferent is a lot more like it. Bicycle hating is an even more accurate where that route is the matter. Avoid it if you can.

Since you can come to Idaho for the same infrastructure experience, why not sign up for Ride Idaho 2011 in August?

Idaho's highway maintenance budget has not funded any significant bike-specific expansion or bike-friendly repair work for a decade. With The Depression/Recession came deeper cuts. After the economy recovers, we will need twenty or thirty years just to rebuild reasonably safe surface integrity on our crucial rural and mountain roads but this funding will not likely include widening to accommodate bike lanes; heck, the projected budgets don't even include maintenance of thousands of bridges that have been deteriorating for 50 years.

People are pretty much the same wherever you go; some folks like bikes on the highways, some folks just want to hassle you.

david boise ID

[jamawani]

Do you know what New Mexico's state mineral is?
Broken glass.

[popeyespal]

Here's a bit of good news for you folks that think the economy is going to hurt bike paths/shoulders/access. Here in Massachusetts a law was passed two years ago and put into effect last fall for fiscal year 2011 and years forward that REQUIRES all Department of Transportation projects to include elements for non-motorized travel. I know a bit about this as I sit on the Montachusett Regional Transportation Commission as an alternate from time to time.

Here is an example.

There are 23 bridges in Middlesex County which require some degree of repair/replacement. In the process of sending the six currently allocated projects out for bid it was made clear to us that if the plans DID NOT include a bicycle/pedestrian travel lane/sidewalk that not a single penny of state money would be approved. Now...the county could certainly go ahead and do it on their own but what entity would give up large amounts of cash to fight bike lanes?

On a state level it's mandatory with the exception of Interstate Highways.

It is called the GreenDOT Initiative and is part of Deval Patrick's misguided Global Warming/Greenhouse Gas reduction program. I don't like much about this plan but this is one aspect I can get behind.

Higher taxes, higher gas and oil prices but we get bike paths/space.

My understanding is that a similar initiative is part of Obama's Global Warming plan but I am not familiar enough with it to comment.

[staehpj1]

I really thought it was great cycling when I was there, at least in the sections I rode.  The roads were nice and the scenery was beautiful.

I had exactly zero negative experiences with the drivers there.  Granted I only rode there for two days though.

Rt 56 had nice clean and wide shoulders.  It was way nicer than Rt 56 in Oklahoma!  I-25 was great riding from Rt 56 to Santa Fe.  Good surfaces, reasonable traffic, and absolutely wonderful views of the Sangre de Cristo mountains.  This was true for both the interstate and the frontage road (zero traffic and often not even within sight of the interstate).

Other roads that I rode near Santa Fe were nice as well, but my riding there was limited to the ride out to Lamy to catch the train.  Again that was a very nice ride though.

[Westinghouse]

Do you know what New Mexico's state mineral is?
Broken glass.

That I believe.

[knolltop]

Do you know what New Mexico's state mineral is?
Broken glass.

[NoGaBiker]

Wow, sorry to hear this was your experience, original poster. But I gotta say: who judges a state's bicycling friendliness by riding the interstate shoulder from one side to the other? That's plumb insane, as my Pappy would say.

I just spent 5 days covering over 300 miles in southwestern NM and a tiny bit of southeastern AZ. Silver City, Hatch, Gila, Three Way, etc. and I can't tell you what a wonderful place it was. Perfectly maintained wide roads, almost all of which had wide well-maintained bike/emergency lanes, which we didn't even use because the regular car lanes were so deserted. Perfect November weather in the low-seventies, endless blue skies, friendly drivers and friendly restauranteurs, abundant and easily located stealth camping sites. What's not to love.

Not trying to argue, but I hope nobody reads this thread and crosses NM off their list because the interstates aren't particularly fun to ride. 

[staehpj1]

Wow, sorry to hear this was your experience, original poster. But I gotta say: who judges a state's bicycling friendliness by riding the interstate shoulder from one side to the other? That's plumb insane, as my Pappy would say.

I just spent 5 days covering over 300 miles in southwestern NM and a tiny bit of southeastern AZ. Silver City, Hatch, Gila, Three Way, etc. and I can't tell you what a wonderful place it was. Perfectly maintained wide roads, almost all of which had wide well-maintained bike/emergency lanes, which we didn't even use because the regular car lanes were so deserted. Perfect November weather in the low-seventies, endless blue skies, friendly drivers and friendly restauranteurs, abundant and easily located stealth camping sites. What's not to love.

Not trying to argue, but I hope nobody reads this thread and crosses NM off their list because the interstates aren't particularly fun to ride. 

I was a little surprised to hear negative comments about NM wrt to bicycle touring when my experience there was overwhelmingly positive..  It is good to hear that your experience in the south east part of the state was similar to mine in the north east part.  Based on my limited experience there (maybe only 250 miles) I'd rate NM right up there among my favorite states.  It was especially nice since it immediately followed some really lousy road in Oklahoma.

[Westinghouse]

I did the ST from December 7, 2009 to January 30, 2010. After getting into Las Cruces I got on I-10 and pretty much stayed on it to I-8. That's what I'm talking about. I don't remember mentioning any other roadway at all except an interstate going E to W  and W to E. I am sure any sensible person would already know NM has roads for cycling other than I-10.

[popeyespal]

And the slogan isn't "Welcome to New Mexico, The Bicycle Friendly Interstate State"

[litespeed]

I've bicycle toured in New Mexico three times - once W to E in the south from Arizona on I10 to Las Cruces and on back roads to El Paso and twice in the NW from the Texas panhandle through Taos to Utah. No problems whatsoever except for some lengthy stretches with no facilities. Good roads with plenty of shoulder, friendly people and good, if not great, scenery. I'll admit that it is a good idea to ask ahead if "towns" have a place to eat. A lot of the little ones don't.

[Westinghouse]

And the slogan isn't "Welcome to New Mexico, The Bicycle Friendly Interstate State"

That's for sure. As a matter of fact that slogan came from a bicycling map send to me by the NM DOT. It seems they recommend the same route ACA maps recommend. However, anyone who wants to ignore my experience, by all means do. When you get to Las Cruces all you have to do is go west on I-10. Not to worry. There is a road a bit farther west that will allow you access to the ACA prescribed route.

[DaveB]

That's for sure. As a matter of fact that slogan came from a bicycling map send to me by the NM DOT. It seems they recommend the same route ACA maps recommend. However, anyone who wants to ignore my experience, by all means do. When you get to Las Cruces all you have to do is go west on I-10. Not to worry. There is a road a bit farther west that will allow you access to the ACA prescribed route.

I've noted this before but you seem to have unpleasant experiences everywhere you go in the United States.  You have problems with the roads, people, etc. that few or no other poster seem to have.  Maybe, just maybe it's something in your approach and expectations.

Edit: Whoops, you aren't the poster I was referring to.  My apologies for the mistaken identity.

[Jason]

I'm glad more than a few people have chimed in supporting NM.  And too, taking an interstate and saying it's poor for bikes sounds compleltely obviously, and all the more reason to follow aca's direction.

NM is awesome - people, food, scenery, and roads.  In fact the trek out of las cruces toward errey (following the mapped route) was an amazing ride - it's very much what represents the southwest.

Since it was put out there, ABSOLUTELY avoid westinghouse's opinion: nm's badass.