The National Park Service, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, is considering a project that would rehabilitate Mesa Top Loop, Cliff Palace Loop, and Sun Temple Loop roads, improve physical accessibility at adjacent overlooks, improve sidewalks and parking areas, replace the current Visitor and Research Center intersection, and possibly widen the two-way sections of Mesa Top Loop and Sun Temple Loop roads to accommodate a bike lane.
As part of this process, the Park Service is initiating a 30-day comment period on the preliminary concepts. You are encouraged to share your observations, concerns, and ideas about the information presented in a newsletter posted online to help park staff focus the concepts on significant issues in the park. The newsletter is available at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/MEVE. The information obtained during this public comment period will be used to refine the concepts, identify issues, and ensure that the Park Service has the information needed to move forward in the planning process.
More opportunities for public comment will be available during this planning process. Once the park has refined a range of alternatives with public input, staff will begin the second phase of planning. The park staff then will initiate the National Environmental Policy Act process and prepare an appropriate NEPA document.
Public participation is an important element of the planning process and the Park Service welcomes your ideas, concerns, issues, suggestions, and potential topics for consideration as staff refines the concepts. Public comment is being taken through January 30 via the Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/MEVE.
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Comments
I am very much in favor of the addtion of bike lanes. Any opporunity we have to promote tranportation other than SOV should be taken. We have to do something about auto polution and traffic across the country and our national parks. You may even pair this with a pilot bike rental program.
A friend of mine from the Grand Canyon has a daughter that worked for their bike consession. It was a very busy place. It's worth a shot.
But think of all the artifacts and cultural sites that might be found. They are already overwhelmed in their storage from what my friend who interned there said.