City council to vote on 50 mile bike loop

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The Albuquerque City Council is set to approve a $150,000 contract for the design phase of a 50 mile bike loop, but members of the Greater Albuquerque Bicycle Advisory Committee  say they have been left out of the decision process.

The idea for the bike loop came out of Mayor Richard Berry's ABQ the Plan community meetings. 

A map shows the loop and 16 miles of gaps.

Wilson and Co. won the $150,000 contract to design the bike loop.  

John Mathias with GABAC says cyclists are concerned that the selected contractor doesn't have the expertise in bike path design. 

Michael Riordan with the city's municipal development department disagrees and says Wilson and Co. has done other projects around the city, including the Lead/Coal project.

Mathias also says none of the existing cycling organizations in town were consulted up front and last week the city came to GABAC for a rubber stamp on tonight's vote, but they refused. 

The city says the groups are reacting way too quickly and there will be plenty of time for input.

No price tag on the bike loop yet, but ABQ the Plan has a $9 million budget through the end of 2014, but that also includes another Mayor Berry concept, The Riverwalk.

That concept plan contract is also scheduled to be voted on by the city council tonight.