Greater Albuquerque Recreational Trails Committee

The Greater Albuquerque Recreational Trails Committee was formed by City Ordinance in 1990 to help develop and advise the promotion of a recreational trails plan. By 1993, Greater Albuquerque Recreational Trails Committee had been influential in helping to create the currently adopted and reigning Trails and Bikeways Facility Plan.

GARTC consists of eight citizen members. These include one member for each of the following categories: equestrians, physically challenged, pedestrians and hikers, off road mountain bicyclists, active elderly, runners and joggers, one east at large, and one west at large member. The east and west members reside on either side of the Rio Grande, respectively.

The Committee's role is to support, encourage, and advise local, state, and federal agencies to set priorities to optimize the use of appropriated funding for the purpose of developing new, while maintaining and renovating older, trail networks throughout the greater Albuquerque Metropolitan region.

These networks of local and regional trails are a great opportunity to link parks, Major Public Open Space, National Park System trails, United States Forest Service areas and trails, and neighborhoods providing an alternative to auto transportation while encouraging recreation.

Other important roles for the Committee are to review plans and projects that will impact trails and provide comments from the users' point of view, encourage governmental entities to acquire and utilize right-of-way, and a major portion of Greater Albuquerque Recreational Trails Committee's work should focus on helping to update and fulfill the Trails and Bikeways Facility Plan update.

As an advisory committee, GARTC also advises the Environmental Planning Commission, the Bernalillo County Planning Commission, the City of Albuquerque, the County, the Urban Transportation Planning Policy Board and other governmental entities concerning plans, programs, and standards for recreational trails that are predominantly off-street facilities but which may cross, parallel or share street right-of-way for limited lengths. For more information on Greater Albuquerque Recreational Trails Committee's role, please review the ordinance.

Meeting Schedule

The Greater Albuquerque Recreational Trails Committee is a Citizens' Advisory Committee that meets the third Tuesday of every month from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Citizens are encouraged to attend meetings to review and comment on projects and policies affecting recreational trails throughout the greater Albuquerque metropolitan area.

GARTC meetings are open to the general public.

Greater Albuquerque Trail Map Resources

• Paseo del Bosque Trail
• Paseo de la Mesa Trail
• Open Space Trails
  
• Sandia Mountains Trails
• Petroglyph National Monument
• Rio Grande Valley State Park
• Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge