Say Farewell to City Hall on Scenic Sunday

Image courtesy of KVIA

Here's a press release from . . . 

CITY REPRESENTATIVE SUSIE BYRD
                               
Date: Sunday, April 14, 2013
Time: Scenic Sunday is open every Sunday from 6:00 a.m-11:00 a.m.
Location: Scenic Drive


EL PASO, TEXAS – On Sunday, April 14, 2013, join Representative Susie Byrd as the community says goodbye to the former city hall building during Scenic Sundays. El Paso’s old city hall is scheduled to be demolished at 9 in the morning. Scenic Drive will provide an incredible view for this historic event and will give spectators a firsthand glimpse of El Paso’s changing skyline. 

Every Sunday, Scenic Drive is closed to motorists starting at 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.. The community can enjoy walking, hiking, bicycling, and running on Scenic Drive without worrying about cars.

Becky Friesenhahn Is New NPNA President!

There are new members and new officers on your Newman Park Neighborhood Association Board:

Becky Friesenhahn,        President

Violet Urquidez,               Vice President

Robert Taylor,                   Treasurer

Jim Tolbert,                        Secretary

Orlando Arriola

Andrea Baca

Alma Foreman

Lisa Garibay

Ana Reyes

Sally Sauli

The El Paso Department of Transportation has announced a two week closure of Scenic Drive except for Scenic Sundays from 6 to 11 a.m. when the road is available to walkers, runners, hikers, bicyclists and even Chihuahuas (accompanied by a human):

The public is advised that Scenic Drive will be closed to the traveling public for two weeks effective September 17^th to allow for roadway improvements.  The City of El Paso Department of Transportation (EPDoT) will be making repairs to the concrete pavement, rock walls and roadway striping from September 17^th through the 29^th.  During this period, Scenic Drive will only be open to the public on Sundays for participants of Scenic Sundays.  Proper traffic control measures will be in place to direct the traveling public through this area for this period. Traffic will be detoured through nearby streets. The project schedule is a plan that may be modified due to the weather or other unforeseen events.

Our neighborhood library has turned a new page in its history.  Acting Branch Manager Laurel Indalecio invites you to the Expansion Celebration to be held at the Memorial Park Library, 3200 Copper, on Thursday, September 20, 2012 at 2 p.m. Be sure to book this event.

Finally, City Council Representative Steve Ortega has published a fact sheet about Triple A Baseball in El Paso. You can read it here.

Vaya con Dios!

¡Hola Vecinos!© is an emailed newsletter for the people and businesses in the Newman Park neighborhood of El Paso, their friends and other interested persons. It is written and published by Jim Tolbert who takes sole responsibility for the content of the letter. To subscribe or unsubscribe, just reply to this letter or email jimhtolbert@elp.rr.com.

Please visit www.newmanpark.blogspot.com and www.elpasonaturally.blogspot.com.

The mission of the Newman Park Neighborhood Association is to improve the quality of life in the Newman Park neighborhood through care and attention to the park and surrounding areas, and to build a community network of care, watchfulness and concern for each other and our beautiful desert environment.

This is Volume 7 and Number 28 published on September 15 , 2012

Close Scenic Drive at Wheeling?

A drug-related accident at Scenic Drive and Wheeling in December 2009 caused extensive damage to this car

The City of El Paso is now considering closing the intersection of Wheeling at Scenic Drive since the extended curb is forcing vehicles to make unsafe wider turns.

Representative Susie Byrd has sent out this message regarding the intersection of Wheeling and Scenic Drive:

In response to high speed coming off of Scenic Drive onto Wheeling, the City added an extended curb that forces a sharper turn and as result slows down traffic making a right turn off of Scenic onto Wheeling. We did before and after speed studies and determined that the fix was working in terms of the goal of slowing down traffic. We also found that fewer people were making this turn after the curb extension was installed.

But the neighbors and the users of that street alerted us that they felt the curb extension created a new hazard that warranted us reconsidering the curb extension. Several neighbors and users of the street pointed out that cars were often turning too wide off of Scenic and into Wheeling and into the other lane, creating a possibility where one car going down in a too wide turn might hit a car going up. The potential hazard is made worse because of the steep grades which make it difficult to see traffic in the other lane until you are right up on them.

Based on these concerns, the Traffic Department went out and did a visual audit of the street conditions and the turning movements. In traffic design, they try to build a road where 85% of drivers are going to behave in ways that create a safe street condition. We all know that no matter how you design a street or how many speed humps you put in, it won’t account for the 16 year old with a new car or a driver with a six pack in him. That is why traffic engineers use 85%. The visual audit revealed that 50% of the time people making the right turn off of Scenic into wheeling were staying within their lane and 50% of the time people were veering into the other lane of oncoming traffic. This means that the curb extension is only creating a safe condition 50% of the time, which is well below their threshold for safe street design. Some of this concern is mitigated by the fact that there are very few people who drive down Wheeling but it is still a concern.

Based on the Traffic Department’s review of current conditions and conditions prior to the curb extension, the Traffic Department is going back to their original approach to solving the speeding. As many of you remember, their original recommendation was to close off Wheeling from Scenic by extending the rock wall across the street. In response to neighborhood concerns about blocking an area of connection in the street network, they went with the curb extension instead.

After many traffic studies and after having tried an alternative solution, I think we need to consider closing the street. We would leave open access for bikes and walkers. My question for the neighborhood is this: we have had several meetings on the issue where we have shared traffic counts and traffic speeds and looked at the various options. Everyone knows how the street works both pre and post curb extension.

Do you think we should have one more meeting before they implement the closure? If so, let me know and we will work on it as soon as possible.

Susie

You can contact Representative Byrd by emailing her or calling her office at 541-4416.

El Pasoans Join to Clean-up Scenic Drive

Representative Susie Byrd rakes up dead brush and debris

The Friesenhahn Family joins the clean-up

Members of the Police Explorers gathered trash off-road

Haku, the Pug, and his buddy "Stray" carry clean-up bags for owners, David and Mandy Chew as Master Naturalist, Jamie Ackerman, points the way

This past Sunday volunteers from different El Paso organizations joined together to clean-up Scenic Drive. Neighbors on both sides of the drive pitched in as well as members of the local chapter of Texas Master Naturalists, the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition, Unitarians and El Paso Police Explorers.

Bags and gloves were provided by Katherine Palafox, the Director of Keep El Paso Beautiful. Judy Gutierrez, Assistant to Rep. Susie Byrd, provided water. Judy organized the event with help from Palafox and Jim Tolbert.

The clean-up was sponsored by the office of Representative Susie Byrd, Keep El Paso Beautiful and the Newman Park Neighborhood Association.

Missing in action: the El Paso Times . . . but when have they paid any attention to Scenic Sundays?

Susie Byrd's Office Spearheads Scenic Drive Clean-up on May 2

Click map to enlarge

District 2 of the City of El Paso (Susie Byrd) is sponsoring a massive clean-up of Scenic Drive this Sunday, May 2, beginning at 7 a.m. on the east side (Richmond entrance) and at 8 a.m. on the west side (Rim Road/Robinson entrance). Keep El Paso Beautiful and the Newman Park Neighborhood Association are co-sponsors.

The clean-up will include picking-up litter along the drive as well as “off road” trash stuck on plants and debris scattered down the slopes. Keep El Paso Beautiful is providing bags and gloves. Those who wish to participate may pick-up a bag at either end of Scenic Drive. Filled bags will be collected at both ends and the City of El Paso Environmental Services will collect them after the event.

Volunteers include individuals, several Scout troops, members of the Unitarian Universalist Community of El Paso and the Trans-Pecos Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists. All El Pasoans are welcome to help.

Representative Byrd pledges: “I'll buy breakfast for the person who collects the most bags of trash.”

Scenic Drive is closed to motorists every Sunday morning so that walkers, runners, bikers, skateboarders and skaters can come out and enjoy the mountain and the spectacular view. Scenic Sunday hours are 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. April – September and 7 a.m. to Noon October – March.

Western Refinery Promotes Scenic Sundays

View traveling west on Interstate 10

View traveling east on Interstate 10

Western Refinery is now helping to promote Scenic Sundays. A new digital billboard advertisement can be seen by motorists going west or east on I-10 near Airways.

Newman Park Neighborhood Association board member, Becky Ayala, made the display possible. She is also an environmental engineer with WR.

Judy Gutierrez, Assistant to District 2 Representative Susie Byrd, exclaimed: "This is AWESOME!"

The digital advertisement will run during some of the busiest shopping days of the year. Western Refinery will run another promotion for Scenic Sunday in another month. El Paso police have observed that, currently, the same hundred or so people walk or bicycle Scenic Drive on Sunday mornings. The Newman Park Neighborhood Association in conjunction with the District 2 office plans to do more to get the word out about Scenic Sundays to El Pasoans and those visiting the City.

Wyler Tramway: One of Newman Park's Gateways to the Franklins

The Newman Park neighborhood has a number of ways close by to access the Franklin Mountains. Certainly Scenic Drive's availability especially on Scenic Sundays (7 to Noon) is a great way to enjoy the scenery and geology that the south Franklins have to offer. McKelligon Canyon just north of our neighborhood gives easy access to the beauty of our mountains and a quick way to gain access to the ridge itself and one of the best hikes in the mountains along the Ron Coleman Trail.

Another favorite is the Wyler Tramway. Those who want to enjoy just the scenery can use the tramway to reach Ranger Peak. There is a gate at the peak that allows access to other trails along the ridge and over the mountain. Rangers are available to give directions.

Simply put, getting outdoors and into the mountains is easy for Newmanistas.

Check out the following hikes at Celebration of Our Mountains: There will be two Ron Coleman hikes - the first on October 10 and another on November 1. There is a difficult trail from the parking lot at the Wyler Tramway to the ridge. It is called the Directissimo. On October 18, there will a hike to the top of the ridge and back. On October 29, there will be a hike up the Directissimo which connects with the Ridge and Tram Trails. Hikers will end up at the station and take the tram back down. Finally, on October 20, there will be a nice guided hike in McKelligon Canyon.

Scenic Sundays!

Our neighborhood couldn't be luckier. This Sunday begins Scenic Sundays when Scenic Drive from Rim Road to Alabama will be closed from 6 to Noon. We don't have to drive to begin our scenic walk, bike ride or run. All we have to do is step out our front doors, take a deep breath, and join in the fun. There couldn't be a better first entry for our new Newman Park blog. Here's the official Press Release from the City:

City Kicks Off Summer-long Scenic Sundays Event

The City of El Paso Parks and Recreation Department, District 2 Rep. Susie Byrd and District 1 Rep. Ann Lilly this Sunday will officially open Scenic Sundays, a summer-long event where El Pasoans, their families and pets are invited to walk, jog, skate and bike along Scenic Drive.

Beginning April 6 and lasting through August 31, Scenic Drive, from Rim Road to Alabama Street, will be closed to vehicle traffic from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. with barriers provided by J.A.R. Concrete. The El Paso Police Department will have officers patrolling the route to ensure all participants can safely enjoy the event.

Last year’s Ciclovia, which opened Rim Road for residents to enjoy to a host of outdoor activities, was a tremendous success with over 5,000 participants in its one-month span. Scenic Sundays will extend that unique opportunity for Sun City residents to enjoy El Paso’s beautiful weather and breathtaking scenery throughout the summer months.

District 1 Rep. Ann Lilly, District 8 Rep. Beto O’Rourke and Parks and Recreation Open Space Coordinator Shamori Whitt all were instrumental in organizing Ciclovia and Scenic Sundays and they will be available for interviews as Rep. Byrd is attending a conference in Austin this weekend.

Please help us promote this exciting event. For more information, contact Rene Leon with Rep. Byrd’s office at (915) 541-4996, or at LeonR@elpasotexas.gov.