Transportation from Taos Coming to Angel Fire August 12, 2019! Represents First Service in Colfax County!

Beginning Monday, August 12, the North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD) will start a contracted bus transit service between the Village of Angel Fire in Colfax County and the Town of Taos. The new service will be financed by the Village of Angel Fire with financial support from Colfax County and federal grants. Fare-free service on the route will begin with three round-trips per day Monday through Friday and shortly after will include weekends and all holidays.

There will be four regular stops along the route:

• Angel Fire Resort
• US-64 & NM-434 in Angel Fire
• Colfax County Airport in Angel Fire
• Taos County Administration Building in Taos

A fifth stop will be provided weekdays at Moreno Valley High School and Holy Cross Hospital in Taos will be served once each day with return connections provided by the RTD 340 Chile Line Red route.

The Taos County Admin building is the location for an NCRTD transit center providing connections throughout the Town of Taos, Taos County, and to Española and Santa Fe. Angel Fire is a resort community that lies 41 miles east of Taos. The governing body of the resort community approached NCRTD with the interest in providing and funding a route to offer residents of Angel Fire access to services in Taos, students in Taos with access to Angel Fire schools and year-round outdoors enthusiasts with winter snow sports, mountain biking and hiking opportunities at Angel Fire Resort.

With the addition of Angel Fire Resort, the NCRTD will be providing service to four top New Mexico ski areas including Taos Ski Valley, Ski Santa Fe and Red River Ski and Summer Area.

Brochures with the routes and schedule are available at the Angel Fire Chamber of Commerce.

By Jo Mixon

It’s not just the right, courteous thing to do, it is the law.

Why is it that when we get behind the wheel of our cars, we become “other creatures”? We think we Rule the Road. All others are merely using our domain as we shout out profanities, cut other vehicles off, have the need for speed, lose all patience, text while driving, and generally act like spoiled brats. And heaven forbid we allow bicycles to take up our road space.

Well I hate to break Your Majesty’s bubble, but cars and R.V.’s are NOT the only legal vehicles on the road and being rude or downright dangerous to cyclists should stop! I remember years ago when motorcyclists had the same issues with us car royals. New Mexico State law treats bicycles the same as motor vehicles. It is legal for bicyclists to ride in the lane, within 3 foot of the white line, unless other wise marked. (That is pretty much the entire lane.)

Robin May, an avid cyclists recently wrote this on his face book page, “Had a side mirror 6 inches from my shoulder today as well as two oncoming vehicle passes ..dodgy cycling, terrible drivers with wider than vehicle trailers over the white line (remember; by law I am a vehicle and to be given sufficient safe space to the left of the white line regardless of the existence of a viable shoulder or not). I usually try to give space by holding my corridor in a predictable way on or slightly right of the white line.” This post alarmed me. Do you really want to harm someone for traveling on, what you perceive to be your road? The road is not yours, it is not mine, it is ours. And smaller vehicles are vulnerable to our much larger faster vehicles. Once again, bicycles are considered a vehicle by law and they have just as much right to travel on the road as your vehicle does! Passing a bicycle should be done with the same courtesy as passing a car. So why do we use our vehicles as intimidation and try to push them onto the shoulder, into the gravel?

He also wrote, “There are areas in the country where the critical mass of cyclists create an arrogance much like the pedestrian version we all know. “I am going to step out right in front of you and dare you to hit me!” Cyclists like that who ride in areas side by side by side in defiance of logic are assholes. Single file athletes who are legally riding within their 3 foot (left of white line) zone are within their rights and deserve the same courtesy as other vehicles. Thank you for all the folks who pass me every day who give me a wide berth when there is no on coming traffic or at a minimum hug the middle line (cause…there is space when you are aware)! BTW…I know the toot of the horn seems like a friendly warning…but it scares the bejeesus out of rider. Thanks!”

Please take this into consideration in your vehicle. Slow down and move over. Let’s play nice!