Los Lunas Transportation Center Master Plan

SITES prepared the Master Plan and Phase One Design for the Los Lunas Transportation Center, a district centered on the community’s Rail Runner station. The effort included land use planning, New Urbanist–style charrettes, urban design, placemaking, and construction documents. Although earlier plans for the area dated back to 2006, SITES was hired in 2013 to create a cohesive master plan with a stronger emphasis on land use and the long-term vision for a walkable Village Center.

Following the planning phase, the team advanced the urban design for the district. Key elements included a Rio Metro bus hub for Valencia County, three event and concert spaces, a central plaza, shared parking, and opportunities for mixed-use development with retail and residential uses. SITES then designed the new plaza, drop-off area, Rio Metro Hub, and connections to parking, the Rail Runner platform, and surrounding site features.

As planning progressed, the district was designated a metropolitan redevelopment area and the Village acquired additional land, prompting an update to the Master Plan in 2018. Phase One construction was completed in 2017. SITES supported the Village’s goal of creating a vibrant and walkable center with attainable housing, economic development opportunities, and increased transit use. The plan identifies strategies for multifamily housing, ground-floor retail, commercial office space, outdoor civic spaces, and multimodal circulation improvements to make the district a lively place to walk, bike, work, and live.