Signs With Estimated Travel Times Are for the Interstates Only

METRO-AREA DRIVERS GET ETAs: The multiple interstate backups Friday make David Jarrett’s question more than timely.

He emails that he “like(s) the new travel times that are posted on the electronic signs over Interstate 40 and Interstate 25. But knowing it takes 5-10 minutes to get from the Big I to end-point exits in Albuquerque is not extremely useful.”

Davis says “I’ve seen times for east mountain exits going east, and I hope there are also travel times for Los Lunas going south and Bernalillo going north. These times are more useful.

“But what would be much more useful for West Side traffic — instead of PDN 8-10 or PDN 9-11 — would be Rio Rancho via Paseo (RR via PDN), Rio Rancho via 550 and Rio Rancho via Coors (add in via Bridge, via Montaño and via Alameda if it makes sense). Having these times on the signs approaching the Big I would help people choose the fastest route and also likely balance traffic loads. I don’t live on the West Side, but I know how difficult it can be to get there during rush hour and imagine anything that helps minimize travel time would be welcome.”

Ray Herne, public information officer of the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Bureau, says the “message boards on I-25 and I-40 (are) displaying travel times to selected freeway-exit locations. The posting of travel-time information for motorists is mandated by the Federal Highway Administration. It is required for metropolitan areas of 1 million population or more, and the systems must be up-and-running by 2014.”

He adds that “although the Albuquerque metro area is shy of the 1 million population mark, it’s close enough for us to anticipate reaching that number in the not-too-distant future.”

And while David’s point is taken, Herne says “travel-time segment signage is limited to the interstates and does not include arterial roadways.”

That’s in part because, as Herne explains, “travel-time projections are based upon traffic flows and the posted speed limits for the individual freeway segments being measured. They have a guaranteed accuracy rate of no less than 85 percent.”

So “other than two possible new sign locations … for the I-25/Tramway/US 550 areas, we have no plans to add additional travel-time signage.”

The electronic message boards are at these interstate locations and will have travel times to these exits:

I-25 northbound at Isleta (times to Sunport, Central and I-40), Sunport (time to Lomas, Coors and Louisiana), Central (times to Coors, Paseo and Tramway), Comanche (times to Paseo and U.S. 550) and Paseo del Norte (time to U.S. 550); on I-25 southbound at Bernalillo (times to Tramway, I-40, MLK and Sunport), Alameda (times to I-40, MLK and Sunport), Comanche (times to Sunport, Louisiana and Coors), Lomas (times to Rio Bravo and Broadway) and Sunport (times to Broadway and N.M. 6); on I-40 eastbound at Atrisco Vista (times to Coors and I-25), 98th Street (times to Rio Grande, I-25, Louisiana and MLK), Fourth Street (times to Paseo, Tramway and Sunport), Carlisle (times to Wyoming, N.M. 14 and Tramway), San Pedro (times to Tramway, N.M. 14 and Zuzax) and Pennsylvania (times to N.M. 14, Zuzax and Sedillo Hill); on I-40 westbound at Tijeras (times to Louisiana, I-25 and Coors), Wyoming (times to I-25, Paseo and Sunport) and Washington (times to Unser, Alameda and Sunport).

As for those abbreviations, Sue adds that “recently I saw the new illuminated sign showing the times to various locations in Albuquerque. Am I the only one who did not get PDN? I did finally figure it out, and I guess locals will too, but I think that those initials will not help any out-of-town drivers.”

When it comes to the abbreviations, Herne says NMDOT “believes using that three-letter designation (PdN) is more accurate, and less ambiguous, than listing the roadway simply as ‘Paseo.’ ”

TWENTY-SIX ROAD DEATHS IN FEBRUARY: Of those reported on the University of New Mexico’s Division of Government Research website, 14 were in motor vehicles, two were on motorcycles, nine were pedestrians and one was a bicyclist.

Alcohol was a factor in nine of the deaths; at most just two of those killed in vehicles were buckled in; the motorcyclists were not wearing helmets.

Assistant editorial page editor D’Val Westphal tackles commuter issues for the Metro area on Mondays and West Siders and Rio Ranchoans on Thursdays. Reach her at 823-3858; road@abqjournal.com; P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, NM 87103; or go to ABQjournal.com/traffic to read previous columns and join in the conversation.
— This article appeared on page D1 of the Albuquerque Journal