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THAT ELECTRONIC SIGN SAVED MY COMMUTE: West Side drivers might be wondering if that new electronic message board on eastbound Paseo between Golf Course and Eagle Ranch is operational.
I used to wonder that every morning – is the slowdown I see the usual slowdown, or is there something at a dead stop up ahead, most likely after the opportunity to bail off onto Eagle Ranch or Coors to get to the Alameda or Montaño bridges?
Last week I got the official answer from the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Transportation System folks, and the real-world answer from the sign itself.
ITS spokesman Ray Herne says “those signs on Paseo are active. They belong to the city of Albuquerque. We have an agreement with the COA that allows us to post messages on these signs when requested by the city or when we are aware of an event that would warrant the display of a message.”
On the morning of May 14, with an hour leeway to get across the river and make the bus for a school field trip, the sign was oh-so active and it oh-so saved my bacon.
As I turned off Golf Course and approached the sign around 8 a.m., it flashed that two lanes were closed on Paseo ahead because of a wreck at Fourth Street. Realizing the slowdown was not the usual slowdown, I eased to the right to get in position for the Coors exit and saw the horrendous backup in the northbound-to-eastbound lane.
And I quickly bailed out, took Montaño, and we made the field trip school bus with time to spare.
That was how ITS was advertised to Metro commuters, and last week that’s how it worked for Paseo del Norte drivers.
AN UNSER UPDATE: Mark Motsko, who handles information for the city of Albuquerque’s Department of Municipal Development, has some more details on the work that will get rid of the crazy two-lanes, no one-lane, no two-lanes in each direction of Unser between McMahon and Black Arroyo.
Here are the highlights:
♦ Amount of contract: $1,129,147.14.
♦ Funding sources: Local funding (i.e. 1/4 cent transportation tax and general obligation bonds).
♦ Contract time allowed: 120 days.
♦ Contract time began: May 9.
♦ Work schedule: Monday through Friday.
♦ Project scope: Reconstruct existing two-lane roadway to four-lane section, including bike lanes, curb and gutter, medians, multi-use trails and sidewalk.
♦ Additional items: Project also includes the installation of storm drain and inlets.
♦ Not included: The project will not install any traffic signals at the intersection of Unser/Night Whisper, as it is currently not warranted. This project is, however, installing related infrastructure (i.e. electrical conduits, cable, pull boxes, etc.) at the intersection in preparation for the future installation of a traffic signal.
♦ Design consultant: WH Pacific.
♦ Contractor: Albuquerque Asphalt.
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, N.M. 87103; or go to ABQjournal.com/traffic to read previous columns and join in the conversation.
— This article appeared on page 1 of the West Side Journal
