E-Boards Only Show So Much

MORE ON THOSE ELECTRONIC TRAVEL TIME ESTIMATES: Interstate drivers have now had several weeks of those estimated travel times on the electronic message boards.

And they may have questioned what happens when you get to your exit but the problem is just past it.

Recently, I drove by the sign on northbound Interstate 25 just before the Montgomery exit, and read it would take “4-6 min” to get to Paseo del Norte.

Thing is, I had just come from that area and had seen a wreck and backup on the Paseo overpass just past the freeway exit.

The point? Knowing drivers can get somewhere in 4-6 minutes isn’t much help if when they do arrive, it’s gridlock from there on.

So how far down a commute do message-board gurus look?

Right now, as far as their jurisdiction takes them.

Ray Herne, who handles information for the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Transportation System, says “regarding travel times, current ITS operations of NMDOT are restricted to monitoring the interstates, with some closed-circuit-television traffic surveillance on DOT-maintained facilities. When arterial incidents occur that have a detrimental impact on interstate traffic, we make every attempt to report their impacts to the interstates, but not the arterial incident itself.”

AND MORE ON HANDICAPPED PARKING AT BIG EVENTS: An email from reader noah22 on the handicapped parking policies at the Isotopes ballpark takes drivers, not attendants, to task.

“I think in some way it needs to pointed out in these articles that the fan should only use handicap plaques that are legitimate, i.e. ones that belong to them, (instead of a pal’s or relative’s) to gain free parking. The law states anyone using a plaque should be in the car, (though) I know some exceptions may occur such as drop-offs.”

Noah22′s concern is scofflaws will read that a handicapped placard gets you close, free parking on government sites, making for open season for people (to) use the excuses of having a plaque or ‘dropping off someone’ ” when in fact they are just late or lazy.

In my experience the attendants at the ballpark check the placard photo and verify the person pictured is in the vehicle, same at Popejoy Hall on the University of New Mexico campus and at the Convention Center parking garage.

But noah22′s point is well taken —that’s why Senate Bill 905, passed in the 2007 legislative session, amended the state statute on handicapped parking placards (6-3-16) to require the state Motor Vehicle Division to place a full-face photo on placards.

Each comes with a special sleeve that looks like a small white envelope about an inch and half tall so only folks with a legitimate interest — like law enforcement and parking attendants — can inspect it. The photo addition was pushed as “just another tool for law enforcement” to help ensure the people using placards are the people entitled to.

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.
— This article appeared on page D1 of the Albuquerque Journal