Traffic Cops Have Been Kept Busy

HAVE OFFICERS REPLACED THE CAMERAS? Dave recalls “that Albuquerque Police Department was going to place traffic cops at the former camera intersections to catch red-light runners. I have been looking everywhere for a month, and I have not seen a single traffic cop at any intersection east of the river.”

His email from last fall asks, “where are they? Today I watched seven cars gleefully run the red light at Montgomery and San Mateo around 2 p.m. The last two runners had to cut off a bicycle that was trying to cross the intersection on the green light. Everywhere I go I see one to six, even seven cars, sailing through the light after the arrow is extinguished. The mentality of the average Albuquerque driver is astonishing. I think it was a huge mistake to remove the cameras. The mayor basically created an entitlement to run red lights. Can’t anything be done about this, before someone is hurt or killed?”

Actually, it was the voters, courtesy of the City Council, who removed the cameras.

Albuquerque Police Department officer Tasia Martinez says APD’s “Traffic Unit was tasked with many special events and tactical operations the past few months. The Balloon Fiesta, junior national cross country meet, Twinkle Light parade, mall tactical plans and the Luminaria Tour are only some of the events worked by the Traffic Unit.”

Traffic officers “are also responsible for handling all fatal crashes. They will resume monitoring intersections this month. Unfortunately, we cannot be at every intersection every day.”

Albuquerque has around 600 signalized intersections.

In the meantime, Martinez says “if anyone has any requests for enforcement at a particular location, please contact Commander Eric Garcia at 761-8800. The commander will have traffic officers address the Montgomery and San Mateo issue.”

BEAR CANYON ARROYO TRAIL GETS A FACE-LIFT: Mark Motsko, spokesman for the city’s Department of Municipal Development, says this $1.7 million project will be done in two phases.

Phase one “will extend from Wyoming Boulevard to the western edge of the Arroyo del Oso Golf Course, following the south side of the golf course.

“Phase two of the project is scheduled for late 2013 and will go from the golf course to the new Bear Bridge.”

Crews started work at the end of last month and are scheduled to be finished by early summer.

TOO-DARK WINDOWS ILLEGAL FOR ALL VEHICLES: D.J. Delgado asks “does New Mexico still have a motor vehicle law against dark tinted windows? If so, does it apply to government vehicles like police cars?”

D.J. emails “I noticed the state of New Mexico had a car auction and sold old police cars with dark tinted window(s). If you purchase the cars from a state or city auction, are you exempt from the tinted-window laws since the government sold the car to an individual in this condition?

Not if they are illegally dark, and they shouldn’t be under the law.

Martinez says the “window-tint law applies to all vehicles, even police vehicles. Front windows must be no darker than 35 percent. Rear side windows can be no darker than 20 percent.”

CAN YOU GET A TICKET FROM AN UNMARKED CAR? Gpjan says in an email “I was under the impression that all state and local police vehicles had to have state governmental license plates, and that any ticket written by an officer in an unmarked car without a government plate is void. Is that not correct?”

APD says it is not correct.

Martinez explains that “judges consider a police vehicle ‘marked’ when it has emergency equipment and a government license plate. Only the issuing officer or a judge can dismiss or void a citation.”

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 A4 of the Albuquerque Journal