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Tuesday, October 7, 2003

Get Up and Get Walking

By D'Val Westphal
Of the Journal
    WALK THIS WAY: Sometimes walking or pedaling aren't options— sometimes they are just the simple business of life.
    Diane Scena of WALK Albuquerque, which promotes walking for transportation, health and recreation through education and advocacy, says in an e-mail that "sometimes we forget that roads serve more than just cars. Many of Albuquerque's citizens are too old or too young to drive; many are too poor to own a car. For them, walking and bicycling need to be safe and convenient choices. And the rest of us, many overweight and suffering from weight-related health concerns, might choose to walk and bicycle for some of our daily trips if the roads accommodated us."
    A big if.
    Scena says a dearth of "safe and convenient alternatives to driving everywhere have limited our choices. Traffic speed and volumes make walking and biking uncomfortable and sometimes unsafe. Our neighborhoods are designed so that there are few destinations within walking distance and poor or discontinuous pedestrian and bike facilities."
    Time for some grass-roots action. Enter Wednesday, International Walk to School Day.
    Here in the Land of Enchantment, parents are encouraged "to walk or bike with their children to school on this day. It's an opportunity to teach children safe walking and biking behaviors, to spend a little healthy, active time with their children doing the world's simplest exercise, walking, and to identify improvements needed in their neighborhood to make it more walkable and bikable, such as better sidewalks, crosswalks and improved driver behavior."
    I can hear the telephones ringing with suggestions for city Traffic Engineering now (857-8680).
    NO WORK AROUND THE FIESTA: The city has barred road construction through Oct. 15 around Old Town and Balloon Fiesta Park "in view of the increased traffic volume," according to a news release.
    So while you'll be driving in a throng of tourists, you won't be in a hell of heavy equipment.
    The Old Town area is bounded by Rio Grande from Central to Mountain, 19th from Mountain to Central, Central from 19th to Rio Grande and Mountain from Rio Grande to 19th.
    The balloon park area is bounded by Roy from Second to Interstate 25, I-25 from Tramway to Paseo del Norte, Paseo from I-25 to Second and Second from Paseo to Roy.
    Exceptions to the no-excavation rule include "emergencies" and "extenuating circumstances" but will still require a written waiver.
    THANKS FOR THE COMANCHE MEDIAN WORK: Helen Leavy has a refreshing e-mail that "is not a gripe or complaint! I want to compliment the manner in which the redesign of the medians on Comanche between Juan Tabo and Tramway has progressed. I live on Mt. Rainier and have to drive through this zone every day to work. I have not had to make any changes in my usual route; I haven't had to dodge debris. Overall it has been a pleasant experience that has proceeded at a good pace, and I look forward to how nice the street will look at the completion of this project— no more weed-choked, trash-strewn medians."
    RED MEANS STOP. REALLY. A reader recently requested a better dedicated turn/acceleration lane from southbound N.M. 528 to westbound Southern. Seems turning traffic runs signal-free, and drivers can end up at odds with through traffic. Now local crash expert Carl F. Thelin weighs in with a reminder.
    "RTOR means Right Turn On Red. The law says you should stop before turning when facing a red ball. Like they used to say at railroad crossings, 'Stop, look, and listen.' You do not have the right-of-way there, either."
   

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D'Val Westphal, the Journal's news editor, writes about commuter issues Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reach her at 823-3858 (phone), 823-3994 (fax), road@abqjournal.com (e-mail) or P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, NM 87103.