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Road Warrior: Louisiana and Osuna traffic pattern to be removed
Third NW, between Marquette and Tijeras in Downtown Albuquerque, is closed to vehicle traffic on Sunday. A city spokesman says the street is often closed for special events.
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Mike Bateson asks why Louisiana was narrowed approaching Osuna NE — the second reader to ask about changes to the area.
The narrowing was a traffic-calming measure, said Dan Mayfield, spokesperson for the Department of Municipal Development. The intersection of Louisiana and Osuna has several safety concerns, he said.
The change was introduced on a trial basis. But after the department heard several concerns about the new layout, the pilot program will soon come to an end. The traffic pattern will be removed over the next few weeks.
But that doesn’t mean the city has given up on reducing speeds heading to that intersection. A comprehensive engineering analysis will be conducted to figure out the best ways to improve safety at the intersection.
That will include a community input process, including a public meeting.
SETTING ASIDE SPACE: Laura Martinez asks about the rules for accessible parking spots.
“Is there no longer a law about businesses designating handicap parking spaces?” Martinez asked. “There used to be a rule about handicap spaces relating to how many parking spaces a business or restaurant had. I’ve noticed that many businesses no longer have such spaces for the disabled.”
Commercial buildings should have at least one accessible parking space — it’s the law, per the 2021 update of the New Mexico building code.
The number of spaces required varies depending on the number of cars the lot can accommodate.
| Parking requirements for commercial lots Total Parking Spaces | Total Required Accessible Parking Spaces | Number required to be van accessible | |
| 1-25 | 1 | 1 | |
| 26-35 | 2 | 1 | |
| 36-50 | 3 | 1 | |
| 51-100 | 4 | 1 | |
| 101-300 | 8 | 2 | |
| 301-500 | 12 | 2 | |
| 501-800 | 16 | 3 | |
| 801-1,000 | 20 | 4 | |
| 1,001 and over | 20 spaces plus 1 space for every 100 spaces, or fraction thereof, over 1,000 | 1 of every 6 accessible parking spaces or fraction thereof |
WHY THE DOWNTOWN DETOUR? Susan Collins asks why southbound Third Street is often blocked off.
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“Occasionally, there is a sign saying ‘special event ahead,’ with nothing special apparent,” Collins wrote. “More frequently, it’s simply closed, also with no apparent rationale for the detour. Inquiring minds want to know!”
There are two hotspots off of Third: Civic Plaza and the convention center.
The street is often closed for special events, Mayfield said, especially when a lot of pedestrians are expected to walk between the two locations.
That includes Food Truck Fridays, a regular event outside of Civic Plaza, as well as a recent Memorial Day tribute, and open enrollment at the convention center for city employees.
