10,000,000 Big ones... (Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque: skyscrapers, landscaping, travel)

[Informer]

Greetings all,

I just heard the city of ABQ is going to spend $10,000,000 to landscape the big I. That money sure would go a looooong way to putting a new span over the Rio Grande and helping out some West-siders.

Cheers

[finmqa1]

I totally agree that another bridge is badly needed for Westsiders, however, I am totally behind the landscaping of the Big I. The Big I is one of the busiest interchanges in the nation. If it were landscaped people traveling through ABQ would have a much better impression of our city. The new Coors/I-40 (little I) interchange looks gorgeous with the landscaping, let's hope the Big I project will turn out that nice.

[EnjoyEP]

I tend to agree with finmqa1, the Big I really needs a good landscaping badly. While it hurts to drop that much money on something "non essential" like landscaping, in the long run, I think landscaping becomes extremely essential for a city - both how the city appears to outsiders traveling through, but also in terms of quality of every day life to residents. (I agree that the landscaping on I-40 and Coors is a tremendous example of this...so is the great landscaping around I-40 and Louisiana).

I would agree though the dire need for better infastructure in the city for East-to-West or vice/versa transportation. We definitely do need another Paseo Del Norte-type bridge.

I am very anti-high taxation, however, I think both of these are tremendous examples of good, important ways to spend some $. (Maybe, since they are intent on using the red light cameras and speed cameras, vans, anyway, they could use all of that extra revenue to apply to these initiatives?)

[_yb]

If they start planning now a new bridge could get done in the next 20 years or so.

[finmqa1]

As long as Los Ranchos de Albuquerque remains in the path of any new bridges you can be assured they won't be built in our lifetime. If it weren't for them and other NIMBY's throughout our city you would see a much better grid system in place for the Westside. If the Westside continues to experience explosive growth and commercial construction picks up, you will see more and more jobs move to the Westside and Rio Rancho, when that happens the Eastside may want more bridges to get to that side of town. And maybe then they can go from concept to approval to construction to completion in just 5 years rather than 25 as was the case with Montano.

[Informer]

Originally Posted by _yb

If they start planning now a new bridge could get done in the next 20 years or so.

That is why it should be in the planning stages right now - in 20 years RR and the West-side will be gridlocked if the current growth patterns continue.

In the meantime a bypass loop would do wonders from I-40 to I-25 through the West-side.

Cheers

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by Informer

In the meantime a bypass loop would do wonders from I-40 to I-25 through the West-side.

Cheers

Amen to that. I feel a bypass loop is needed even more than another bridge...that would be unbelievably helpful.

[_yb]

A bypass would be great. How do you deal with the not in my back yard crowd, the anti everything folks and the tribes? That could be an even bigger battle than a new bridge. Plus a great deal of the road fund tied up into a train that may NEVER make it to santa fe.

[finmqa1]

Actuallly building a loop and other bridge crossings will be harder than most people think. Typically it would be the NIMBY's who would be the most vocal, but as _yb stated there is the tribes, 1000 Friends of Petroglyphs, and even many New Urbanist. I am all for the new urbanist approach and bringing more density to ABQ. But I also think we should build the infrastructure now for continued development on the Westside. Whether you like sprawl or not (not), people are going to continue to move here in droves and many will choose affordable housing along the outskirts of town. So to get the loop and river crossing the city will be facing opposition from many more groups than did Montano bridge and the Paseo extension.

But Albuquerque is at a crossroads right now, and as we grow the thinking of most citizens has changed in a positive way. I think we all realize it is going to grow so let's plan accordingly, and in doing so maybe we will get the Loop built sooner rather than later. And while we're at it let's build a few 500 ft skyscrapers downtown too!!!!!

[_yb]

I do like the landscaping. I think they should be more carefull with the taxpayer dollars. They should have built the cost into the original project.
Those towers on 40 are not all that great to look at neither are the pots.

I really like the landscapes they did up on 285 between sf and la.
Maybe they could get some statues of smarty and put them in the median.