How's the mass transit in ABQ?

[bradly]

The buses should run every 20 min for a city like this, but that makes to much sense it will never happen..

[stingraynm]

Originally Posted by bradly

The buses should run every 20 min for a city like this, but that makes to much sense it will never happen..

I think that's the same reason ABQ can't coordinate the traffic lights... it would make too much sense.

[bradly]

Originally Posted by stingraynm

I think that's the same reason ABQ can't coordinate the traffic lights... it would make too much sense.

The west side is like out of conrol.. all along unser there are no traffic lights at all.. in some places yes but where they are needed there are none.. especially where i live, but of course unplanned sprawl is the major role in this..

[stingraynm]

Originally Posted by bradly

The west side is like out of conrol.. all along unser there are no traffic lights at all.. in some places yes but where they are needed there are none.. especially where i live, but of course unplanned sprawl is the major role in this..

Now that you mention it, lack of traffic lights is pretty obnoxious when you have to turn out onto a busy thoroughfare. I've heard several coworkers from Rio Rancho complain about just that same exact problem.

What I was referencing, though, is the tendency for the lights in the city to lead to a stop-go-stop-go. It wastes gas and rewards speeders, and even the roads with signs that promise a coordinated light still require you to speed just to make the lights (ex: Candelaria and Comanche). Maybe the first car makes it, but everyone else just get stuck in a pattern of punishment for being law abiding citizens. I'm sure a lot of speeders do it for their own ego-centric sake and won't change for that reason, but it doesn't help to reinforce them and punish those of us who appreciate a smooth, non-contentious flow. These things can be tough with an equally distributed grid, but I still wish they had some streets that were truly coordinated either N-S or E-W. That's not a hard thing to pull off.

[the_mudman]

I recall when I used to work at an old building in Downtown, that the lights were coordinated... I could keep a steady 30mph and make it through without stopping. But the lights outside of downtown have a tendency to be a little faster than the posted speed limit. It is frustrating to see the traffic rushing to catch a light that should just linger a bit longer for those of us who abide by the law.

And as far as biking is concerned. I have been seeing what it is like to coordinate using bikes with the Abq Ride routes up and down Central. I will be living in the NE heights near Manzano HS. If for example, I wanted to bike down the valley to get to UNM or downtown, it could be very easy to hope on a bus to at least make the bulk of that uphill ride back up to the heights. As long as you know the bus routes and the times, using both the bus system and bike routes should be a breeze - and it does depend on where you live. Easier to take the bus to UNM from Tramway and Central, than Tramway and Montgomery...

I miss Albuquerque. I look forward to moving back in a couple of years