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I predict interchanges creeping up from the freeway, first at
San Pedro, and so on ... get a clue about proper light sequencing)...
I think an approach that they use in Texas will work:
There are roads that 'leap-over' the cross-street and have entrances
and exits on either side of the raised road bed. Under the overpass,
you can make a protected U-Turn and the cross-traffic has traffic
lights to allow the exiting Paseo drivers to get on those streets.
There are two lanes each way which don't stop and a pair of feeder lanes
along the whole length that have traffic lights at each cross street.
For the continuous Paseo driver, they only have to go up and down
over the cross streets without stopping. I saw this in Huntsville, AL
also. It's a real good system.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoidberg
With regard to their scrapping the Paseo/I-25 project, ...
People talk like the whole idea was abandoned, but it's not.
The timeline commitment was scrapped to free up funds.
Even when the intersection is finished, the regular traffic-jam on West Paseo
is not going to change. The I-25 and Jefferson stuff will get better, but that
will just pile cars onto the main drag faster - making it stop up even faster.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Horrell
... 60 to zero, zero to 60, 60 to zero
all along the east side of Paseo, ...
The speed limit is 55, but most drivers only go about 45-50. You could
probably just go 35 and achieve the same average speed due to the
randomness of the lights on that stretch. Unfortunately, even when
the light ahead is red, going 35 for some reason really pisses off some
people who like to keep going 60 until the last possible moment.
Mortimer and I agree for once on the leap-over approach for Paseo.
I think leap-overs on wide and congested intersections like, say, Montgomery & Wyoming, Wyoming & Academy, Coors & Montaño, and Montgomery & San Mateo should be on the drawing board before anything on Paseo (aside from I-25 and Jefferson improvements).
Wonder if there's a typical pricerange for a leapover.. they use a LOT of dirt, steel, and concrete.
How would you envision a leap-over on that intersection?
Who would get the "leap?" Mongomery would be my vote.
Mine too. Less confusing that way, too.
Quote:
Of course, the cost of building on on the intersections you are suggesting
would be much more than doing it on Paseo where there is lots of room.
Not sure there's as big a difference as you say in terms of "room". In terms of conveniently-located vacant lots to stage equipment, ok. Otherwise, you're just pretty much building "up".
Quote:
It's got to be a whole lot less than for an interchange.
In terms of onramps and offramps, that aspect of savings is nice. In terms of dealing with lightposts, utility lines, and the horrible traffic headaches, etc. it could bring the costs up north very quickly.
Quote:
Their footprint isn't all that much more than a regular busy intersection.
Done correctly, that's the idea. It's important to note that there's a good quarter-mile of rise-n-fall on either side of the bridge. 1/2 x 1/4 mile x 20 feet = whole lot of dirt and concrete. You can make the rise-n-fall more aggressive (like the beltway around Lubbock) but that won't be popular.
Quote:
BTW, I would call the Coors/Paseo intersection a leap-over.
The 2nd St./Paseo intersection is kind-of-a-leap-over.
Wouldn't call either of those a leap-over. Coors/Paseo has fancy on- and off-ramps. 2nd/Paseo might come close, but for its split nature, left exits, central onramps, and inability to get back on by going straight.
That said, leapovers for their own sake, when there is the room to put in wider ramps, are not a good fit. They just work well when there's no room.
The closest thing to a leap-over in Albuquerque is Coors & Ouray. Northbound access is limited to the shopping center, southbound access is limited to I-40 E & W, and there are no U-turn lanes, though in that instance, they aren't really needed. Montgomery wouldn't have those limits, and would need the U-turn lanes.
Coors & Ouray was an excellent first place for a leapover.. vehicle counts through there probably exceed even the busiest intersection in the state.
I avoid Paseo Del Norte at all costs, the speed limit is too high and people consistently exceed it. When I do have to use it I have a 2 handed grip on my steering wheel also.
I avoid Paseo Del Norte at all costs, the speed limit is too high and people consistently exceed it. When I do have to use it I have a 2 handed grip on my steering wheel also.
I avoid Paseo Del Norte at all costs, the speed limit is too high and people consistently exceed it. When I do have to use it I have a 2 handed grip on my steering wheel also.
I hear ya... hence the post a page or two back about hating going from 0 -> 60 -> 0... something I am not used to. I notice I am getting better with time, but even so, the speeds folks drive on Paseo and others is a little nuts to me. Another poster mentioned that, despite what I think is a silly arrangement, there have been minimal accidents related to the speed or the traffic lights forcing you to stop so quickly. Still, I think I am one of the only folks actually going at or slightly under the speed limit most times...
By the way, yesterday it took me 1.5 hours to go 10 miles in rush hour... ugh.
Any immediate West -> East traffic relief in sight?
Aside from work on the I-25/Paseo interchange, are there any other concrete plans in sight for alleviating the traffic issues going West to East?
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Avoid it at all costs
