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No problem: Map | Albuquerque Rapid Transit
Look at the legend on the left. Hard to miss it.
It apples to the section from Rio Grande Blvd. to 10th St.
The bus lanes will be of a different color from regular traffic lanes and will have "BUS ONLY" painted on them. Your fears of instant calamity do not seem well-grounded.
It'd be nice if there was a date on the map, so we could agree on what "some time" meant. The journal oversimplified the map on their page, making it look like reversible lanes were going in front of UNM, which is not in the plans.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aries63
And I wonder, how much will these lawsuits cost the taxpayers? Has any lawsuit stopped similar plans in other cities? Ever?
How much? There's no way to know. We're so used to forking over both sides' legal costs and settlements for APD shootings, this is an odd thing to bring up.
I don't know that any other city has had what one would call similar plans, but lawsuits stop things all the time. Not always, but often.
What is odd is that you are so strenuously opposed ART, yet haven't even taken the most cursory glance at the plans or their website.
Take a look at the 5-minute video on the brtabq.com site. At 2:15+ it mentions "two lanes become one" heading east from Rio Grande Blvd. I guess you missed that also.
This should also clear up the misconception that some people have of a dedicated median for buses "ramming through" the middle of Central Ave. downtown, which is not part of the plan. In downtown, ART will merge with traffic and will not use Central, but Copper and Gold, like buses do now.
This project is going to make major changes to things that are already working reasonably well as they are. Nob Hill in particular is a success story in Albuquerque. When it becomes much more difficult for people to get to businesses there, in their cars, some of those businesses are likely to fail. Maybe new businesses that attract a different clientelle will take their places and everyone will live happily ever after, but I have my doubts.
Also, I rode the bus the first three years after I moved to Albuquerque. I would definitely have no interest in riding some new version of it again if I'm going to find the same "friendly" drunks and colorful gang members who were almost always among the passengers at night.
There should be a referendum on this, as there should be on similarly sized projects (especially when there is a great deal of controversy involved).
Last edited by ApartmentNomad; 04-06-2016 at 11:35 AM..
I truly don't get the opposition towards ART, other than short-term financial hits for some of the businesses due to construction issues
Who says how short-term they will be? I don't think the damage would only occur during construction. Why disrupt a part of town that is relatively healthy economically, when the local and national (and global) economy is as fragile as it is?
Who says how short-term they will be? I don't think the damage would only occur during construction. Why disrupt a part of town that is relatively healthy economically, when the local and national (and global) economy is as fragile as it is?
This is just a suggestion, but that part of town has enough of a draw that it will attract consumers regardless of the inconvenience of the ART construction.
The limiting factor for Nob Hill business is not so much getting into the area as it is parking. Many people using Nob Hill avoid Central Ave. anyway, preferring to use Lead/Coal or streets like Lomas, then cut in via N-S streets like Washington or Carlisle.
I think ART is a bit of a bitter pill, but in the long run (and the long run can be measured in a couple of years), The districts served will benefit.
This project is going to make major changes to things that are already working reasonably well as they are. Nob Hill in particular is a success story in Albuquerque. When it becomes much more difficult for people to get to businesses there, in their cars, some of those businesses are likely to fail. Maybe new businesses that attract a different clientelle will take their places and everyone will live happily ever after, but I have my doubts.
Have you ever attended one of the Nob Hill street festivals? Summerfest, Holiday Shop and Stroll, and various events for which Central Avenue in Nob Hill is completely closed to traffic, including parades. They draw big crowds. So people are finding ways to get there even without driving on Central Ave. The sky did not fall on them when they couldn't drive on Central. It is ironic that some of the same Nob Hill business owners who close down the street for their events are opposed to ART.
I think reduced lanes of traffic in Nob Hill will make the area much more enjoyable for pedestrians and outdoor dining. As it is now, there is too much car/truck/motorcycle noise zooming through which make Nob Hill less pleasant than it could be.
Have you ever attended one of the Nob Hill street festivals? Summerfest, Holiday Shop and Stroll, and various events for which Central Avenue in Nob Hill is completely closed to traffic, including parades. They draw big crowds.
Yes, quite a few...
We did a few videos, here is one (a bit long, 11 minutes, I can't find the short version...)
I am the inventor of A.R.T. It was my Master's thesis in 1975, while rejected, though my research at UNM NASA Technology Application Center for the Department of Energy was responsible for building the Seattle area, Bus Rapid Transit system. The center lanes down the freeway do indeed WORK! It is very popular, and kept the region out of an economic recession when the price of Gasoline went up to $3.00 a gallon. The merchants on Central are going to be pleasantly surprised at how good this willb be for business. When people spend less on cars, it also means, more money to spend in stores. My proposal for a City Wide ART system, on Montgomery, Menaul, Juan Tabo, Indian School, Coors, RioGrande, Valley, with a rail system between uptown and downtown is not dead, to my surprise. Few know this, but the idea of a bus express system with dedicated center lanes, was actually envision by engineers back in 1950 when Albuquerque was built!!! Very visionary. Eventually, this will lead to a region wide commuter bus system (where buses come in from Madrid, Luna, Gallup, etc) in the morning, and leave in the evening (with a sweeper run at midnight and noon), will help get traffic off the road, but best yet, allow people to work in Albuquerque, and live outside the city.Eventually like to see commuter rail coming in from around the state, and a bicycle trail system next to every state and federal highway. The problem we have here in Seattle, is the transit system is so popular, it is being loved to death. The bottom line is this....IT WILL STIMULATE THE ECONOMY. While my thesis was rejected by UNM, still though the work was not lost. I am super pleased to hear Albuquerque is looking at this, eventhough it is 40 years later. The best thing is what it will do to people. Albuquerque has a reputation of being a violent city, and what is driving this, literally, is over dependency on gasoline powered cars. Albuquerque is not the friendly city I knew when growing up. Yes, it is technically and practical to convert Albuquerque to be a solar powered city, with biofuels grown in deserts, etc. But key to starting this revolution is to put in A.R.T. citywide. It will make Albuquerque into the Portland of the Southwest. Martin Nix
What people in New Mexico do not know, is the energy aspect of A.R.T. Here in Seattle we designed the Sound Transit bus express system from start to run on alternative fuels (ie. natural gas, electricity, biodiesel). WE are prepared for an oil shortage. Albuquerque is set up ideal to be converted to be solar powered. By conserving natural gas with solar collectors on roof tops of homes (and wind mills), this will free up natural gas for a HVAC system called Cogeneration for buildings. This way public schools, shopping centers make their own electricity. This combination of solar hot water heating and cogeneration would power Albuquerque, but more important be the electrical power source for A.R.T. I proposed that A.R.T. be eventually electrified. But more to people's surprise, we can grow biofuels for jet airplanes, trucks and yes A.R.T. using the large amount of salt water underneath lNew Mexico. There is a ocean of salt water beneath New Mexico. The technology is known as HelioHydroElectric. This I researched at NMSU, but was stamped classified by the Reagan Administration. Today we know this as BioDiesel Fuel. It is important to note that A.R.T. can indeed be converted eventually to be solar powered. Albuquerque has a lot of parking lots, and you know this land can be used for other things, like greenhouses, housing, parks, or even solar collectors. A.R.T. would free up a lot of parking. I envision a city wide system that would eventually handle 50% of all trips. You can still drive, just that now you have a choice. This would be first class, with pedestrian stations in the middle of the arterials, like Montgomery. Circular mini buses would circle around in the neighborhoods, and someday, I envision driver less taxis. (even driverless buses, and drone highways). Business would help their employees with bus passes, vanpools and carpools. The important thing to note, is the energy aspect of all this, we can not only power A.R.T. by solar energy, but also every car. The fact is with A.R.T., and other lower cost transportation, it will free up money so people can afford to install solar tech on their roof. New Mexico should make itself into the mecca of solar manufacturing...... You know, these Texas Oil Billionaries will go livid!!!!
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