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Where do yall think we need new interchanges and what could be improved,In my opinion, we need another river crossing or at least widen Montano somehow, these streets were built to accomodate Albq traffic in the 80's and also if they built them big enough in the first place they wouldnt have to keep widening all the roads and cause more traffic headaches for us,someone needs to step up here and do something about this,I seen that El Paso is getting a new freeway and if El Paso can,Albq.can. I think these 2 and 3 lane congested roads play a big role in the road rage here in Albq.its frustrating to drive sometimes, and I realize its worse in bigger cities but at least they have more lanes for cars to travel. What do yall think?
You're right . . . traffic is becoming a bigger problem in Abq as the population increases.
Seems to me that the west side is where most of the new development is and, because of that, the powers that be should consider adding a new freeway that loops around that area, connecting it to I-25.
What's going to happen when Rio Rancho's population exceeds 100,000 in a couple of years?
Most of the city's trouble spots are getting slowly improved. Montaño Rd's intersections between 25 and the river have been significantly improved. I don't commute out that way but it's no longer a death sentence to want to eat at Sadie's at 5pm.
I-40's eastside snarls are all going to go away once Washington, San Pedro, and San Mateo bridges are completed.
Widening projects are going on all over.
Let's face it; the road structure was not built in a day, and it will not be repaired in a day.
What I look forward to: $5/gallon gas. Nothing alleviates traffic congestion better than people taking the bus. And I think you'll find 95% of people are likewise in favor of others taking mass transit.
Where do yall think we need new interchanges and what could be improved,In my opinion, we need another river crossing or at least widen Montano somehow, these streets were built to accomodate Albq traffic in the 80's and also if they built them big enough in the first place they wouldnt have to keep widening all the roads and cause more traffic headaches for us,someone needs to step up here and do something about this,I seen that El Paso is getting a new freeway and if El Paso can,Albq.can. I think these 2 and 3 lane congested roads play a big role in the road rage here in Albq.its frustrating to drive sometimes, and I realize its worse in bigger cities but at least they have more lanes for cars to travel. What do yall think?
New Interchanges? For sure at I-25 & Paseo, which looks like it's going to be a STACK Interchange like Coors & I-40 within the next couple of years.
The problem with the way people think here is that they think the traffic someday is going to go away. WRONG!
When the city built Paseo, it should have been a limmited access freeway from Tramway to Paseo del volcan. Now they are planning the Paseo Del Volcan loop through Rio Rancho down to Albuquerque's west side, by the Double Eagle Airport.
This also should be a freeway, however it looks like they're planning it as a road. There doesn't seen to be any foresight when it comes to planning the traffic corridors, or the city is trying to please all the tree huggers and open space proponents.:eek
As for El Paso getting a new freeway, thats because the state of Texas has good planning for the future. Have you ever been to Houston or Dallas? Huge interchanges everwhere they are needed. They don't have the small time mentality like the planners in New Mexico.
Regarding new or improved river crossings: don't hold your breath.
The most congested areas (the areas that would most benefit from improved crossings) largely fall between I-40 to the south and Alameda to the north. First lets look at the current bridges: I-40 was widened not that long ago and the improvements at the Coors interchange were just recently completed. The chances of widening at this point within the next 10 years are slim at best. Next we have the Montano bridge, which is as big as it will ever be. Or at least for the foreseeable future, due to the strong well-funded resistance of the nearby communities.
There is talk of adding a lane or two to Paseo Del Norte utilizing managed lanes. If and when the multiple jurisdictions actually make this happen, it still won't offer enough traffic capacity to ease the congestion on this well-travelled road. The Alameda crossing is relatively new itself (replacing the old bridge), but it may offer the most opportunity for increasing capacity. But I don't see that working out anytime soon, and there would also be plenty of resistance from the vocal North Valley and Corrales residents.
Now take a look at the most logical spots to try and build a new bridge (i.e. significant existing traffic corridors on both sides of the Rio Grande). Candelaria Road: there's the little problem with that having to go right through the Rio Grande Nature Center. Good luck with that. Then there's Chavez/Osuna Road (or any place between Montano and Alameda for that matter): the heart of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, home to some of the wealthiest, most influential people in the city. Not to mention all the newly built homes on the west side of the Bosque. Any effort to establish a new river crossing here would make the fierce battle over the Montano bridge look like a walk in the park. Almost the same could be said for a new bridge north of Alameda (Corrales).
Basically, what we have now is what we're gonna have for a long time. IMHO, the best chance we have for helping the traffic situation on the river crossings is increased industrial/commercial activity on the west side (more jobs to keep people from having to travel east) along with sound city planning. Unfortunately the second part of that equation seems to be in short supply...
I highly recommend taking a look at Central Ave and Bridge Blvd bridges during rush hours. I believe they will overtake the others for congestion in the next few years. They are already quite bad.
State-mandated toll bridges to connect Arenal w/ Sunport Blvd and Southern/Meadowlark w/ Tramway might spread out the load a bit more, but here's the point: we already have 9 river crossings from Bernalillo to Isleta. Memphis gets by fine with 2. Solution: make the west side have fewer bedroom communities and more employment centers first and foremost. More roads/bridges are a bandaid to a big demographic disparity. 20 bridges aren't going to make the traffic go away.
Nothing will make traffic go away, not even $5/gal. gas. If a more attractive mass transit system such as a subway opened then perhaps it would be used.
However, every year sees a rise in traffic. The amount of road travel outpaces those going to mass transit. Business centers on the west side will help but also recreational travel is there. If shopping centers, restaurants, etc. open in volume on the westside that will help all the more.
A full freeway around the westside to deliver commuters to I-40 and I-25 is required if more river-crossings are not going to open. Yet a freeway is preferred anyhow for quickness and to stop the flood of non-residents that flow through existing westside communitees. Having outside commuters flow through these communitees rather than going around brings traffic, exhaust, and potential accidents and crime to these neighborhoods unnecessarily.
Also I hear about opposition to a westside freeway due to preservation of the Petroglyphs. Fine, bump it outside another half mile. It will still serve its purpose and population increases will soon grow to bring the freeway into the city anyway.
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River crossings
