What the heck is going on at Paseo and Tramway?
Several readers have voiced concerns about recent changes at Paseo del Norte and Tramway NE. FROM DRIVERS: Terry Hinnerichs emails, “I am greatly concerned about the recent design change for traffic coming off Paseo del Norte and going south on Tramway. In the past there was an acceleration lane on Tramway to help merging in with the Tramway southbound traffic. Now, a car leaving Paseo del Norte and going south on Tramway is immediately forced out into the high-speed traffic lane. I noticed a digital warning sign has been set up on Paseo del Norte to warn drivers of this problem, but that is hardly a fix for the problem.
“Also, I realize recent traffic-flow changes at this intersection have been driven by attempts to make it safer for bicycle traffic — but this current design is dangerous for both vehicles. (I) recommend keeping the acceleration lane so traffic coming off Paseo del Norte may merge more safely with southbound Tramway traffic and safely avoid bicycle traffic.”
Jo Nell Tyson says, “I have tried to safely merge into this very short merging lane. It is difficult, due to arthritis, to quickly look behind me to see if any cars are coming. It is just a very bad angle once you are on Tramway. The lane is too short. It is unsafe because at certain times of the day many cars are trying to merge. Please make the lane longer.”
Donn asks, what is up with the “crazy barricade as soon as you turn?”
AND CYCLISTS: Debbie Gunderson shares “I ride my road bicycle on Tramway most days on the new bike lane that the N.M. Department of Transportation finished this past year. To start with something positive, I applaud DOT and any committee members for adding this safe bike lane. I feel they did an excellent job on it. But. On a recent Sunday, Debbie’s email says, “my husband and I were riding on the Tramway bike lane going south prior to Paseo del Norte. When going through the Paseo and Tramway intersection going south on Tramway, we found that white poles were added to the right turning lane immediately after we passed through the intersection. We found this quite dangerous for road bikers, as we and the cars merging no longer have an ‘out’ to the right. The turning traffic coming up Paseo from the west to the east is forced to stop for bikers traveling in the bike lane through this intersection, meaning that they could get rear ended by the car behind them or hit a bicycler.”
Her concern: “Many drivers in cars will not realize this change. (Recently) I already saw two cars that had an accident trying to merge on Tramway going south from the lane coming up east on Paseo. … I do not feel safe going through this intersection anymore.”
AND NMDOT: Kimberly Gallegos of the District 3 office in Albuquerque says, “Many changes to Tramway have taken place over the last year.” They include “the removal of the acceleration lanes along Tramway and the recently completed lane reconfiguration project that brings more attention to right-turn movements, yielding to bicyclists and pedestrians at all intersections.”
She adds, “This project was completed to improve and enhance the roadway on Tramway to accommodate all modes of transportation. All the improvements made were at signalized entrances to Tramway, so even though the acceleration lanes were removed, traffic can safely get on to Tramway using the signalized intersections.”
Margaret L. Haynes, District 3 assistant traffic engineer, says, “The delineators were placed on the opposite side of the white stripe of the bike lane. A five-foot departure lane was provided at every intersection. Motor vehicles should not be driving in the hatched area or on the bike lane.”
And Gallegos says, “NMDOT has met with local law enforcement about the changes, and they will be out patrolling the roadways for speed and safety in this area as the new configuration is in place. We realize it will take some time to get used to; crews have recently completed the striping and placed message boards along Tramway alerting drivers of this change. As we continue to grow as a community, our roadways are more heavily traveled and NMDOT is always looking for ways to improve and accommodate all modes of transportation.”