Jefferson will be down to one lane today

JEFFERSON DROPPING TO ONE LANE: Storm-drain work starts today on the busy stretch leading up to the Osuna intersection. This $720,000 general obligation bond project is expected to run through June, according to project manager Kristopher Cadena with the city’s Department of Municipal Development.

Crews will be constructing “approximately 1,400 feet of storm drain system improvements around the Osuna/Jefferson intersection and south on Jefferson for approximately 600 feet,” Cadena says.

That means drivers will be relegated to one lane in each direction. Two-way traffic will be in the northbound lanes along Jefferson and the westbound lanes along Osuna.

And as the electronic message boards have advised for a week or so, “traffic should seek alternate routes.”

CHECK OUT THE AREA’S FIRST FLASHING ARROW: Now you see it, now you don’t.

It’s the flashing yellow turn arrow at Interstate 25 and Roy.

Robert Baker, the county’s signal expert, says “the first flashing yellow arrow was installed (Wednesday) at I-25 and Roy. Most everybody seemed to understand it, but we did get one complaint call.”

Baker says “the initial phase is a protected only, which goes from green to yellow to red arrow. Then when the eastbound movement turns green, the flashing yellow arrow comes on.”

WANTING MORE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT: A recent column had the Albuquerque Police Department explaining that all sworn officers are authorized to enforce traffic laws.

That got a few readers asking why they all don’t.

B.C.W. called to say, “You can’t cross Central at Rio Grande to get to the substation” because of all the drivers speeding and blowing through the intersection, yet there are officers “hanging out” in front.

“There is no traffic enforcement in Albuquerque,” B.C. says. “Certainly not in front of substations.”

And Sigmund L. Bloom emails, “I have asked several of my APD friends, and they have told me that 16 to 18 officers a day get assigned to patrol the interstates and major streets for traffic enforcement. I agree with officer Tasia Martinez that all officers are authorized to enforce traffic regulations. The sad truth is that traffic violations are a very low priority unless it is between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. I am sorry to tell you that I have seen many traffic offenses committed in the presence of officers and no action is taken. This is not a rant against the officers; I direct my comments to the chief.”

Points taken. But another truth is that APD has to prioritize its calls based on severity, and traffic scofflaws rank below serious and violent crimes. The department has said in the past that just because an officer is not running code — lights and sirens — doesn’t mean he or she is not en route to a crime scene or investigation.

And yet another truth is that just about everyone — especially red-light camera opponents — wants more real-live traffic enforcement, as long as it targets all those other drivers.

ABQ RIDE GETS NEW UPTOWN STOP: There’s a new Rapid Ride stop to match the new super Target at ABQ Uptown.

The stop opened Saturday in advance of the Wednesday opening of the store. It serves the westbound No. 766 Rapid Ride/ Red Line, which runs every 15 minutes weekdays, every 20 minutes Saturdays and every 30 minutes Sundays.

TEXTING WHILE IDLING WORSE THAN TEXTING WHILE DRIVING? And Doris called to voice a concern about drivers who text while stopped at red signals.

She says many get so involved they don’t look up and see the light has changed to green, leaving the line of vehicles behind them waiting for the signal to cycle through.

Annoying? Absolutely. But worse than someone flying through an intersection and T-boning the vehicle that has the green?

OMG, no way.