Comments on: Getting perspective in New Mexico http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/getting-perspective-in-new-mexico/ Because Every Bicyclist Needs a Good Lawyer. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:06:45 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Marysue http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/getting-perspective-in-new-mexico/comment-page-1/#comment-20161 Marysue Sun, 15 Aug 2010 01:01:41 +0000 http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/?p=1594#comment-20161 Albuquerque in general is very bike accessible, with the combination of bike paths all over town, and low-traffic bike route streets. I know because my husband and I lived there for over a year. We've ridden our tandem from the east side foothills, to North Valley and the Rio Grande river, to picturesque Old Town, and back on nice bike routes. And Albuquerque's back country riding in the mountains east of town is without parallel. The 13-mile scenic road up to the Sandia Crest (almost 11,000 feet high) is a killer, gorgeous climb, with wide shoulders mostly and not much traffic. Well, I did have an elk run across the road behind me. But New Mexico in general apparently ranks very low on bike accessibility. Their DOT officials don't think bikes belong on the road, and it shows. They have a "partial width paving" trick where they pave the road lanes and leave a thick asphalt lip in the middle of the shoulder (if one exists). The NM DOT will not respond to bike advocates who are trying to get the state to stop this type of paving, which wrecks bike access by making the shoulder unridable. It's a shame because New Mexico is so scenic, and bike touring should be a form of tourism the state promotes. Maybe an early fall "Chilibrae" to rival Ohio's ride. The "high road" to Taos from Espanola, through historic villages and beautiful forests, could be a wonderful bike touring route. But its narrowness and lack of shoulder is a bit scary. Albuquerque in general is very bike accessible, with the combination of bike paths all over town, and low-traffic bike route streets. I know because my husband and I lived there for over a year. We’ve ridden our tandem from the east side foothills, to North Valley and the Rio Grande river, to picturesque Old Town, and back on nice bike routes. And Albuquerque’s back country riding in the mountains east of town is without parallel. The 13-mile scenic road up to the Sandia Crest (almost 11,000 feet high) is a killer, gorgeous climb, with wide shoulders mostly and not much traffic. Well, I did have an elk run across the road behind me. But New Mexico in general apparently ranks very low on bike accessibility. Their DOT officials don’t think bikes belong on the road, and it shows. They have a “partial width paving” trick where they pave the road lanes and leave a thick asphalt lip in the middle of the shoulder (if one exists). The NM DOT will not respond to bike advocates who are trying to get the state to stop this type of paving, which wrecks bike access by making the shoulder unridable. It’s a shame because New Mexico is so scenic, and bike touring should be a form of tourism the state promotes. Maybe an early fall “Chilibrae” to rival Ohio’s ride. The “high road” to Taos from Espanola, through historic villages and beautiful forests, could be a wonderful bike touring route. But its narrowness and lack of shoulder is a bit scary.

]]> By: Richard - Attorney Columbia Mo http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/getting-perspective-in-new-mexico/comment-page-1/#comment-18991 Richard - Attorney Columbia Mo Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:27:13 +0000 http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/?p=1594#comment-18991 Hey, I live in Columbia MO... I just thought I'd share our community's view on bikers. We have lots of tv and radio commercials promoting biking around our town... even a catchy jingle. But then the roads and the sidewalks totally suck for bikers. If I was on a bike I wouldn't want to ride in most of the places around town. Which sucks. In some of the newer areas of town they have started to add bike lanes... but this is an old town.... so lots of it is just terrible riding conditions for bikers. Hey, I live in Columbia MO… I just thought I’d share our community’s view on bikers.

We have lots of tv and radio commercials promoting biking around our town… even a catchy jingle. But then the roads and the sidewalks totally suck for bikers. If I was on a bike I wouldn’t want to ride in most of the places around town. Which sucks.

In some of the newer areas of town they have started to add bike lanes… but this is an old town…. so lots of it is just terrible riding conditions for bikers.

]]> By: Martha http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/getting-perspective-in-new-mexico/comment-page-1/#comment-18534 Martha Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:39:08 +0000 http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/?p=1594#comment-18534 It's really a pity you didn't access BikeABQ's or the city's websites which have links to the city's bike map showing bike routes throughout the city. I don't know what route you used that was harrowing--Lomas, maybe?-which isn't a designated bike route and is high-speed (people here speed with impunity). I do believe the bike lanes on the one ways (Lead and Coal) existed last year, but there is also a way out of downtown on Martin Luther King Blvd, which has striped bike lanes for part and then a fairly low-traffic, wider street on another part. (Note: sadly, the city is currently in the process of screwing up the wider, low-traffic part by narrowing the road to "slow" traffic--but that only works if cops are out there ticketing.) I personally wouldn't want to ride on Central, but plenty of people do and report happy trails like Ben above. Also...I can't help but notice that Tucson is struggling with the Bike Boulevard concept. Did you know that Albq. has TWO Bike Boulevards? Sure, Albq. needs some improvement--mainly in trying to change motorists' attitudes, but I am sorry you picked a bad route and chose to judge Albq.'s bikeability from that one poor choice... However I can agree that Las Cruces SUCKS when it comes to being bike-friendly. I surely wouldn't want to ride down there...however I think they are trying. They have a fairly progressive mayor down there now and are taking baby steps in the right direction... It’s really a pity you didn’t access BikeABQ’s or the city’s websites which have links to the city’s bike map showing bike routes throughout the city. I don’t know what route you used that was harrowing–Lomas, maybe?-which isn’t a designated bike route and is high-speed (people here speed with impunity). I do believe the bike lanes on the one ways (Lead and Coal) existed last year, but there is also a way out of downtown on Martin Luther King Blvd, which has striped bike lanes for part and then a fairly low-traffic, wider street on another part. (Note: sadly, the city is currently in the process of screwing up the wider, low-traffic part by narrowing the road to “slow” traffic–but that only works if cops are out there ticketing.) I personally wouldn’t want to ride on Central, but plenty of people do and report happy trails like Ben above. Also…I can’t help but notice that Tucson is struggling with the Bike Boulevard concept. Did you know that Albq. has TWO Bike Boulevards?

Sure, Albq. needs some improvement–mainly in trying to change motorists’ attitudes, but I am sorry you picked a bad route and chose to judge Albq.’s bikeability from that one poor choice…

However I can agree that Las Cruces SUCKS when it comes to being bike-friendly. I surely wouldn’t want to ride down there…however I think they are trying. They have a fairly progressive mayor down there now and are taking baby steps in the right direction…

]]> By: Erik http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/getting-perspective-in-new-mexico/comment-page-1/#comment-18266 Erik Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:39:13 +0000 http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/?p=1594#comment-18266 Sounds like I am the one who missed something. I recall a ride from downtown up toward the University that was absolutely terrifying. Either I took the wrong route or it was before the conversion you mention. Maybe both. I have to confess my time in Albuquerque was very brief, and not well researched. EBR Sounds like I am the one who missed something. I recall a ride from downtown up toward the University that was absolutely terrifying. Either I took the wrong route or it was before the conversion you mention. Maybe both.

I have to confess my time in Albuquerque was very brief, and not well researched.

EBR

]]> By: Ben http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/getting-perspective-in-new-mexico/comment-page-1/#comment-18264 Ben Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:25:47 +0000 http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/?p=1594#comment-18264 Wow! No love for Albuquerque! I was just there. I rode up and down Central from downtown to the university without a single hiccup. I was pleased to see that Lead and Coal had recently been converted from three-lane one way roads into two-lane one way roads with very generous bike lanes. I put on 35 miles one day riding from Nob Hill to Balloon Fiesta Park almost exclusively on bike paths. What did I miss? Wow! No love for Albuquerque! I was just there. I rode up and down Central from downtown to the university without a single hiccup. I was pleased to see that Lead and Coal had recently been converted from three-lane one way roads into two-lane one way roads with very generous bike lanes. I put on 35 miles one day riding from Nob Hill to Balloon Fiesta Park almost exclusively on bike paths.
What did I miss?

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