Hi;
I live on the 300 block of Amherst. I like the idea of the Monte Vista median, but am concerned with two crossing concepts and feel more study or consideration is needed. Additionally, I am concerned about bicycle safety along Monte Vista from these concepts.
Marquette Ave and Monte Vista Blvd
There are two proposals for the Marquette crossing. One proposal is a roundabout (titled Full Median with Roundabout). While I like roundabouts, my concern is that putting one there may turn Marquette into a more-used cut-through to Carlisle (e.g., because roundabouts enable traffic to go more freely in all directions). Marquette is an interior road that currently gets very little traffic now. It sure would be a sad situation to see the "calming design change” to Monte Vista turn Marquette into a higher-traffic through-fare. As such, I much prefer the “medium with bulb outs” option.
Roma Ave and Amherst Dr
Left turns are not allowed from Monte Vista to Lomas. As a result, I (and I’m sure others in the Monte Vista/Carlisle/Central triangle) often use Amherst to get to westbound Lomas. Additionally, we use that route to get to the businesses along Amherst (e.g., Jubilation and Walgreens). This design proposal will cut off that access and push that traffic to Roma, increasing traffic through those neighborhoods and lessening their calm. My preferred solution is to move the gap toward Amherst and possibly even expand the triangle park. However, depending on Roma traffic flows, allowing traffic to both Amherst and Roma might be needed.
Bike safety comment.
The bicycle lane markings in the proposal seem to indicate that there will be barriers or other markers to keep cars from entering the bicycle lane while turning right off Monte Vista (see green stripe in image above). In particular, it appears to repeat the bicycle safety flaws that were engineered into MLK Drive in its most recent upgrade. Here’s the issue.
The illustration below shows the wrong (dangerous) and correct (safer) way for cyclists to ride through right turn lanes (source
https://sfbike.org/news/bike-lanes-and-right-turns/). Though this source is from California, similar diagrams were printed on Albuquerque’s bicycle safety maps when they were being published. California laws CVC 22100 and CVC21717 as indicated on the illustration below make the “Wrong” examples illegal. I believe NM has a law similar to CVC 22100, which says it’s illegal to make turns across lanes of traffic.
Blocking traffic from moving into the bicycle lane (as was done on MLK) forces car drivers or indicates to them that they should make these illegal right turns (illegal because they must turn across the bicycle's lane of traffic). In making these barrier enforced illegal right turns, the cars unnecessarily endanger bicycle riders using the bicycle’s lane of traffic because the bicycles get into the car's blind spots as they pass them. I’ve personally had more than one near miss on MLK as a result of its flawed design. Please do not replicate this dangerous design flaw on Monte Vista.
Thank you for your consideration
Michael McDonald.
On Dec 5, 2022, at 9:46 AM, Monte Vista Medians via Neighbors_nobhill-nm <neighbors_nobhill-nm@mailman.swcp.com> wrote:
Good morning,
We appreciate your continued interest in the Monte Vista Median Study! Attached is the presentation and handout. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to send us an email at
montevistamedians@bhinc.com
Thank you!
Alexis Bissett
Administrative Professional
Bohannan Huston
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