Finally, the traffic signals got installed.

courtesy of embacingthedetour.com

Being a Realtor, I drive a lot around town.  One of the areas that I most frequent is the TDE neighborhoods….Tierra del Este.  For many of you, turning out of your neighborhood onto Zaragoza was a scary ordeal…especially at 5 o’ clock with the sun right in your eyes.

I noticed over the last week or so that traffic signals  have been put up at Edgemere/Zaragoza  & the Rich Beam/Zaragoza intersections.  Total project cost was around $150,o00….well worth the investment.  I have unfortunately seen some pretty bad car accidents there.

This is money well spent and will hopefully save peoples lives.  Kind of felt like frogger out there for a while.

View this document on Scribd

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Bicycle Safety in El Paso

I know this a two way street, but as a cyclist, I wish El Paso drivers could become more courteous towards the two-wheeled, foot driven transportation.  These hit and runs that happen make me nervous to go out on rides by myself.  When I see a cyclist, I try to give them space and slow down so I don’t spook them as I fly by.  As a cyclist, I understand that we can upset some drivers who think that we don’t follow the rules and frankly, shouldn’t be on the road with cars.

However, all forms of transportation are allowed on the roads and we all need to learn to get along with each other.  Cyclists shouldn’t ride two abreast when there are cars behind them, they should go single file and they should always stop at stop signs/stop lights, although they don’t all the time.  When you see large groups of cyclists, they usually have a sag wagon which serves a dual purpose, maintenance/protection from other vehicles.

This problem isn’t exclusive to El Paso but since I live here, I believe something more needs to be done.  Cycling is a great exercise/means of transportation.

It really upsets me when there are hit & runs on cyclists.  Just remember, we are going about 16 mph while you are going over 30/40/50mph and are also in a huge hunk of steel.

Texas Bicycle Laws

My name is David and I am living El Paso

Pedestrian Bridges Near UTEP

As I drove Mesa yesterday, there seems to be a lot more traffic and many more places for people eat/shop/play.  I turned into a parking lot and ate at Big Town Hero…really good btw.  As I sat there staring at the Don Haskins Center, my mind took me back to basketball/football season.

Especially during basketball games, there are a ton of pedestrians eating at local restaurants or getting a beer at one of the many bars before/after the game…to do that though, everyone has to use cross walks which take a long time and aren’t on long enough to get everyone across.

To cure this problem and to keep traffic flowing, I think  pedestrian bridges need to be put in 2 strategic places along Mesa  near UTEP.  This way people can go back and forth freely without having to wait for a signal at a stoplight and having to hurriedly cross 6 lanes of traffic while watching out for people turning right/left.

What are you thoughts on this?

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Transmountain to be widened to I-10

Good news for all of those who fear for their life as they  make a left hand turn from Resler onto  Transmountain at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday…..no longer will it be two lanes but 4 lanes!    http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_13823839

I believe this package that was approved includes flyovers from transmoutain to I-10 which is why the cost is so high…I think.

 

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Would you ride the train?

There was and currently still is a story on the front page of elpasotimes.com that talks about a proposed study for a high speed rail link between Denver, Albuquerque, and El Paso.    The study costs $5 million and the three states are hoping to get the FRA to pay for it.  If it is approved, then this proposed rail line could be on the Obama Plan for mass transit…which would be great…as long as it happens.  I have seen too many promises and not enough action for me to be a firm believer.

Senator Shapleigh wants this corridor to go into Mexico and connect Juarez, which is something I have wanted to see also.   However, the more I think about it, the more complicated this gets.  Mexico would have to pony up the dollars to build their rail link and then we would have to create the port of entry.  I can see a massive train station downtown where these high speed trains are coming and leaving but getting delayed because of customs.  Realistically, how many years will that take to get done, especially with all of the turmoil down there.

Next is ridership.  On any given day, how many people will be traveling on daily basis further than Las Cruces?  I am very interested to see the numbers work.   I have friends and family up in Denver but I can’t see myself going to visit them more than once or twice a year. 

Finally, the cost factor.  How much are we going to have to pay for a round trip ticket to Denver?  How much will a quick trip to Cruces and back cost? 

I really do hope this works out because it would be a great self esteem boost for the city and maybe give them that push they need to keep moving in the right direction.   

This is a step in the right direction and could create stronger ties between the isolated cities of the southwest.

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Beto O’Rourke meeting

I attended the weekly Beto O’Rourke meeting this morning at the Village Inn.  I always enjoy attending.  The speakers are always interesting and today was no exception.  Senator Eliot Shapleigh was today’s speaker. 

Main topics:

• Medical Center of the Americas/health care
• Future of El Paso transportation

  There was also some discussion on what needs to be done to improve quality of life so that doctors/nurses and their families will relocate here.  The Senator appears to have El Paso’s best interest in his hands and the future looks bright for the medical center.  More on the El Paso doctor situation.

 
Something to chew on:
If you were offered a job that forced you to relocate to El Paso from a bigger city, what would be some of your requirements for you and your family?

 

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Vision for El Paso Transportation

So I attended Beto O’Rourke’s weekly meeting this morning at the Village Inn near UTEP.  If you haven’t gotten a chance to go, I highly suggest it.  He brings in great speakers who talk about what is currently happening in the city.  Over the past two weeks I have learned a great deal on where the city is headed economically and today I found out about the future of El Paso public transportation.

So where is El Paso headed?

Mobility services has identified 5 key areas that will targeted for the mobility plan. 

• International to Glory Road
• Mesa to New Mexico
• Montana to George Dieter
• Dyer (Ft. Bliss)
• Alameda/North Loop (inlcuded is Thomason Hospital and the Texas Tech Med Center)

So what does all of this mean?

I hope light rail comes to El Paso

As the city has grown over the years, traffic has slowly gotten worse.  So Mobility Services came up with a plan/vision to address current and future problems that are and will arise from a growing city. 

Here is their vision taken from the packet

” Sun Metro’s new vision is to make transit a more accessible, attractive, and viable travel option and to make El Paso the least car dependent city in the nation thereby leading to economic development and improving the quality of life for our community.”

What I love is their foresight.  They know that they have to act now to prevent problems in the future. What can you expect from this over the next 3 years?

• Newer, cleaner buses including 25 para-transit vans
• Implementation of SMART ( Bus Rapid Transit) in limited areas and then expanded over time
• Potential new bus terminals near UTEP, the West side, and Mission Valley
• Enhancements  to bus stops and pedestrian walkways.  (more covered areas)
• Wifi availability on buses, web based scheduling & trip planning
• Light rail will hopefully be making its way here in the next 10 years

These are just a few of the items that will hopefully be done over the next three years.  However, some projects do require funding.  Funding is such a touchy subject and usually turns into a fight so most people try and stay away from it.  However, this plan deserves all the funding it needs.  I would glady donate money to help them out…if I had any. 

The only problem with this vision?

The only problem is that not enough people in El Paso know about it.  I was really happy that Beto O’Rourke had Ms. Shang come by and speak or else I wouldn’t know about it either.  I think a public awareness campaign would do well to help this vision truly become reality. 

There is so much information in this packet that I think it would be a good idea if the City made it available for download.  If that is not possible, then I would recommend contacting Jane Shang and ask her if she would be able to e-mail it to you.

My name is David and I am Living El Paso.