Get 'er Done

The City Council has agreed to study the viability of a massive downtown arena/hotel/entertainment project near Broadway and Central. Here's why I think this location and this project make sense:

(1) Ancillary Benefits — not only would this project benefit downtown redevelopment which appears to be at a tipping point, but equally important it will help capture millions of lost convention/tourism dollars as described in a recent New Mexico Business Weekly piece "Report says tourism is at a crossroad" (May 30 - June 5, 2008). According to the story, ABQ convention business has been dropping steadily since 1994 in part because the city doesn't have the necessary convention or hotel space. 

(2) Transportation — If we've learned anything from $4 a gallon gas, it's that we need transportation options. A Broadway and Central location allows attendees of arena events to travel by car, Rapid Ride, and most importantly, Rail Runner. It's pretty cool to think that because of Rail Runner, events at this location would be able to tap the Belen and Santa Fe markets from day one. 

A Breath of Fresh Media Air

I find the ABQ Journal maddening from it's unsightly web page, which seems to mirror the sign strewn I-25 to its failure to cover meaningful topics in depth, so it is was with great pleasure that I recently discovered The New Mexico Independent. Affiliated with the Center for Independent Media, this new web-based venture presents topics of importance and depth — politics, environment, growth, poverty, and education, to name only a few — in a balanced, interesting way.

Trader Joe's Downtown?

Brendisimo has the coolest blog on Duke City Fix. His "Possibilities" feature — which these images come from — articulates well what this city could become. 

Trader Joe's Coming to ABQ Uptown

Channel 4 (on April 11) reported that a  Trader Joe's is set to open at ABQ Uptown early 2009.

Anasazi Lofts Rising — April 4th 8:02 am

Took this with my iPhone in the car so not the best pix, but I think it still conveys how architecturally interesting this building is going to be. 

Rail Runner to Santa Fe Animations

These are screenshots from animations showing what Rail Runner will look like as it makes its way to Santa Fe. Particularly interesting is to see how it goes under the I-25 and then onto the median. These can be viewed here and here. Also, Rail Runner has just added a new construction link with updates on the Santa Fe phase. 

Circling Safety

Sometimes lost in all the debate on the red light cameras is their intent: to reduce accidents. As a victim of a red light runner in which both my air bags deployed and my mini-van was totaled, I am acutely aware of how dangerous intersections can be. Maybe we can move the debate from installing more red light cameras, to installing more traffic circles. The evidence of their ability to reduce accidents and slow, or calm, traffic is pretty strong (see graphics). Plus they are aesthetically pleasing and protect pedestrians as demonstrated by the just opened circle on UNM's North Campus (see picture).