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| Tip of the brain bucket to Patrick O'Grady in return for once again pilfering his comic. |
Monday, 26 Sept., 2022
To: Anna Hansen, Dist. 2 Commissioner (I think this is your district!)
Erick Aune, SFMPO
Ken Love, LCOA Board President
Tom Van Berkem, LCOA Board Vice President
RE: narrow, single lane roadways leading in and out of Las Campanas
Dear Commissioner Hansen, LCOA Board leadership Love and Van Berkem, and MPO Officer Aune
Greetings and good day.
I've often been a little curious as to why the main roads leading in and
out of Las Campanas (Camino La Tierra and Las Campanas Drive) often
revert to a narrow single lane divided roadway with no shoulders and
abrupt dropoffs. While this may seem like an interesting and somewhat
aggressive form of traffic calming, it makes life interesting for
bicyclists and motorists trying to safely negotiate around each other.
This loop is somewhat popular with bicyclists, given the number I see
out there. As I live right near the north side of Santa Fe, it is one of
my recreational bike loops. When riding out your way, I normally try
to shade as far right as I can when being overtaken to assist those who
wish to pass but even then, with the lack of shoulder and often a sharp
dropoff into a ditch, it is a little bit of a dance for the bicyclist
and motorist but we make do.
Today, I briefly thought I was going to be hit and killed, hence this
letter. Riding back from Las Campanas on one of those single lane,
divided sections of Camino La Tierra after the Las Campanas Drive merge (location corrected from original email to the above folks) around 11:30, give or take ten
minutes or so, I heard the toot of a horn behind me. I started to wave
back but before I knew it, I quickly grabbed the handlebars with both
hands as I was, without further warning, being passed by a full size 18
wheeler flatbed tractor trailer with very little room to spare and no
way for me to look back to see how wide the flatbed might be. The truck
driver apparently was not willing to wait till I could move over or for
that matter find a wider section of road. This is not pleasant.
I was on the Transportation Board in Los Alamos for about 14 years,
chair or vice chair for much of that time, working with county council
and our public works department. I cannot imagine ever approving such a
design as a "complete street". I am really curious as to how this design
was approved, and whether when inevitably, someone gets killed out
there, if anyone will ask the right questions.
Sincerely, and thank you for reading,
Khalil J. Spencer
Santa Fe, NM 87501
League of American Bicyclists Bicycling Instructor #1173
Los Alamos County Transportation Board, 2003-2017
Currently vice-Chair, Santa Fe Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee but speaking for myself, not with my committee hat on.
Note added 10/2/2022. Someone left a comment that these roads are actually private roads. I suppose if they are, it is fair game to the Campanas community on how they are constructed. I'd be interested if someone could leave a comment as to where this information, i.e., that these are private roads, is documented, and pardon my ignorance if that is the case. I was surprised to read this as at least Camino la Tierra provides access to Old Buckman Rd. and BLM land.
Note added 10/3. The Santa Fe Metropolitan Planning Organization has confirmed these are county roads, not private roads.
--KJS
A typical section, but visualize this with a full size tractor trailer passing you. Photo courtesy of Google Maps
6 comments:
I avoid that section of road by turning west onto Wild Flower, then making a right turn on Blue Jay, which takes you back to Camino la Tierra around where it opens up again. You still have about a third of a mile of the narrow road, but you can usually get a little speed through there going both ways.
By the way, I totally agree with you and they should widen those lanes and add a paved shoulder. Meanwhile, try the above route.
First of all las campanas is private not public
Anon #2, where is that information available as to Camino la Tierra and Las Campanas Drive being private roads?
Camino la Tierra is NOT a private road. It's SF County. I live about a mile from Camino la Tierra.
Khal: Did you ever hear anything back from the Commissioner's office on this issue? It's interesting for someone to think that it was a private roadway.
It is public, but no resolution to the crap design.
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