Above is a page from the 1950 “Traffic Survey” edition of Albuquerque Progress, a long-running publication of Albuquerque National Bank from 1934-1965. The magazine served to promote the city and provide open discussion of what could make it better.

Sorta like Better Burque but with far more money.

Each issue of Albuquerque Progress was devoted to a single topic, and “Traffic Survey” augmented its survey with the crash statistics and idea to make the crazy intersection of Central, Girard, and Monte Vista safer, principally through “channelization” and making Monte Vista one-way.

As we know now in 2018, the plans above never quite got put into execution. The Johnson Field “Field Sign 15 feet by 25 feet” is gone, and Girard Blvd. is now a “complete street,” but generally speaking this intersection is just as crazy as it must have been mid-20th Century.

The more things change…and on that axiomatic subject you’ll notice that the intersection of Coal and 2nd Street had the highest number of accidents crashes back then. Fast forward to just three days ago and the same spot was the scene of a crash between drivers of a 18-wheeler and a charter bus.

Maybe we’ll get this stuff figured out in another 70 years or so. Maybe.