Here’s how it works, cyclists (everybody): BB takes photos, or steals screengrabs from Google Streetview, and you try to unravel two mysteries:
- Location of the mystery site; and,
- Approximately how infinitely safer it would be to cycle/walk through this car-centric hellscape, IF a wayfinding sign or three was posted to help new users find the safer route.
Today’s game features three views and so many hints that Question #1 above is easier than getting a gun license in Texas:
Today’s Mystery Game site is one of the busier transit spots in town, terminus to both of our busiest bus routes. It’s an area noted for its shops, vape shops, more shops, and a high density of pedestrian fatalities.
Walking and cycling safely in/near this intersection is nigh impossible, and there exists a hugely safer alternative for those wishing to take paths and residential streets eastward, instead of renown death roads and stroads.
But can you find it? And how would somebody new to the area, particularly one who rode up on the A.R.T. bus find it? Astute readers will surely note that one of the photos above includes a “Bike Route” sign. They will also note that the sign doesn’t really help one find the safe route in question. Here’s a blow-up of that snap:
Albuquerque is certainly not alone among cities with lousy wayfinding signage, but it is almost singular in its combination of good weather and gentle slopes. It could be a great cycling town for locals and tourists, and a big way to achieve this would be to direct users to far safer routes.
Because we all know many, many routes here are anything but safe.
So we’ll keep posting these “mystery” locales as a means to nudge the folks with the sign authority to do better. Because the above is not an example of doing better.
Throw your answer to Question #1 in the comments below (apologies for the irritating WordPress commenting “feature”) or via one of BB’s many social media subsidiaries. In answering Question #2, big extra credit if you include mention/explain the Rachel St. variation to today’s mystery route.
Better Burque 
What are the answers for Mystery Cycle Route Game #2?
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Thanks for the reminder, Zach. I’m gonna get around to that tomorrow morning.
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In the third photo showing that this is an ART stop, are those white lines a bike lane that literally stops existing at an intersection that also has no clearly painted pedestrian crossing area? Holy Rapture, BB! Nowhere to go but disappear.
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Susanabq: The lack of crosswalk striping there is the most egregious of many egregiously bad things. And with a popular bus stop…right there.
As for bike lane, ostensibly the bike lane continues on toward Four Hills, but it’s so poorly marked as to be dangerously useless at/near the intersection. One of ABQDMD’s worst efforts, overall, and that’s saying something!
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