The first, relatively low-hanging fruit of the ambitious ABQ Rail Trail project is ready for your non-motorized use. It’s also for motorists, but there’s a delightful lack of driver access relative to those not in two-ton boxes, including the chance to grab a cup of coffee and shimmy through the “Marquette Notch” to/from 2nd Street:

Sure, the Marquette crossing has much to do with that cup of coffee and other economic development interests, but it also makes it dramatically more comfortable to walk/cycle/roll to/from Martineztown and Downtown.

Thumbs up, City o’ ABQ!

Note: Way back in the 1910s, serious consideration was given to an at-grade (street level) rail crossing at Central Ave. That never happened, of course, and that’s a real shame.