An intrepid member of the Better Burque Tactical Urbanism Team (BBTUT) was cycling out yesterday and came across this sign and barricade at the eastern end of the Gail Ryba Bridge.

As an experienced observer and interactive participant with Albuquerque area walking/cycling construction signage, our intrepid BBTUT operative knew to disregard the sign/barricade. Sure enough, the bridge was navigable and there was absolutely no need to close the bridge for the needed work.

Such an unnecessary closure for drivers, say at I-40 and the Rio Grande Bridge adjacent to Gail Ryba, would surely have resulted widespread public disorder and lead story status on all local media outlets. When it happens to us walkers/rollers, we just learn to disregard, wiggle through if at all possible, and report the hell out of the situation to the City via SeeClickFix as yet another violation of federal MUTCD regulation requiring alternative routing for any such construction.

Experienced walkers/rollers know to ignore “Sidewalk Closed” and signs/barricades like that photographed above; notably, I can’t think of a single instance of any on-site construction worker or supervisor ever stopping me while in the middle of traversing such a “closure.” On occassions in which the construction indeed makes traversing impassable, I turn around, knowing there’s a very, very good chance that my/BBTUT’s report on the lack of alternative routing will lead to nothing.

It’s all a bit of a game, at least to the City and its roadway construction contractors, with out-of-compliant signs/barricades/lack of alternative routing leading to ingored signs, etc., leading to reports that go nowhere. Then that job ends and the game moves on to another location.

Again, such a “game” played with drivers would lead to media-fuelled outrage, possible government insurrection, and city buildings in flames (or something equally drastic). The City, its road agency Development of Municipal Development, and contractors know/think they can get away with such shit played on walkers/rollers because we’re not gonna attract local news with such violations and are very unlikely to set any City buildings on fire. Unlike drivers, we tend not to think the world revolves around us.

No, we just move the sign/barricade a bit and get on with things, if at all possible, reflecting both the ingenuity and perseverance required to walk/roll in this town and our 2nd class status in the road user hierarchy. Less experienced, yet equally interested walkers/rollers stop at the sign/barricade and are unnecessarily denied use of the roadway.

Maybe this reality will change someday. Some of us thought it might change when the City adopted “Complete Streets.” They and others thought surely it would change when the City adopted “Vision Zero.”

No, it has not changed. We’re still stuck with a City and its operatives who disregard the rules and don’t care when it comes to those who have the audacity to try walking and/or rolling on our roadways.