It might not seem the transpo-sexiest public meeting in history, but ABQ folks interested in extending lives through better multi-modal traffic infrastructure might want to check out this:

What’s that? You don’t even know where 98th and Gibson is? You’ve also never heard of “Amole Arroyo Trail” and wonder that maybe it’s a trail used by the Pony Express as it seems to be in the middle of nowhere?

Well, lots of folks do know about this intersection; in fact, its largely dusty mesa surface is pretty much surrounded by development.

Yep folks, we’re talking “in-fill,” as in “near” development that will enable folks to live and work closer together than would be the case in, say, Ventana Ranch or Santalina or Gallup. Let’s move closer in to this suddenly rapidly developing intersection.

Sure right now it’s just a Walgreen’s on the NW corner, a townhome (yay!) complex on the SW, and two bus stops, but I noticed that bottom left hand corner says “Allsup’s” on the Google Map. Also the NE corner already has something going in behind that northbound 98th bus stop. About that bus stop:

My poor photography makes the job harder than it should, but you can make out two things above:

1. In classic ABQ bus stop infrastructure, the sidewalk turns to sand immediately north of the stop, obviously because nobody ever walks south to get to this bus. Ever. Especially those who wheel chairs to get places.
2. You can barely make out the construction fence surrounding work going on that NE corner. I’m no expert but in my eyeing the construction so far, it looks commercial in nature, not residential.

The public meeting offers a chance to chime in with very typical recommendations for ABQ intersections (continuous, fully ADA-compliant sidewalks, bus stop bulbouts, maybe some green paint for the bike lanes when crossed by the right-turn lane, etc.)…

…but also a chance to do so in a relatively pristine, roomy spot where right-of-way should be far less of an issue than is often the case, and should be cheaper where it is a consideration.

Thus, 98th and Gibson might not be your idea of heaven on earth, but it is potentially celestial as site for real, honest-to-NACTO 2024 roadway infrastructure with firm adherence to latest best practices and City of ABQ DPM width regulations for sidewalks and bike lanes (btw, this little stretch is “City” in the mad checkerboard that is the SW Mesa). Despite and in part because of the drag racing-width you see in the photo above, we can more easily advocate for more than is possible at, say, Lomas and Broadway, or any of 34,000 other dangerous intersections in town.

As noted on the public meeting flyer, the Pony Express multi-user path known as Amole Arroyo Trail is another wrinkle in potential multi-modality. Right now it crosses 98th about 250 linear feet of sand north of that forlorn NE corner bus stop.

Heck, the mere mention of Amole Arroyo Trail in the public meeting info distinguishes this project from almost all other such work. About every other job in town would NOT include something so far from the intersection involved. We see evidence of this cheapskate abrupt limit in “project scope” everywhere, including the earlier work done at 98th and Gibson itself.

You may never shop at the Walgreen’s at 98th and Gibson, or get a breakfast burrito from that likely Allsup’s on its SW corner, but you might want to attend this public meeting. Think of it as a chance to actually use our multi-modal imagination, for once.