D'Val Westphal
ABQJournal
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Past articles by D'Val:
APD's no-plate crackdown; state police say ABQ-Santa Fe speeders being cited
Starting Feb. 6, the Albuquerque Police Department "is cracking down on drivers operating vehicles in the city without proper license plates." → Read More
467 people died on New Mexico roads in 2022. Here's what the data shows.
467 ROAD DEATHS LAST YEAR: On average, more than one person died on N.M. roads every single day last ... → Read More
Buried in snowplow requests; ramp transitions are tough
WHERE ARE THE PLOWS IN TIJERAS? Amy Bechtel asks that in a pre-Christmas holiday email, sayin ... → Read More
Flashing-yellow turns new, speed bumps and grass medians old
Why doesn't Albuquerque use left-turn yellow blinking lights at more intersections? → Read More
Highway help is out there; Paseo stripes missing
ANOTHER YEAR OF HELPING METRO DRIVERS: As we close out one year and head into the next, it's nice to ... → Read More
Holly/Ventura gets roundabout; speed humps for Garfield?
Residents can request traffic-calming measures in their neighborhood → Read More
Of MIA buses, pigeons, footlong spiders and fiesta parking
Reader suggests adding parking fee to price of Balloon Fiesta admission → Read More
La Bajada's falling down; why Westside widening stalled
Soil mitigation effort will improve embankment conditions → Read More
Drivers are still going several miles per hour over speed limit
Speed cameras clock 150 mph on Gibson, 130 mph on Montgomery; $600K in fines collected → Read More
Trapped in fiesta's Porky Pig lot; call in faded signs to 311
BALLOON GLOW HOSTAGE? Celia Ludi of Santa Fe wants to know "what happened in the balloon parking are ... → Read More
Bus safe until it's not; flyers trashing ABQ; work on I-25 starting
The city will remove illegal signs when they are reported to 311 → Read More
Montgomery speed cam MIA; balloonists block neighborhood
City temporarily removed Montgomery camera after vandalism → Read More
Speed cams busy, new Westside Blvd. bumpy, bus stop was scariest fair ride
ALMOST 6,000 SPEED CAM TICKETS IN AUGUST: The latest data show speeding is alive and well in Albuquerque. Rebecca Atkins of the Albuquerque Police Department says the speed cameras around the city issued 5,876 $100 citations and 2,530 warnings in August. And “Gibson remains the roadway with the most egregious speeds.” Stay tuned for more details on the citations. WELCOME TO ABQ! Fred DeGuio asks… → Read More
Roadway cleanups planned to spiff up this 'trashy' city for Balloon Fiesta
And drivers say there was nothing 'fair' about State Fair backups → Read More
Do NM plates fade faster? Plus, no pave for MLK/Oak
Editorial page editor D'Val Westphal tackles commuter issues for the metro area → Read More
I-25 to drop lane, city paving delayed, message board MIA
NEW SETUP AT I-25/MLK: As the New Mexico Department of Transportation and Star Paving continue to work on this interchange and remove the northbound exit ramp, drivers should be aware of changes already here and on the way. The northbound exit ramp is closed, and drivers need to exit at Lead/Coal and continue north on Oak to access Martin Luther King Boulevard – this is the final configuration.… → Read More
Inquiring minds asked: A speed round of road Q&As
You asked, and state and city experts answered. Here’s a speed round of road answers: WHERE’S THE REST OF EUBANK REPAVING? Richard Anaya emails “recently Juan Tabo was repaved for a second time in three years from Interstate 40 to Lomas. Yet, Eubank from Central all the way to Montgomery is in very poor to exceptionally poor condition – pot holes, sinking sub-base, uneven surfaces, etc. The list… → Read More
Cyclists ask for more cleanups, pedestrians request a heads-up
Readers who get around on two wheels are asking for help with glass, mud and more → Read More
MLK offramp gone; MVD out of envelopes
Northbound I-25 MLK exit permanently closed starting Monday → Read More
$33K paid in camera fines; scoop on bikes, trains and placards
HUNDREDS PAY CAMERA FINES: Last month Joan Wierzba emailed she was “curious how many tickets have been paid since speed cameras have issued them? And how much money taken in?” The cameras went live May 25. Each citation is for $100. And Albuquerque Police Department spokeswoman Rebecca Atkins shared that in the first six weeks of the program, “$33,800 has been paid by individuals who have… → Read More