Jump to content
Chapala.com Webboard

Mayor's Surveys


Recommended Posts

The Mayor is apparently surveying Mexican business owners in Ajijic, in Spanish, to see if they want wide, new sidewalks instead of parking. This is the area along the carretera going towards West Ajijic. Never, ever seen a parking spot there anyways. Wow, a lot of new interesting businesses there! Already can anticipate MC's reaction - too bad I don't have to read a single word - ignored status - bliss!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't this part of a general survey and study that proposes to eliminate parking on one side, and run the bike lane through?

It seems to me it could make that stretch a lot more pedestrian and bike friendly but I'm not sure how it would help the traffic problem much.  That seems to be more of a function of all those traffic lights.

Previously, it was proposed to eliminate parking on both sides.  And there was something about a number of the businesses in part of the most narrow stretch encroaching on Federal (road right of way) land.  Wonder what happened to that?

Of course the business owners won't want to give up the parking.  They are not the ones being inconvenienced by the gridlock.  Losing the parking would probably cause some of them to go under and then there's also the problem of deliveries.

I don't see any easy fixes here.  To really improve the flow means a curb to curb fix including no parking, better, flatter pavement and much better traffic signals.  That would most likely have a negative impact on the businesses as there appear to be few alternative options for parking.  Halfway measures probably won't accomplish much.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No matter which way you look at it the carretera is the worst place to go  to shop, there is no parking bad sidealks etc.. I rarely go there.. only if I have not other way to get what I want to I go there.. putting wide sidewalks is pretty silly who is going to walk there to go shopping..and if you cannot park  they are not going to be much business there...they should fix the street, enforce the rules they have about parking clean up the twn rather than try to fix something that really cannot be fixed..another waste of money coming up 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If they want to do it properly they need to widen the road to two lanes each way and make space for sidewalks. But that's easier said than done since it includes

1. Planning and them spending cash.

2. Demolition of the current (highly unnatractive stores) that are on the road. 

Realistically it would be nice if they could put flat stone (like in San Miguel or mazamitla) on the sidewalks and the parking areas to make it more walkable and get rid of the dust, and repaint all the stores the same color. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Projects like this typically involve state and Federal cost sharing that can easily pay for as much as 75 percent of the work.  Perhaps they've been advised there are funds available for this now.  It has been long discussed, if you go back to 2015 you'll find threads on it here.

This is a tough nut.  The NOB solution would be to buy out the curb side businesses needed to really do the job "properly."  That would also markedly change the character of the street and town and I doubt there's a lot of support for that.  The earlier proposal came close to that with removing all the parking and apparently some of the business that encroach on the road right of way.  This one seems more modest and maybe more do-able.

It might fall into the category of "half a loaf is better than none."

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only permanent solution that I can see for the Carretera is a bypass up over on the mountain side for any commercial vehicles.  This was once suggested and declared impossible, but I don't see how clearing one side of the street is going to make much of an improvement to the visuals and certainly not to the availability of parking.The congestion is getting worse, even in the "slow" season.  What to do?  Maybe what San Miguel de Allende did by buying out a place in the middle of the congestion and putting in a three storey parking garage in the center of the street.  They have some type of "elevator" to get the cars to the upper areas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Mainecoons said:

Yeah but boy there are a scad of businesses there and a bus station.

I think there's real merit to extending the bike path through, though.

 

I am really glad I'm too old for a bike. I can just picture a bike lane on the mountain side and as I crest the hill near Casa de Plomero on a Sunday the Guad Squad is coming 3 abreast toward me. No thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, pappysmarket said:

I am really glad I'm too old for a bike. I can just picture a bike lane on the mountain side and as I crest the hill near Casa de Plomero on a Sunday the Guad Squad is coming 3 abreast toward me. No thanks!

I hear ya.  We brought  bikes with us but after a few attempts, they ended up sitting in the shed until we gave them to our gardener and his sister.  That's one of the things I miss about Albuquerque, from our house you could ride a beautiful river bike path for many miles both south and north.  I rode to the gym most days.  However, here I can walk to the gym so that's pretty good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...