ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Neighbors in an Albuquerque neighborhood near Yucca Drive and Bluewater said they’ve been plagued by speeders for years. The city has tried to address the issue, but those neighbors think it’s making it worse.
The city’s Department of Municipal Development said two roundabouts are under construction along Yucca Drive to help calm traffic. However, people who live in the area said some drivers are seeing the newly installed roundabouts as a suggestion.
“We’ve noticed, since the construction started, people just don’t care, and they just ram through everything,” said Christina Parra who lives nearby.
A city spokesperson explained the new roundabouts were installed after a 2018 traffic study found excessive speeding in the area.
“Speeding has always been an issue here since I talked to the neighbors, and nobody seems to know what the speed limit is here, and there are speed bumps, but even with the roundabout, nobody seems to stop,” added Parra.
Neighbors like Christina Parra said the city’s attempt to get drivers to slow down has only brought them new headaches, and the roundabouts are an accident waiting to happen. Plus, those roundabouts have only been up for a few weeks.
“I think it’s very dangerous the cars are going in the wrong direction.”
Some drivers said the roundabout is also off-center, making it hard to navigate along the narrower side.
“If they try to go the right lane, they have to really almost go to a crawl because the turn is so sharp that if they don’t slow down, they’ll hit that curb, so it’s become quite dangerous I think.”
Neighbors stated they would rather see the roundabouts removed, and speed bumps installed instead.
The city’s Department of Municipal Development stands by the plan as a way to make the street safer for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. The city plans to install signs once construction is complete, as well as restripe the intersection.
