Tag Archives: el paso traffic

This past Wednesday, my wife and I were driving on I-10 East. I was speeding, doing about 70 – okay, I know, it’s not safe, we were in a hurry. Coming up behind us, weaving in and out of traffic, was a blue motorcycle.

To use a cliché, this guy passed us like we were standing still. He was going as fast as he could and picking up speed along the way.

It was just before the five o’clock rush hour was to begin. More and more people were beginning to leave work and head home. We’ve all seen how the freeway becomes, almost bumper-to-bumper traffic in some spots.

That’s what was happening as we were approaching the Yarbrough exit.

Then, almost at the same time two things happen: this guy shoots past us and I tell Chantilly (my wife) to look at that guy. A split second later, it happens: he wrecks his motorcycle.

The driver of the car the motorcyclist pulled behind, hits the breaks to avoid the car in front of him who’s nearly stopped. On the freeway.

The guy on the motorcycle goes right into the back of the car, ejecting him from his bike; he bounces off  the back window as his motorcycle shoots from the right side of the freeway all the way over to the left shoulder.

The man riding the bike jumps up, out of the way of traffic, and the first thing he was worried about was not himself, or the car he ran into, but his bike.

He was in shock, bleeding from his elbow, his backpack was almost ripped to shreds – the latter keeping him safe from a bad case of road burn – and all he could think about was his bike.

While motorcycle crashes make up a small percentage of all accidents, they are becoming more and more commonplace.

Last year, in Texas, 483 riders lost their lives because of a crash. These accidents were caused by everything from the rider speeding, drivers of larger vehicles not paying attention, to alcohol being a factor.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), that number represents 13% of all lives lost in traffic accidents.
Nationwide that total is 5,286 riders losing their lives.

This past Wednesday, on I-10 East, this one rider did not become a fatality statistic. He did, however, grind the left side of his bike and damage his gas tank.

Being a soldier, well, he’s in for a dressing down at the very least. If he didn’t have his motorcycle safety card, well…

For those of you who ride a motorcycle, you are not invincible. No matter what we think, and I used to ride, we are less likely to survive a collision with a car or truck at high rates of speed.

For those of you who don’t ride, remember, always keep an eye out for riders.

For everyone else, including me: DON’T SPEED!

Crews on the Go10/TxDoT project are gearing up for busy June. For up-to-the-minute information, you can follow TxDoT on Twitter: Twitter or sign up for email alerts. For GO10 alerts, simply sign up online.

I-10 West at Sunland

Crews are planning to close I-10 West at Sunland Park (Exit 13) for 27 hours on a Sunday later this month. We haven’t nailed down a firm date yet, but it’s looking like June 17 (Father’s Day) or June 24.  Pay attention because this closure will result in changes to traffic lane patterns along I-10 West between Resler Drive and North Mesa Street.  We’ll provide you with an illustration of these coming changes next week.

Resler Exit

GO 10 engineers are talking about closing the Resler Drive westbound exit ramp; but, details are still developing. We don’t know when it will close (maybe the end of June) and we don’t know how long it will stay closed (it could be weeks).  The closure is necessary so crews can build the NEW Resler exit ramp. Despite the lack of details, we hope you appreciate this frigid closure forecast.

North Mesa Street

Brace yourselves. Sometime in the next couple of months, we will be closing half the lanes of North Mesa Street in both directions between Osborne Drive and Remcon Circle. This is the juggling act we’ve been telling you about since April; but, in case you haven’t heard, GO 10 needs to upgrade the pavement on North Mesa Street and connect new ramps and lanes. For motorists, it will mean varying lane closures, shifting traffic lane patterns, and changing detours (aka traffic juggling) for the rest of 2018.  See attached flyer.

Traffic therapy

Remember, we are in the home stretch for this project. In fact, we are aiming to be mostly out of your way by the end of this year. (GO 10’s official end date is April 2019.) But baby steps – here what’s scheduled for next week:

A growing number of local merchants are making it more rewarding to help reduce congestion during the daily commute by using Metropia’s mobile app.

Eloise, a European-style coffee shop and restaurant located at 255 Shadow Mountain Drive in West El Paso, is Metropia’s latest merchant partner in El Paso.

“Metropia is committed to finding innovative solutions to El Paso’s growing traffic troubles while improving the quality of life for El Pasoans,” said Tania Chozet, Metropia’s El Paso Community Manager. “Partnering with businesses like Eloise, Savage Goods and Proper Printshop allows us to showcase some of the entrepreneurs who are investing in our community while making it even more rewarding for commuters to avoid congestion.”

The list of businesses also includes Proper Printshop, a locally owned screen printing studio, and Savage Goods, a local purveyor of home baked goods.

By using the Metropia app to navigate around congestion and choose less congested travel times, commuters earn points which can be redeemed with those participating businesses.

As one of Metropia’s newest partners, the live video will focus on raising awareness of the new collaboration; showcase one of Eloise’s Meatless Monday offerings, and giving a behind-the-scenes look at cafe operations. You can watch the live broadcast and submit questions by liking Metropia El Paso on Facebook.

Metropia’s team of traffic engineers and regional experts monitor the latest traffic conditions and construction closures from their new offices at the Hub of Human Innovation in Downtown El Paso. Metropia collaborates with area transportation experts, regional planning agencies and community stakeholders to create meaningful change by serving as the only single-source platform to share data with our entire community.

Metropia officially launched in El Paso in October, following a nine month testing phase.  To date, thousands of El Paso’s commuters have saved nearly 2,000 hours of driving time and planted nearly 9,000 trees.

Metropia will be live on Facebook in the Eloise kitchen at 10am MST on Monday, April 10, 2017. Eloise is known for their high-quality, responsibly sourced coffee, gourmet fare, and vegan-friendly offerings.

The free Metropia app is available for download in the Apple Store and via Google Play.

According to company officials, the number of El Pasoans using Metropia’s app to carpool and earn increased reward points has jumped by 75 percent this month.

That means, not only are more El Pasoans earning rewards, but fewer automobiles are on our roads and freeways.

Every Friday in January, commuters who use the Metropia app’s DUO social carpooling function will earn double points. Those points can be redeemed for rewards like gift cards to Metropia’s merchant partners, including a growing list of local merchants like Proper Printshop and Savage Goods. It’s called “Free FlowFridays.”

“While studies show that only about one in ten American commuters carpool to work, more and more El Pasoans are clearly demonstrating that they understand the value of carpooling as a way to save time, reduce congestion and improve their quality of life,” said Tania Chozet, Metropia’s El Paso Community Manager. “If you haven’t done so already, there are still two more Fridays in January to take advantage of the increased rewards as part of the ‘Free Flow Fridays’.”

Here’s how DUO works: Drivers simply use Metropia as they always would — plan a trip, drive, and get rewarded. Passengers on that trip just open the Metropia app, tap the DUO button, and follow the instructions.

Upon reaching their destination, passengers will get points, and drivers can spin the virtual Prize Wheel to determine how many points they’ve earned for helping reduce congestion. On January 20 and 27, 2017, those points will be doubled.

Visit metropia.com/duo for more information on DUO and to see the prize wheel in action.

Following a six-month testing period, Metropia’s free mobile app became available for all motorists in the Paso del Norte region in October. The app provides greater rewards to motorists for traveling at off-peak times and on less-congested routes.

Metropia’s team of traffic engineers and regional experts monitor the latest traffic conditions and construction closures from their new offices at the Hub of Human Innovation in Downtown El Paso. Metropia collaborates with area transportation experts, regional planning agencies and community stakeholders to create meaningful change by serving as the only single-source platform to share data with our entire community.

The free Metropia app is available for download in the App Store and via Google Play.

More than 500 people in the El Paso region are already helping Drive a Better El Paso by joining Metropia’s Pioneer Program.

El Paso area drivers have logged 21,130 miles using Metropia since the next-generation transportation app was launched less than a month ago. Drivers have saved a total of 60 hours which would have otherwise been wasted in traffic. By travelling on the less congested routes suggested by Metropia, drivers have also kept 2,149 pounds of CO₂from being released into our atmosphere.

“Drivers in the El Paso region should be proud of the positive impacts they’re already having by using Metropia,” said Yi-Chang Chiu, Ph.D., founder of Metropia. “By participating in the Pioneer Program they’re also helping improve the app’s functionality meaning the travel time prediction and routing will be enhanced as more people use it.”

Points earned by Metropia drivers in El Paso have been redeemed to plant 22 trees as part of a partnership with American Forests. Trees and other plants remove CO₂ from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. So, using Metropia doesn’t just keep CO₂ from going into the atmosphere, it actually helps our planet scrub the CO₂  out of the air.

Unlike other travel transportation apps, Metropia suggests the best routes and the best times to leave so you can avoid congestion. But Metropia goes further — connecting to our community in a way that no other transportation app can by offering real world incentives to travel at the optimal times using the best routes.

But Metropia won’t just help drivers who download the app. Because of this innovative partnership, crowd-sourced data collected by drivers will assist with the El Paso MPO and TxDOT traffic models. Those models will help TxDOT, the CRRMA and the MPO make the best decisions possible about our transportation infrastructure.  Using Metropia, even when you know where you’re going, contributes valuable information to transportation planners and app developers — meaning your helping your fellow drivers travel more efficiently, too.

Interested drivers can still sign up for the program so by visiting Metropia.com/ElPaso or by downloading the smart phone app from the iTunes App Store or Google Play.

Metropia’s launch in El Paso is a joint project of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority (CRRMA) and the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). But Metropia won’t just help drivers who download the app.

Because of this innovative partnership, crowd-sourced data collected by drivers will assist with the El Paso MPO and TxDOT traffic models. Those models will help TxDOT, the CRRMA and the MPO make the best decisions possible about our transportation infrastructure.

Metropia’s powerful, next-generation transportation app is coming to El Paso.

Unlike other travel transportation apps, Metropia suggests the best routes and the best times to leave so you can avoid congestion. But Metropia goes further — connecting to our community in a way that no other transportation app can. By signing up, you can cut your CO₂ emissions, save time and fuel, earn rewards from cool local businesses and even contribute to reforestation efforts.

Metropia’s launch in El Paso is a joint project of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority (CRRMA) and the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

Officials say Metropia won’t just help drivers who download the app. Because of this innovative partnership, crowd-sourced data collected by drivers will assist with the El Paso MPO and TxDOT traffic models. Those models will help TxDOT, the CRRMA and the MPO make the best decisions possible about our transportation infrastructure.

“Before Metropia is available to everyone in the El Paso region, 500 road-savvy drivers will get an advance opportunity to participate in the Metropia Pioneer Program,” said Yi-Chang Chiu, Ph.D., founder of Metropia. “They’ll have exclusive access to download the app, make suggestions about how to make the app even more powerful, and engage with Metropia developers.”

While Metropia is already helping drivers find commuting solutions in Tucson and Austin, it also has a long-standing El Paso connection. Chiu is a former engineering professor at the University of Texas at El Paso. He helped design the roundabout at University Avenue and Sun Bowl Drive on the UTEP campus.

Drivers interested in the Pioneer Program can visit Metropia.com/ElPaso to sign-up.

“We’re bringing Metropia to El Paso because drivers need innovative solutions to the mobility challenges associated with our community’s continued growth,” said Raymond Telles, Executive Director of the CRRMA. “We believe building a less congested and more connected community is key to making El Paso a better place to live and work.”

According to an analysis of traffic data by the Texas Department of Transportation, three of the most congested stretches of freeway in Texas are in El Paso County according to TxDOT’s 2015 Top 100 Congested Roadways listing. Delays associated with that congestion costs us $41 million each year, according to TxDOT.

“Given the level of construction in El Paso over the next four years, we anticipate Metropia to be a valuable tool to help people avoid the most congested areas,” said Bob Bielek, District Engineer, TxDOT. “Pioneer users who actively give feedback will help make the app successful.”

TxDOT is also currently working on several major freeway projects in El Paso including Go10 and the Border West Expressway. Other major projects are planned on I-10, Montana Avenue, and Spur 601.

Motorists and cyclists will encounter lane closures on key roads in the Westside and in the Mission Valley, as important transportation projects advance which will improve connectivity citywide.

The City of El Paso will close the left hand lane of northbound vehicle traffic at the intersection of Mesa Street and Mesita Drive beginning today. The closure is necessary to complete the installation of an ADA accessible ramp.  The closure will last approximately two weeks, and will enhance the connectivity of this area for pedestrians and users of Sun Metro’s Brio.

The City of El Paso has closed the right hand lane of northbound traffic on Mesa Street near Argonaut Drive.  This closure will last until late September, and is necessary in order to construct a sidewalk that is missing in the area.

This project is part of an effort to enhance the connectivity of Mesa Street for pedestrians.

The City of El Paso has also closed the left hand lane of southbound traffic on Carolina Drive near Alameda Avenue until the end of this month.

This closure is facilitating the utility relocation work that must be finalized prior to the start of the Carolina Bridge Reconstruction project, which is scheduled to begin in 2016.

These three construction projects are part of the City of El Paso’s commitment to maintain and enhance El Paso’s regional transportation system.

Author: City of El Paso