Vialidad

Drivers park their vehicles on the bicycle path. Photo: Semanario Laguna.

Two months ago, when the section of the San Juan Cosalá bicycle lane was approximately 90 percent complete, neighbors in the area began to regularly use the spaces to set up businesses. 

Neighbors of these areas and residents who pass through the road have commented on the lack of accessibility and the improper use of the bicycle lane.

«The bicycle lane is for cycling and walking at any time, but no, you put yourself in danger when passing through that street, next to the road, because there is not enough room to pass. You must go into the road, and it is not fair.  That is the reason the other sidewalk was left free, there to sell.  The bicycle lane was created to avoid accidents, not to cause them,» commented an annoyed neighbor.

There are more than three businesses that make use of this public space, in the stretch between Cardenal Street and the crossroads, as an opportunity to  expand their space, while others use it as a parking lot. 

Along the road, it is common to find cars obstructing traffic. Photo: Semanario Laguna

«The truth is that I don’t have money to rent a place and the bicycle lane is very wide and nobody has told me anything,» commented a merchant interviewed.

Some vendors opted to move to the other side of the road, after being told that they could not continue to set up in that area or there could be a sanction from the authorities. 

«When they told us we could not be on the bike path it was difficult to change everything.  Some moved, others stayed. A new vendor took over a space that had been used regularly but was vacated. There are people who park their cars as if it were their own house,» concluded another of those consulted. 

Translated by Nita Rudy

La carretera Chapala-Guadalajara colapsó debido a la caída de un árbol a la altura del aeropuerto. Foto: Twitter. 

Redacción.- La lluvia registrada la noche del martes y la madrugada del miércoles, dejó al menos 14 árboles caídos en diferentes partes de la Zona Metropolitana de Guadalajara. 

Uno de ellos fue sobre la carretera Chapala-Guadalajara, a la altura del aeropuerto, provocando congestionamiento vial en la zona, hasta que éste fue retirado de la vía. 

En total, según contabilizaron las autoridades, se registró un total de 15 árboles caídos entre los municipios de Guadalajara, Zapopan y Tlajomulco. 

La Unidad de Protección Civil y Bomberos de Guadalajara informó que los árboles derribados fueron en colonias como Lomas del Paradero, Arcos Vallarta, Americana, Unidad Modelo, Jardines del Bosque, Jardines del Country, Echeverría, San Andrés, Tetlán Río Verde, Vicente Guerrero, San Vicente, Balcones de Oblatos y San Vicente.

Mientras que en Zapopan fue uno en la colonia Seattle y otro en Arcos de Zapopan; ninguno de los incidentes provocó lesiones a personas. 

Con información de El Occidental. 

The unit only received a slight hit. 

A motorist driving a Hyundai did not correctly observe the lane dividing line on the Chapala-Jocotepec highway and ended up giving a slight blow to one of the new Chapala police cars, a Dodge Charger valued at more than 800,000 pesos (about US$40,000). 

Unit CH-012 of the Chapala police received a slight impact from a private vehicle that invaded the oncoming lane at around 2:15 pm on Wednesday, April 13, in the delegation of Ajijic. 

The incident created a blockage on the highway while the car insurance companies took care of the situation. The cost of the damage is unknown.

Translated by Sandy Britton

Crossing Ajijic by car during Easter Week was fast and smooth.

Staff.-  An operation to speed up traffic during the Holy Week holidays was successful in reducing problems with the intense vehicular traffic on the Chapala-Jocotepec highway near Ajijic. Traffic agents were stationed at every traffic light to control the passage of vehicles and thus avoid traffic congestion, resulting in a successful strategy as there were few «traffic jams» in this area, that have in the past been a major problem. 

Motorist assisted by officers of the Secretariat of Security.

Fourteen traffic officers were deployed in the Chapala and Ajijic area, when regularly there are six. Traffic lights were not deactivated but the officers were, at their discretion, in charge of giving right-of-way to pedestrians and cars that were looking to join the highway or enter the Magic Town. 

The operation had good results, since during rush hour and holidays, traffic in the area flowed well and pedestrians did not have to wait so long under the sun to cross the street. 

Although no date was specified for Ajijic to implement this road strategy again, the Municipal Government said that they are in the process of increasing the number of traffic officers in order to improve the weekend traffic that suffers from severe saturation due to the tourists.

A car had a breakdown and was assisted by municipal officers.

Officers of the Jalisco Public Safety Secretariat also deserve recognition for their efforts. During the holiday operation they helped a motorist who had been stranded on the curves of Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos. Municipal police officers also helped another motorist who suffered a breakdown in his vehicle on the Chapala-Ajijic highway.

Translated by Sandy Britton

The truck was left on the retaining wall.

Editor. An accident involving a personnel transport truck left eight people injuredin Poncitlán,. The accident occurred at kilometer 38 of the Santa Rosa La Barca highway, within the municipality of Poncitlán, during the early morning of April 16.

Unit involved in an accident on the highway.

 The accident occurred after the driver of the truck lost control and impacted the retaining wall,  launching the truck onto the retaining wall

Of those injured, seven suffered minor injuries while one person was reported to be in fair condition and was taken to receive medical attention.  The slightly injured people reported that they were very scared.

Translated  by Patrick O’Heffernan

Truck with a report of robbery with violence

Staff. A person driving a stolen truck and triggering a police chase was arrested in Jocotepec. The incident was reported on April 16, on the Jocotepec-Chapala highway. 

After the authorities received a complaint from a citizen alerting them of a pickup truck driving in an unusual manner, the municipal officers stopped a late model sand-colored Ford Explorer, but the driver chose to try to escape from the uniformed officers, unleashing a chase. 

Subject secured by authorities.

The driver entered the town of Chantepec, in order to elude the police who followed him, but his attempt was futile, and he was captured in that town. Upon reviewing the documents, the authorities realized that a report of robbery with violence had been filed on the vehicle.

Translated by Sydney Metrick

Cruzar en auto Ajijic durante Semana Santa fue rápido y sin complicaciones.

Redacción.- El intenso tránsito vehicular de la carretera Chapala-Jocotepec, a la altura de Ajijic, quedó eliminado, al menos durante las vacaciones, ya que se pudieron observar a agentes viales en cada semáforo, para controlar el paso de vehículos y así evitar congestionamientos viales, resultando una estrategia exitosa al no presentarse “atorones” en este punto que se ha vuelto bastante conflictivo.

En el operativo para agilizar la vialidad generó el incremento en el número de elementos trabajando, siendo 14 personas en la zona de Chapala y Ajijic, cuando regularmente son seis y sin que en Ajijic se desactiven los semáforos; en esta ocasión, fueron los elementos viales quienes, a criterio, se encargaban de dar el paso a peatones y automóviles que buscaban incorporarse a la carretera o ingresar al Pueblo Mágico.

La implementación de este operativo en la carretera de Ajijic tuvo buenos resultados, ya que en hora pico y en días de asueto, la zona era fluida y los peatones no tenían que esperar tanto tiempo bajo el sol para cruzar la calle.

Aunque no se especificó una fecha para que en Ajijic se implemente nuevamente esta estrategia vial, el Gobierno Municipal informó que están en proceso para incrementar el número de elementos viales y así darle solución a la vialidad que en fines de semana sufre de severas saturaciones ante el paso e ingreso de turistas.

Quienes también se ganaron el reconocimiento de la sociedad fueron los elementos de la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública de Jalisco, quienes durante el operativo vacacional auxiliaron a un automovilista que se había quedado en las curvas de Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos, mientras que en el tramo del libramiento Chapala-Ajijic, oficiales de la policía municipal también auxiliaron a otro automovilista que sufrió una avería en su unidad.

Three vehicles were involved.

Staff. – Once again there was a vehicle collision on the Chapala-Jocotepec highway, at its intersection the Ajijic libramiento. Three vehicles were involved. The accident occurred on the evening of April 10.  

The point has become the scene of several accidents.

The collision occurred when a white car cut into traffic in front of a NP 300 pickup truck, generating a collision and projecting the truck towards a Tida car that was traveling towards Chapala.  

No one was injured in the accident, but it did complicate the traffic flow at a point that on Sundays  has a heavy influx of vehicles in the afternoon. The point is known for frequent  road accidents and was redesigned a year ago by the Government of Jalisco.

By: Patrick O’Heffernan

Yesterday, a fully loaded gravel truck lost its brakes coming down the Libramiento hill into Ajijic. It collided with two cars and ended up on its side.  Fortunately no one was hurt, but 3 cars were seriously damaged, traffic was stalled, and the driver barely escaped with his life.

As I drove by the accident, I thought of  another lost-my-brakes accident at the end of December in Coahuila on Highway 57 near Saltillo when a tanker truck that lost its brakes killed 5 people and injured 15 before stopping.  And the  tractor-trailer that  lost its brakes and rammed into a house in Chapala last December, killing one person

It is only a matter of time before this happens again in Lakeside with a loss of life. Anyone who drives the Carretera west to Jocotepec can hear the air brakes on the trucks – not their mechanical brakes – because the drivers are afraid that the mechanical brakes may not work. But air brakes don’t apply immediately like mechanical brakes do;  they  take a few seconds to build up and apply pressure.  And if there is a leak in the system or a pump seal fails, there are no brakes.

It takes an 18-wheeler traveling at 40 miles an hour 525 feet to stop if its brakes are in good condition and it is on a level road. In reality, it takes much longer; slow reaction of the driver, slick roads, worn brakes, overloaded trailer, and a downward sloping road all increase this distance by hundreds of feet, or even render the brakes useless

The  first line of defense against these tragedies isa brake inspection every 6 months with trucks that fail to be taken off the road until they pass inspection.  México does have brake inspections, and the standards for Mexican trucks have been accepted by the US, but many  Mexican trucks are operated by local owner-operators or families who work on slim profit margins and cut costs where they can.  

The easiest way to save money is not to spend it – on maintenance, like brakes – and skip inspections. So brakes fail.  Solving this problem with a  Federally-enforced, comprehensive, incorruptible brake inspection and certification program applied to every truck is not realistically in the cards.  So, how do we prevent more accidents like  Tuesday’s rollover at Walmart?

An easy, inexpensive solution is a runaway truck ramp at the bottom of the Libramiento.

A runaway truck ramp is an exit that comes off of a highway designed to safely stop a speeding truck  using gravel, sand, collapsible barriers and sometimes an incline . A properly designed ramp can stop a fully-loaded speeding truck in  a few hundred feet, often with little damage to the vehicle.

When the driver of a  loaded truck comes down the Libramiento, hits the topes and realizes that the brakes are gone, he or she can swerve the truck into an escape ramp parallel to the Libramiento which will stop it before it reaches the Carretera. Signs warning  drivers to test their brakes ahead of the ramp will allow them to  use it if they need it. 

There is room for a ramp next to the Libramiento before the intersection.  The relative cost is relatively minimal – land purchase, grading, sand and gravel, collapsible barriers, a safety wall.  And it needs little maintenance. If it saves one life, it is worth it.  

Of course there are politics.  Neither the Carretera nor the Libramiento  are Chapala municipal roads; they are Federal.  Getting the Federal agency to deal with the Walmart intersection took years and everyone pretty much agrees they didn’t help much.  Getting them to build a runaway truck ramp could take years more, unless there is a spectacular accident and even then, who knows?  But solving the problem can start locally; the new Chapala Director of Movilidad – the former Police Chief of Dallas, Texas , who was born here – is a problem solver, 

get-it -done kind of guy. Perhaps he can light some fires under the right Federal chairs to prevent another runaway truck smashing into cars or even people on the Libramiento.

The bus was embedded in the back of the truck.

Redaction. – The apparent carelessness of a public transport driver left 35 injured and his bus embedded in a junkyard truck. The accident occurred during the afternoon of March 28 on the Chapala-Guadalajara highway, at the height of the so-called «curves of El Tapatío.» 

The passengers waited for medical attention on the pavement.

According to the passengers, the driver of the C112 Agaves route was speeding and maneuvering to overtake other vehicles, but on the slope, a truck loaded with scrap metal was driving slowly because of its heavy load, so the public transport driver was unable to slow down enough to avoid the scrap metal truck and struck it from behind.  

After the impact, people fell to the floor of the bus and some of them hit the seats hard enough to bend them. The passengers managed to get out of the bus and waited on the roadside for medical attention. 

Translated by Sandy Britton