I had to work yesterday, but got off early enough that the bicycle and the warm summer evening beckoned, so I rode down to the river to check out the work at Tingley Beach. The riverside bike trail tracks down the “beach’s” west side, but in the midst of a massive reconstruction of this age-old Albuquerque recreation area they’ve diverted the trail onto the new roadway. No cars. Just me and my bike.

By coincidence (or maybe not?) Johnny_Mango has an update on what’s going on over on Duke City Fix:

What is most impressive about all this work is that somebody had the idea that Albuquerque deserved to treat itself like an important city. Tingley Beach and the linking rail line show this. The Rapid Ride shows this. The Belen to Bernalillo commuter line shows this. Our art, our museums, our public parks, our neighborhoods show this. Pretty soon maybe the rest of us will believe it: Albuquerque is important to New Mexico, to the west, and to the USA. And the ammenities we create today will change how people feel about being here.

(Sometime when I have more time I’ll elaborate on why Jon’s blog is my current favorite. In short, the guy’s got these wide eyes and he’s always using them, and he sees stuff and then tells us about it with an enthusiasm that’s infectious.)