Forty Minutes

Hey, new guy! I know who you are. lolol

Hey Trailrunner:
Well say hello next time you see me!!!!!!!

Good thing that most of us have nowhere to be at any particular time......

slainte39 wrote:

ferret wrote:Thanks for the confirmation slainte39. I was going to say 20 years for the car culture but I'm not sure exactly when credit for cars became available. That has certainly fuelled the boom.
BTW, in Toronto, the other name for the Don Valley Parkway is the Don Valley Parking Lot... at certain times of the day.

Blame it on Pancho Villa, as I, a long time ago, saw his bullet ridden automobile at his hacienda up in Chihuahua. I'm sure there were others before him.
Maybe, Carretera Chapala-Jocotopec connected by Ajijic Parking lot for through traffic with machines at the entrada  and salida to raise some revenue.  40 min, or up to one hour= minimum charge.

LOL. The question was a serious one slainte39. What year, in the past 20, did the car dealerships in Mexico start offering credit to the public for the purchase of new cars.

Best I can recall is 4/5 years ago credit was introduced

The only way that we can reduce traffic jams is to have all physically capable people take the bus (unless you're doing your weekly grocery shopping with many bags). I take the bus every day and they're very efficient! Another idea is that any vehicles that don't have a handicapped tag must be occupied by three or more people (car-pooling).

Nice idea Sue but I think that idea will go over like a screen door in a submarine with our Mexican neighbours. We are a very small population compared to the Tapatios that are here on the weekends. Somebody actually want to stand at a main intersection and record WHO is driving all those vehicles? I don't drive during prime time any more than I would stand in a line in the bank at prime time. Why would I when I have all the time in the world.
This article is about car financing in Mexico...
http://www.autonews.com/article/20160718/RETAIL01/307189985/automaker-financing-unleashes-mexico-sales

Great comparison! (screen door)
I think it's a bad idea to introduce behavior controlling legislation, since we had more than enough of it back where we came from. Like recycling and picking up your pup's poop, people who have a social conscience will not use their cars unless their physical condition warrants it.  I don't have much hope for that happening, but you never know.

To me it's like how the first world nations looted, pillaged and polluted the world to get where they are and then turn around and try to stop developing nations from doing the same thing........

You can pry my steering wheel from my cold dead hands......jaja.

Well then, there is always the Cd. de Mexico method of vehicle control, that could come here.  Seeing the difficulty that some foreigners have figuring out the last number of their placas for emission control inspections on an annual basis, I can only imagine the compliance that would happen on a weekly basis with that system.
1 x 52 = a friggen mess.

OK so I guess we need to start a truth-in-advertising campaign to ditch the hopeless Pueblo Magico campaign for "Pueblo Embotellamiento" (Gridlocked Village).

Not that it's gonna happen, but a half dozen or dozen more buses plying the local routes and buses and taxis that ran until 10 p.m. or so rather than quitting at dusk would go a really long way towards making car-free life here realistic for locals and expats alike. But hey, why put money into that when you can build a bike lane through Ajijic that over a dozen people will use on a daily basis.

gringal wrote:Even if all the drivers of all types of vehicles were sensible and courteous......the problem remains:  this level of traffic requires a massive solution or we will always be crawling along during low or high season, so my question remains: Have the Powers That Be come up with a prospective permanent solution?  I heard some suggestions about going around the towns on the mountain side, but the problem there is land ownership and grade.  Anyone with more information?
Lacking a real solution, we may need to keep a supply of audio books in the car to lessen our frustration.  It's what many commuters on the Los Angeles freeway system did in the normal gridlock there.

I don't know if this has been mentioned  and it won't work here however in other places in Mx it might. Their putting freeways under existing freeways..  Their doing impact, environmental studies and are finding this is a viable solution, now funding is the billion dollar problem and delays.
No easy solutions that for sure

Here's  a snippet..
"TxDOT, though, shed light on a number of potential effects of removing, lowering or replacing I-345 last year when it released the initial draft of a study of downtown Dallas highways called CityMAP.

That report found that rebuilding I-345 as a trenched highway below street level or removing it altogether may not substantially worsen traffic in and around the urban core. In fact, the study concluded that depending on how other downtown highways are rebuilt, removing or lowering I-345 could slightly ease congestion compared to just reconfiguring some of the its entrance and exit ramps or not updating it at all.

At the same time, the study found that removing or lowering the highway could free up enough developable land to spur a population and job boom in the area. That, in turn, could increase city tax revenues by the millions and property values by the billions. "
https://www.texastribune.org/2017/01/30/dallas-freeway-lands-national-list-targets-highway/

Yes, look how well that worked out for Los Angeles. Just add different levels of freeways and no more gridlock.

Lady Otter Latté wrote:Yes, look how well that worked out for Los Angeles. Just add different levels of freeways and no more gridlock.

Exactly! Rather than looking at the U.S. for models (let's face it, not a good idea for much of anything anymore) one just wishes México would look to Spain and to Europe generally for good models on how to deal with transportation - namely by funding mass transit first and foremost. México's long distance luxury bus system is pretty darn great - I find it impossible to explain to people in the U.S. since there is truly nothing like it there other than maybe business class on a plane - but the local bus system at Lakeside leaves a lot to be desired.

As others have pointed out, with a rising middle class and now financing for cars being available the crush of car traffic is only going to get worse as Lakeside functions more and more as a suburb of and playground for Guadalajara. A strong bus system (which would have to be subsidized) and taxis that operate when people need them to would at least let the locals here live car-free and that would help a great deal. Not likely to happen, obviously but we sure need it here. This is one area where San Miguel de Allende thoroughly kicks Lakeside's butt.

A strong bus system (which would have to be subsidized)

Why is it that these "marvelous ideas" always have to "be subsidized"? Maybe because those ideas are not shared by enough other people? "But it's for your own good, you're just not smart enough to see that. I, your all-caring ruler, will tell you what's best for you. Make sure your "fair share" is paid on time, or else".

Sometimes you have to pay to improve your own conveniences, like picking up your neighbors garbage so it doesn't blow into your yard.
Old people subsidize younger peoples education, so the there isn't a nation of uneducated idiots, but that doesn't always work 100% of time.

slainte39 wrote:Sometimes you have to pay to improve your own conveniences, like picking up your neighbors garbage so it doesn't blow into your yard.
Old people subsidize younger peoples education, so the there isn't a nation of uneducated idiots, but that doesn't always work 100% of time.

...As has been demonstrated in some countries.

I've got nothing against subsidizing a solution within affordable limits, but I don't see any practical solution for this particular area which is sandwiched between a lake and some sizable mountains, and where CarLove is so well established. We can preach buses till we're blue, but few can and will go for it.

slainte39 wrote:Sometimes you have to pay to improve your own conveniences, like picking up your neighbors garbage so it doesn't blow into your yard.
Old people subsidize younger peoples education, so the there isn't a nation of uneducated idiots, but that doesn't always work 100% of time.

Well subsidizing education is usually supported by the vast majority of voters almost wherever you go. Those referendums are usually easily passed (not always) which indicates a willingness to pay voluntarily. When the "rulers" push something through that has not been endorsed by a majority there are frequently problems that follow. Take mass immigration into Europe for example. I suspect the masses were never consulted on their willingness to accept that many immigrants. But who is willing to publicly say that? The charges of bigotry and selfishness would rain down upon their heads.

A lot of the traffic in Ajijic is passing through to SJC, Joco and beyond. The only solution will be another mountainside bypass from the libremiento to the other bypass in Joco. They could include an off/on ramp around SJC.

That's been on a agenda in years past but never gained any traction.

I think it can't gain traction because most of that land is Ejido land AND it's really steep.
How about the other side of the mountain? Just before the climb up on the Chapala/Guadalajara highway? Is that Ejido land too? It certainly is flatter and easier to build... could join the Joco bypass. Dunno, just throwing out ideas.

I've heard there is consideration being given to renovating Ocampo for use as another (more local) thorofare. In the old days Ocampa was the the main way thru Ajijic. Better traffic light timing would help. Also having 2 major one-way streets is a possibility.

ferret wrote:I think it can't gain traction because most of that land is Ejido land AND it's really steep.
How about the other side of the mountain? Just before the climb up on the Chapala/Guadalajara highway? Is that Ejido land too? It certainly is flatter and easier to build... could join the Joco bypass. Dunno, just throwing out ideas.

The Joco bypass was also steep and built on Ejido land so that's not a show stopper...