gsbotanico
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Posts: 209
Registered: 7-28-2015
Location: Cardiff by the Sea, CA
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Crash at Cuauhtémoc Norte and Padre Kino
It finally happened. At the very busy intersection of Cuauhtémoc Norte and Padre Kino I witnessed yesterday afternoon around 5:30 a t-bone accident
where many cars make the left to Padre Kino to head to the Sentri Lanes. I regularly use this route, but follow the sign that is to the right side of
the approach to the intersection where the bridge starts to cross over the Tijuana River. It directs drivers to go the right and then loop around to
the left to cross Cuarhtémoc.
The problem with making a left turn directly is that the three lanes of queuing for Padre Kino only have space for nine cars. Any more cars block the
inner lane of Cuauhtémoc. Yesterday there were 5 cars blocking through traffic when the light turned red and the light for Padre Kino turned green.
Three waiting cars turned left, the next two wanting to go straight. I was in the left of three lanes to cross. One cleared the three lanes and the
second cleared two lanes, then almost got hit by a car in the third lane to my right, but got t-boned by a second car. I held my breath, because I
knew what was going to happen.
I always wait for the cars in the queuing lanes to move forward before I cross Cuauhtémoc. I have seen a straggling car running the red light, which
is frequent at these very busy intersections. I don't think anyone was injured. It was not a high-speed crash. I sped out of there to avoid the
inevitable snarl at the intersection.
Additionally the traffic lights at Sánchez Taboada and the Cuauhtémoc roundabout used to synchronized. Now they're not, so be careful going north in
order not be caught blocking Sánchez Taboada because the next light hasn't turned green yet.
And the good news. The southbound ramp from the old highway to go south on the toll road in Rosarito has been graded and looks close to being ready
for pavement. Relief is not far away. I noticed yesterday that trucks and some care are making the U-turn further from the right to avoid bumping
over the dirt potholes. Best to use some caution here.
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WhackAMolE
Nomad
Posts: 121
Registered: 1-6-2014
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Traffic in TJ is insane. It's a miracle there aren't more collisions. I take the Ready lane and sometimes when the traffic's backed up on Via Rapida
you take your life in your hands trying to merge in and then get over to the middle lane. Sometimes they let you in but I've seen people get angry
too. Lately I just drive south till I find the end of the line. Of course that provides more opportunities to get lost or have a near-miss. Driving in
TJ is always an adventure.
Stay safe out there.
[Edited on 7-21-2016 by WhackAMolE]
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movinguy
Nomad
Posts: 257
Registered: 3-19-2004
Location: Chula Vista, CA and Tijuana, MX
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You ain't seen nothing yet - with a growth rate of 5.2% per year (according to Tijuana Economic Development Corp) there will be 50% more people in TJ
in about 8 years. The infrastructure can't support the current population 
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SFandH
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7084
Registered: 8-5-2011
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Driving in TJ is challenging. Sometimes I use the regular lanes to cross because they are easy to get to from the west and getting to the Ready Lanes
can be downright dangerous. The 20 foot long entrance lane into the high speed highway, Via Rapida I think is the name, is crazy.
"How does it look?" OK, FLOOR IT, NOW!.
San Diego is growing along with TJ. Won't be long before San Ysidro is an upscale neighborhood and border crossing times will be measured in days.
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gsbotanico
Nomad
Posts: 209
Registered: 7-28-2015
Location: Cardiff by the Sea, CA
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Quote: Originally posted by WhackAMolE  | Traffic in TJ is insane. It's a miracle there aren't more collisions. I take the Ready lane and sometimes when the traffic's backed up on Via Rapida
you take your life in your hands trying to merge in and then get over to the middle lane. Sometimes they let you in but I've seen people get angry
too. Lately I just drive south till I find the end of the line. Of course that provides more opportunities to get lost or have a near-miss. Driving in
TJ is always an adventure.
Stay safe out there.
[Edited on 7-21-2016 by WhackAMolE] |
Yes, getting into the Ready Lane is crazy scary. Before Ready Lanes I used to take this route to cross at San Ysidro. After I got Sentri I would use
the Vía Rapdia, but was able to stay to the right. It was the stop sign just before getting into the Sentri lane that made it crazy. When traffic
backed up into the Vía Rapida at least there would be a policeman at the stop sign controlling traffic.
Driving in Tijuana is a combination of caution and aggressiveness. The caution is to avoid accidents. The aggressiveness is to get to where you are
going in a reasonable amount of time. A little courtesy on the part of all drivers helps too.
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