06/02/2025
From the Reimagining Albuquerque blog:
In the spring of 1956, former Albuquerque Mayor and City Commissioner Clyde Tingley—one of the most influential political figures in the city’s history—stood firmly against the proposed I-25 freeway through the heart of town. “It’s the biggest foolish, jackass-type of thing I’ve heard of in a long time,” he said, calling for a caravan of Albuquerqueans to march on Santa Fe and demand answers from the governor. Tingley wasn’t alone in his concern, but he was unusually blunt. While many civic leaders saw the promise of federal dollars and equated freeways with modernity, Tingley saw clearly what the project would destroy: businesses, churches, playgrounds, homes. “It’s a shame and a disgrace,” he said. “The people of the city and county should rise up against it.”
