ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – There is some good news and some bad news when it comes to transportation trends since the pandemic. This is according to Central Regional Metropolitan Transportation Authority data for his 2022 data for Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance and Valencia counties.
There will be 135 fatal crashes in the Albuquerque metropolitan area in 2022, down from 171 the year before, according to the data. “So while we are seeing some progress, we are still well above 2019 levels,” said Willie Simon, transportation planner for the Mid-Region Urban Transit Authority.
Some recent data has experts scratching their heads. “What has surprised us since COVID-19 is that even though there are fewer cars on the road, the number of fatal crashes has increased,” Simon said. Ta.
He has a theory about what’s driving this trend. “COVID-19 and reduced traffic have given people more space to speed and drive aggressively on our roads,” he said. .
Data also shows that pedestrian fatalities are higher in areas with less traffic. Additionally, his 16% of pedestrian fatalities on the subway occur in the Central, from San Mateo to Eubank. “This is a very short stretch of the city center and is where many of the worst outcomes in the area occur in terms of pedestrian safety,” Mr Simon said.
The eastern part of Central is also an important priority area for the city, and hawk traffic lights were recently installed there. Simon said it was too early to tell how much of a difference the signal would make. “It’s going to take some time for pedestrians to start trusting pedestrians and for drivers to understand pedestrians and start yielding to pedestrians there,” he says.
In the meantime, experts are warning drivers to be more careful behind the wheel. “Everyone has a place, their lives are busy and people are stressed, but we need to be our brother’s keeper, look out for each other and make sacrifices for each other.” Simon said.
The report also showed that while alcohol-only fatalities are decreasing, drug-only fatalities are increasing. The group plans to continue using the data to work with cities and counties to make roads safer.
