Albuquerque officials have announced a comprehensive set of roadway safety improvements along Central Avenue, building on significant reductions in traffic crashes that have occurred this year.
The city reported a 47% reduction in all fatal and serious injury crashes along the Central Avenue corridor year-to-date, with pedestrian and bicycle serious injury crashes down 56%, according to Albuquerque Police Department data.
“Roadway safety is one of the biggest concerns for our city, especially along East Central,” Mayor Tim Keller said in a press release. “We have already seen encouraging progress, and now we are doubling down on improvements that are going to make a real difference.”
The new safety enhancements include the installation of nearly 200 solar lights, two additional pedestrian signals known as HAWK lights at Britt and Dorothy streets, and an AI-powered Pedestrian Activated Warning System that recognizes when pedestrians begin crossing and alerts drivers with flashing yellow lights.
The city also plans to restripe Central Avenue east of Juan Tabo to create right-turn-only lanes and narrow existing lanes to reduce speeds. The street will be reduced from six lanes to four lanes, with the addition of Business Access and Transit lanes to keep outer lanes clear.
Other improvements include median refuge islands that allow pedestrians to cross the busy street in two stages, median fencing to direct pedestrians to safe crossing locations, and mid-block crossings to reduce the distance pedestrians must walk to find legal crossing points.
The speed limit along Central Avenue will be reduced to 35 mph.
“Our Vision Zero program uses a data-driven approach to identify and fix streets and intersections that are the most dangerous,” said Valerie Hermanson, Vision Zero coordinator for the city. “Our data shows that a significant stretch of East Central needs help.”
Police Chief Harold Medina emphasized that enforcement alone cannot solve traffic safety issues.
“APD enforcement is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to improving the amount of crashes along Central,” Medina said. “That’s why we work with DMD and Vision Zero so closely, to work together to find long-term, viable solutions.”
The crash reduction data released by APD shows all traffic fatalities down 55% year-to-date, pedestrian and bike fatalities down 34%, and all serious injury crashes down 60% along the Central Avenue corridor.
Jennifer Turner, director of the Department of Municipal Development, called the project a “huge glow-up” for the street that should help drivers and pedestrians share the road safely.
Albuquerque began implementing Vision Zero strategies in 2019, a national program aimed at reducing traffic fatalities through data-driven street improvements and enhanced enforcement.