United States Department of Transportation
ROSA P serves as an archival repository of USDOT-published products including scientific findings, journal articles, guidelines, recommendations, or other information authored or co-authored by USDOT or funded partners.
As a repository, ROSA P retains documents in their original published format to ensure public access to scientific information.
Details:
-
Creators:
-
Corporate Creators:
-
Corporate Contributors:
-
Subject/TRT Terms:
-
Publication/ Report Number:
-
Resource Type:
-
Geographical Coverage:
-
Edition:Final Report – June 2023 to May 2024
-
Corporate Publisher:
-
Abstract:New Mexico’s pedestrian fatality rate has been in the top ten for the United States (US) for 27 of the last 28 years. New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) roadways were host to 26.7% of the pedestrian crashes and 38.3% of the pedestrian fatal and serious injury (KA) crashes that occurred in New Mexico between 2015 and 2019. We identify an NMDOT Safety Priority profile consisting of NMDOT roads in urban areas with five lanes, signed at 35 mph, carrying about 10,000 or fewer vehicles per day, and with available roadway width (from outside of sidewalk to outside of sidewalk) of between 88-96 feet. Reconfigurations of similar roadways from across the country primarily consisted of reductions to three lanes (i.e., one travel lane in each direction with a two-way left-turn lane (TWLTL)), the addition of pedestrian amenities such as curb extensions or pedestrian refuges, and the installation of bicycle lanes. Based on the successful roadway reconfigurations that we identified and other past research, we made design recommendations that fundamentally shift the configuration of NMDOT roadways in urban areas by reducing the number of travel lanes and adding pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Reducing the number of lanes should reduce motor vehicle speeds, reduce turning conflicts, reduce crossing distance and complexity for pedestrians, and provide safe dedicated space for both pedestrians and bicyclists. Fundamentally rethinking the lane configuration will be a more economical method of improving traffic safety outcomes than spot-treatments such as adding traffic-controlled crossings along still fundamentally unsafe roadway corridors. Such reconfigurations may also help to build a sense of place and generate investment in the downtown areas through which they pass.
-
Format:
-
Funding:
-
Collection(s):
-
Main Document Checksum:
-
Download URL:
-
File Type:
[PDF-54.71 MB]
