ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — This week there was yet another deadly pedestrian crash in the International District. A man was walking north on Louisana Boulevard when he fell into oncoming traffic.

This isn’t the first time we have seen people get killed by drivers in the area. Last year there were more than 50 fatal pedestrian crashes, and there have been 11 so far this year.  

The Vision Zero Project aims to eliminate pedestrian deaths in New Mexico but on Wednesday there was another fatal crash right in front of their mural. City officials say they have been working on making the area safer but their efforts are focusing on Central, not necessarily spilling onto these side streets.

“We have been aware of these issues, and we have been working on this whole stretch of Central for a while,” said Dan Mayfield, public information officer with the city’s Department of Municipal Development.

In 2020, the city did a safety audit of Louisiana Boulevard with help from the Federal Highway Administration. The 150-page report suggested many changes needed to be made to make the corridor safer for pedestrians.

“We retimed all the lights there, we added HAWK signals, and special crossings for the elementary schools because a lot of kids walk, and we are really excited with how that project turned out going all the way to Gibson,” Mayfield said.

But those improvements stopped at Central. The city doesn’t have improvements planned for the stretch between Central and Lomas, where the latest pedestrian death happened.

Instead, the city is turning its attention to the historic Route 66. In the last year they have reduced the speed limit, changed some portions from six lanes down to four, and installed crosswalk lights. Next, they plan on adding more mid-block crosswalks by 2025.

“A lot of these streets there is a long stretch between intersections and people don’t want to walk to the next intersection, they just want to cross, so what we are trying to do is give them all the options they have to cross safely,” Mayfield said.

The city is even testing AI technology that would use cameras to detect when a person is crossing Central. It would activate lights warning drivers, but that project is still years out from implementation.

But Mayfield adds these safety measures only work if drivers follow the rules of the road.