New Mexico leads the nation in pedestrian fatalities and under resourced communities and neighborhoods across the state have born a disproportionate share of that burden. In an effort to combat this reality, the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) selected Alta for the state’s Pedestrian Safety On-Call, a targeted effort of numerous tasks designed to define the issue, identify priorities, and raise awareness around pedestrian safety issues.
This work began with the preparation of the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. Alta, supported by teaming partners Bohannan Huston, Inc. and Groundworks Studio, assessed safety data, conducted extensive public outreach, and prepared an action plan that prioritizes policy and design actions to be undertaken by NMDOT to improve pedestrian safety, particularly on state operated roadways.
The Pedestrian Safety Action Plan was immediately followed by Pedestrian Safety Trainings, a top priority of the action plan itself, in order to raise awareness around common pedestrian safety issues for NMDOT staff and the consultants who engage with NMDOT on roadway design. Best practices, proven safety countermeasures, and FHWA’s Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) were focus topics of the training itself. Over 200 people attended the safety trainings.
Finally, Alta worked with NMDOT to prepare pedestrian safety educational materials for the public, including a “how-to guide” for Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons. A Pedestrian Safety Brochure was developed to educate the public on New Mexico laws related to pedestrians and common safety issues experienced by pedestrians on the State’s roadways. This also included a Pedestrian Safety Driver Education Presentation that can be used by instructors teaching driver education and defensive driving courses across New Mexico.
