The city is taking steps to reduce fatal crashes involving pedestrians along a heavily-trafficked stretch of East Central by modifying the road and installing safety features to warn drivers when people are about to cross the street. 

Seven pedestrians were killed crossing Central Avenue between Louisiana Blvd and Eubank Blvd so far this year, Mayor Tim Keller said at a press conference announcing the safety initiatives. Throughout the city, the department investigated a total of 57 crashes last year that resulted in pedestrians being seriously injured or killed and so far this year has investigated 14, according to a news release.

“Most of these crashes along Central have been similar and often avoidable,” Chief Harold Medina, said in a news release. “The impact on both victims who are struck and the drivers is very traumatic, and we want to decrease those types of outcomes as much as possible.”

The city began implementing ideas from the national Vision Zero program—which aims to reduce fatalities on streets—in 2019. 

“Our Vision Zero program uses a data-driven approach to identify and fix streets and intersections that are the most dangerous. Our data shows that a significant stretch of East Central needs help,” said Valerie Hermanson, Vision Zero Coordinator for the City of Albuquerque. “With APD’s help we hope to see a significant reduction in serious crashes in that area, and across the city.”

The city has already put in two additional pedestrian signals on Central Avenue—one at Conchas Street and one at San Pablo Street. Bernalillo County installed a signal at Utah Street. 

It has also re-striped Central Avenue east of Juan Tabo Blvd to slow traffic down, narrowed lanes and created right-turn only lanes to give driver’s more time to see pedestrians. So far there have been fewer crashes involving pedestrians, a city spokesperson said.

Additionally, spokesperson Dan Mayfield said the city is working with a vendor to install AI technology—called Pedestrian Activated Warning System—to light up yellow when it detects that a pedestrian has stepped off the curb.

“It will use our existing cameras to detect when a pedestrian steps off the curb, as opposed to simply walking on the sidewalk,” Mayfield said. “In the next few months we will set up a test light at Central and Cornell, an area that has a lot of foot traffic, to train the AI.”

He said the municipal department will work with APD to determine where the technology should go.

“We know that there are several spots east of Louisiana where these new lights could be useful. However, they need to integrate with our existing camera infrastructure.” 

Mayfield said the city also plans to install “median refuge islands” in the road as well but they are still in the design stages and have not yet been funded.