Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3766-9205

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

Winter 2024

Abstract

This work analyzed the pedestrian safety and overall traffic safety impacts – in terms of both motor vehicle speeds and crash outcomes – of several countermeasures applied to the Central Avenue arterial corridor in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Findings suggest that the infrastructure changes associated with a bus rapid transit (BRT) system improved traffic safety by reducing vehicle 85th percentile speeds by 11.5% and reducing serious and fatal injuries by 60.0%. While pedestrian safety outcomes were more variable, pedestrians generally fared better on BRT segments than on control segments. The mechanism behind these improvements was traffic calming through the BRT’s road diet and left turn restrictions from both raised medians and signalization control. A painted road diet on another section of Central Avenue was found to reduce 85th percentile vehicle speeds by 1.6%. HAWK signals installed on Central Avenue and other arterial roads showed no significant improvements for either crash outcomes or pedestrian behavior. Findings suggest that physical changes to traffic calm and reduce conflicts along the entire length of arterial corridors are superior to providing spot treatments such as controlled crossings when trying to improve safety for both pedestrians and motor vehicle occupants.

Comments

Tran-SET Project 22SAUNM18

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