S U R F A C E   T R A N S P O R T A T I O N  P O L I C Y   P R O J E C T
1001 Marquette Ave. NW 
Albuquerque, NM 87102

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                            November 21, 2002
CONTACT: DeAnza Valencia (505) 243-8666 
Full Report Available at:  www.transact.org

NEW MEXICO’S MEAN STREETS:
NEW MEXICO RANKS HIGHEST IN PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES FOR 2000-2001

National Report ranks Most Dangerous Metro Areas for Walking and finds Pedestrian Safety Funding Remains Low Despite Rising Pedestrian Fatalities

Albuquerque, NM – Once again, New Mexico is at the top of one of the nation’s worst lists.  A new national report shows that in 2000 and 2001 New Mexico, with 120 pedestrian fatalities, has the nation’s highest average pedestrian fatality rate.  The report shows New Mexico with a 3.3 average annual pedestrian fatality rate per 100,000 residents – is the highest in the nation. 

The report, “Mean Streets 2002,” analyzes federal safety and spending databases and finds that while 12 percent of all national traffic deaths are pedestrians, less than one percent of federal transportation dollars goes to protecting people on foot.  In New Mexico, spending on pedestrian projects amounts to only 0.9% of our federal transportation dollars.  

The Surface Transportation Policy Project’s study also ranks metropolitan areas according to their danger to walkers, by calculating deaths per capita and the amount of walking in the community.  The City of Albuquerque’s pedestrian danger index (PDI) total is at 45.1  placing it 6^th relative to other large metro areas.  Albuquerque’s PDI ranking is higher than other surrounding cities like Denver, Tucson and Phoenix. 

The report also shows that in Albuquerque, 22.4 percent of all traffic deaths were pedestrians, much higher than the national average of 11.8 percent.  A total of 48 pedestrians died in Albuquerque in 2000 and 2001.  Las Cruces at 20.2 percent and Santa Fe at 12 percent, also had percentages of pedestrian traffic deaths higher than the national average.

New Mexico needs real investment in pedestrian safety.  Many New Mexico communities lack sidewalks, bike paths, street crossings , and other elements necessary to provide safe walking environments – especially for children.  Almost 11 percent of all pedestrian deaths nationally are children.  New Mexico’s fatality rate for children is above the national average, and according to the report, Native American children have a death rate 2.5 times that of other ethnic and racial groups within New Mexico.

“New Mexico should be doing much more to protect our children walking to school, our seniors walking to the store and everyone else who walks,” says DeAnza Valencia, the Director of the New Mexico office of the Surface Transportation Policy Project.  “Our state and federal investment in pedestrian safety should match the percentage of pedestrian traffic deaths.”

The report also finds that dangerous streets are discouraging people from walking and may be contributing to the rise in obesity.  According to federal transportation and health surveys, the portion of Americans walking to work has dropped 26 percent in the last ten years, while the percentage of overweight Americans has grown by 60 percent. 

Wide, high-speed streets without sidewalks and few crossing points increase the dangers faced by walkers, according to the report, which lists some of the deadliest stretches of road in the United States.  “Making our community safer for walking should be a higher priority," said Melinda Smith of 1000 Friends of New Mexico. 

Congress will have a historic opportunity to address this issue next year when it takes up renewal of the nation's surface transportation law, TEA-21. At issue is how over $200 billion in federal transportation funds will be spent.  New Mexico’s Senator Pete Domenici will play a key role as a member of the Senate’s Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee.

"We call on Senator Pete Domenici and the rest of the New Mexico Congressional Delegation, to support a Safe Routes to Schools program to make it safer for kids to keep healthy by walking and biking to school, " added Gail Ryba, the Executive Director of the New Mexico Bicycle Coalition.

The Surface Transportation Policy Project makes the following recommendations to protect the lives of walkers:

1. Match the Level of Funding to the Level of the Problem.  If 11.8 percent of traffic fatalities nationally are pedestrians, a similar amount of safety funding should be directed to protecting walker safety. Investments in pedestrian facilities should be highest in the areas where the most walkers are killed.
2. Build Walk-Friendly Streets.  State and local governments should include safe access for bicyclists and pedestrians in all non-restricted transportation facilities.
3. Safe Routes to School Program Nationally and in New Mexico .  Create a new federal source of funding for building bicycle and pedestrian facilities and calming traffic around schools in the next federal transportation law.  Encourage New Mexico lawmakers to use transportation funds to make it easier for children to bike and walk to school.

STPP is a national not for profit coalition of more than 800 organizations working to ensure that transportation policy and investments strengthen the economy, promote social equity, and make communities more livable.

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