CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY FIFTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO.
O-22-44 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Brook Bassan and Isaac Benton, by request
ORDINANCE
title
Amending Chapter 8, Article 2, Part 7 Of The Traffic Code, Relating To Pedestrian Safety In Medians And Pedestrian-Vehicle Interactions (Bassan, Benton, by request)
body
AMENDING CHAPTER 8, ARTICLE 2, PART 7 OF THE TRAFFIC CODE, RELATING TO PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IN MEDIANS AND PEDESTRIAN-VEHICLE INTERACTIONS.
WHEREAS, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 6,000 pedestrians die and 75,000 are injured by encounters with vehicle traffic annually; and
WHEREAS, New Mexico was among the worst states for pedestrian fatalities per 1,000,000 population from 2009 through 2019, and had the highest rate of pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 population in 2019, the latest year for which data is available; and
WHEREAS, one source of pedestrian deaths or injuries is the occupation of medians that are not designed for use by pedestrians; and
WHEREAS, Albuquerque suffered an unfortunate and avoidable tragedy on September 15, 2020, when Rachanda Myers, a mother of three boys, was killed after being struck by a vehicle while sitting in a narrow section of the median on the Pan American Freeway; and
WHEREAS, communities across New Mexico and the country have also reported pedestrian injuries and deaths resulting from people occupying medians. Numerous examples were cited in support of the amendment to Chapter 8, Article 1, Part 1, Section 2. Throughout the country, those deaths and injuries have continued. For example:
* In September 2019 a Redwood City, California police officer lost control of his vehicle and struck two pedestrians, including one standing in a median (https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/redwood-city-officer-loses-control-hits-pedestrian-2-vehicles/1961050);
* In February 2020, a man standing in a ...
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