The City of Albuquerque announced Tuesday that it is working to make one of the city’s more dangerous streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
Department of Municipal Development Director Jennifer Turner said in a statement that updates to Louisiana Boulevard between Gibson Boulevard and Central Avenue are part of a larger push to make city roads safer.
“We’re investing in critical design improvements to keep everyone safe, no matter how you use the road,” she said.
Louisiana has a reputation for being unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists, according to the High Fatal and Injury Network map. The city will start to restripe Louisiana in order to make new bike lanes. The project will also add a traffic signal system to better manage traffic flow, making it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to cross at intersections.
The work is scheduled to take 45 days and is estimated to cost around $1 million. The project will be funded by money generated by the city’s Automated Speed Enforcement program.
Enrique Cardiel, executive director of the Health Equity Council, said the updates are a needed improvement.
“This project will help reduce the number of accidents in the area, and really help pedestrians,” Cardiel said. The slower speeds and bike lanes should help keep the neighborhood safer.”