Safer Streets

Road safety has reached a critical juncture with pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities at historic highs across the United States. New Mexico consistently ranks among states with the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the nation, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for impactful research and intervention. Despite numerous safety initiatives, our roads continue to grow more dangerous, particularly in rural areas where 43% of roadway fatalities occur despite serving only 20% of the U.S. population.

The Safer Streets Grand Challenge currently brings together an interdisciplinary team of civil engineers, architects, designers, technologists, sociologists, urbanists, and landscape architects to tackle this complex public health issue. Led by the Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and the Predock Center for Design and Research, we're approaching road safety holistically, addressing infrastructure design alongside behavioral, cultural, and environmental factors. Our three-phase approach will first investigate factors contributing to traffic fatalities and build team capabilities, then refine analysis while pursuing external funding, and finally implement innovative solutions. The team will leverage designated Bicyclist and Pedestrian Safety Months (May and October) to organize safer street summits, workshops, policy roundtables, design sprints, and demonstrations using virtual reality simulations.

Conveners

Lisa L. Losada-Rojas, Assistant Professor, Gerald May Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering

Alex Webb, Associate Professor of Emergent Technology and Director of the Predock Center for Design Research, SAAP Architecture Program

Members

Catherine Harris, Landscape Architecture Department

Nick Ferenchak, Gerald May Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety

Kiwoong Park, Sociology

Andrea Polli, Art, Mesa Del Sol Endowed Chair in Digital Media, and Director of STEAM NM

Michaele Pride, Architecture, Associate Dean for Student Equity & Excellence, School of Architecture and Planning and Director of the Design and Planning Assistance Center.

Stewart Skylar Copeland, Director of UNM ARTSLab, Experimental Art & Technology, College of Fine Arts

Maryam Hojati, Gerald May Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering

Ashley Lazevnick, College of Fine Arts and School of Architecture and Planning

Contact

We encourage individuals with expertise in emergency medicine, public health, economics, and public policy to join us in enhancing our research on safety.

Email: Safer Streets