SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF CRASHES IN LAS CRUCES

SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF CRASHES IN LAS CRUCES

Purpose The purpose of this project was to identify and analyze areas within the Las Cruces urbanized area that are experiencing recurring patterns of crashes, specifically those that occur at signalized intersections. Included was analysis of the conditions that might contribute to said crashes. Using the information gained from this study, along with a general understanding of crash trends, we can begin to make recommendations regarding safety needs and improvements to minimize the potential for crashes. The Federal Highway Administration recently released safety performance measure guidelines and this work is part of our effort to comply with those guidelines.

Overall Procedure This analysis examines the years 2012, 2013, and 2014. The specific areas of the analysis were the 121 signalized intersections located within the Las Cruces urbanized area. Finally, Staff combined the resulting data with the AADT traffic volumes in order to calculate the intersection crash rate. The intersection crash rate is a useful tool examine the relative safety of an intersection beyond just the raw crash total.

AADT and Intersection Crash Rate AADT stands for Annual Average Daily Traffic. This is the average volume of traffic flowing over a particular road segment. This is data obtained from the MPO traffic count program Intersection Crash Rate is used to measure the number of crashes controlling for the number of entering vehicles. It is calculated as follows Volume is calculated by the dividing the sum of the AADT s of each of the legs at a particular intersection

Terminology Property Damage Only crashes are crashes that involve damage only to any of the vehicle Injury Crashes are crashes that involve personal injury to any of the parties involved Fatal crashes are crashes that result in the death of at least one of the parties involved

Results

INTERSECTION Top 25 Property Damage Only Crashes 2012-2014 Lohman & Roadrunner Solano & Spruce Boutz & Valley Amador & Valley Missouri & Triviz Avenida De Mesilla & Valley Solano & University Idaho & Solano El Paseo & Union & University Avenida De Mesilla & Idaho & Main Avenida De Mesilla & Hickory Locust & University Boutz & El Paseo & Missouri Main & Valley Bataan Memorial West & Del Rey Lohman & Walnut Spruce & Triviz El Paseo & Idaho Triviz & University Main & Solano & Spitz Picacho & Valley Main & Picacho Lohman & Walton Elks & Main & Triviz Lohman & Telshor 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 NUMBER OF CRASHES

INTERSECTION Top 25 Injury Crashes 2012-2014 Main & Union Madrid & Main Don Roser & Las Alturas & University Amador & Valley Idaho & Solano El Paseo & Idaho Alameda & El Paseo & Main Solano & Spruce Avenida De Mesilla & Valley Lohman & Solano Triviz & University Boutz & El Paseo & Missouri Missouri & Triviz Spruce & Triviz Amador & Main Amador & Solano Main & Valley Lohman & Telshor Foothills & Lohman Elks & Main & Triviz Picacho & Valley Main & Solano & Spitz Bataan Memorial West & Del Rey Lohman & Walnut Lohman & Walton 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 NUMBER OF CRASHES

INTERSECTION Top 25 Fatal Crashes 2012-2014 Triviz & University 0 1 NUMBER OF CRASHES

INTERSECTION Bicycle Involved Crashes 2012-2014 Madrid & Solano 2 Avenida De Mesilla & Calle Del Norte El Paseo & Wyatt Alameda & Picacho Spruce & Triviz Amador & Motel Solano & University Hoagland & Valley Don Roser & Las Alturas & University Lohman & Solano Amador & Main Alameda & Amador Boutz & El Paseo & Missouri Amador & Valley Madrid & Main Main & Union Bamert & Picacho & Shalem Colony Locust & Missouri Idaho & Solano Missouri & Triviz Lohman & Walnut Locust & University Lohman & Walton Alameda & Lohman Stern & Union Alameda & El Paseo & Main 0 1 2 NUMBER OF CRASHES Bicycle Involved Crashes Stats and Factors

INTERSECTION Pedestrian Involved Crashes 2012-2014 Mesquite & Spruce Camino Del Rex & El Camino Real & Main Amador & Campo Solano & University Hoagland & Valley Del Rey & Northrise & Telshor Carver & Main Las Cruces & Water Bataan Memorial West & Del Rey Main & Union Foothills & Lohman Lohman & Roadrunner El Paseo & Idaho Avenida De Mesilla & Hickory Missouri & Triviz Lohman & Walnut Avenida De Mesilla & Valley Lohman & Walton Hadley & Valley Locust & University Pedestrian Involved Crashes Stats and Factors 0 1 2 3 NUMBER OF CRASHES

Federal Requirements As of this year, as part of the FAST Act, FHWA now requires State DOTs and MPOs to set Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) targets for 5 safety performance measures: 1. Number of fatalities 2. Rate of fatalities 3. Number of serious injuries 4. Rate of serious injuries 5. Number of non-motorized fatalities and non-motorized serious injuries

MPO Tasks MPOs have the option to plan and program projects so they contribute to the accomplishment of State DOT HSIP targets or committing to a quantifiable HSIP target for the MPO area. If an MPO agrees to support State HSIP targets, the MPO would: Work with State and safety stakeholders to address areas of concern Coordinate with the State to include the HSIP performance measures in the MTP Integrate into the metropolitan planning process the performance measures included in all other relevant State documents Include a description in the TIP of the anticipated effect of the TIP toward achieving HSIP targets in the MTP, linking investment priorities in the TIP to the safety targets If an MPO establishes its own HSIP target, the MPO would: Establish HSIP targets for the MPO area Estimate vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for the MPO area Include HSIP performance measures in the MTP Integrate into the metropolitan planning process the performance measures included in all other relevant State documents Include a description in the TIP of the anticipated effect of the TIP toward achieving HSIP targets in the MTP, linking investment priorities in the TIP to the safety targets

MPO Tasks MPO Staff must expand the geographic scope of the analysis and will have to apply Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) considerations. Over the coming months, the MPO will have to determine whether it will support the NMDOT HSIP target or whether it will establish its own HSIP targets.

Questions and Info Tom Murphy, MPO Officer Andrew Wray, Transportation Planner Michael McAdams, Transportation Planner Dominic Loya, Acting Planning Technician Marcus Lopez, Co-Op Cody Sensiba, Co-Op 700 North Main P.O. BOX 20000 Las Cruces, NM 88001 Phone: (575) 528-3043 http://mesillavalleympo.org For more information about the Transportation Planning Process for the Mesilla Valley MPO: http://mesillavalleympo.org/mpo-documents-resources/