Road Warrior: Coming full circle on roundabout data

Alaina Mencinger, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
·3 min read

Apr. 22—CRASH DATA ROUNDED UP: Haunted by the ghost of Road Warrior columns past, I am revisiting a March column in which I vowed to report the crash data for Albuquerque roundabouts before and after they were installed.

To keep my word, I now have that data for two of the three roundabouts installed in the past five years. Reliable state data is only available through 2022, so Albuquerque's newest roundabout at Holly and Ventura NE will be left off the list. That roundabout was also constructed by a private developer, not the city.

That leaves two: the roundabout at Rio Grande and Candelaria NW and the one at 12th and Menaul NW.

Rio Grande and CandelariaIn the three years before the roundabout was installed, there were 22 crashes at the intersection. About 40% of those caused injuries.

After it was installed in 2019, there were 15 crashes in the next three years, with two causing injuries — a 78% reduction in injury crashes and a 32% decrease in total crashes.

That follows national trends, which show a marked decrease in serious crashes with injuries or death after a roundabout is installed.

"We love to see numbers like this," city Department of Municipal Development spokesperson Dan Mayfield said.

12th and MenaulThe installation of a roundabout at 12th and Menaul had a more subdued effect on crash data. Before the roundabout was installed, between 2017 and 2019, there were an average of 13 crashes per year. On average, about one-third of those crashes caused injuries.

After the roundabout was added in 2021, there were an average of 11.5 crashes per year, and three injury crashes — a decrease of about 12% in total crashes. Data from 2020 is unavailable, as the intersection was closed for much of that time.

"Roundabouts are safer," Mayfield said. "But one key thing to mention, too, about roundabouts is that they do a great job of keeping traffic flowing, which cuts down on commute times and air pollution. Also, stop-and-go traffic situations are the hardest on your car, so keeping a car moving also helps prolong the life of a car."

I'VE GOT 98TH PROBLEMS ...: Construction on a major intersection revamp at 98th and Gibson SW is expected to start today,kicking off a six-month traffic detour.

Traffic headed west on Gibson will be detoured north on Barbados, then west on 86th/De Anza. Traffic headed east on Gibson will be detoured south on Blake, then north on Mustang Ridge. Traffic headed south on 98th will be detoured west on De Anza, then south on Blake. Traffic headed north on 98th will be detoured east on Blake, then north on Mustang Ridge. Currently, the intersection works as a four-way stop. After an estimated 10 months of construction that will turn into a four-way traffic signal with new striping, lighting and left-turn signals, as well as a pedestrian safety feature — a rectangular rapid flashing beacon — for the Amole Arroyo Trail crossing.The changes will help the roads keep up with the "growing" Westgate neighborhood, Department of Municipal Development interim director Jennifer Turner said in a statement.