In the last seven months, the region has been shaken by two tragic traffic fatalities: Santa Fe resident Phil Leonard and former LANL director Dr. Charles McMillan, both victims of head-on collisions. With many workers commuting from Santa Fe, road safety is a concern for everyone.
My latest article explores the systemic issues contributing to these accidents, the challenges faced by commuters, and the lack of progress on road safety despite official commitments. We’re taking a closer look at the reasons behind these tragedies and discussing potential solutions.
If you’re worried about your commute’s safety or want to learn about upcoming changes, read the full story on Boomtown.
If they would simply commit to building train tracks up there, everyone could reach work safely, punctually, and with reduced pollution. However, that seems too sensible for them to consider. It’s evident that the lab doesn’t prioritize the needs of its commuters.
It frustrates me that those in power focus on ineffective solutions like “education,” “enforcement,” and “cameras,” while the real solutions acknowledge the humanity of individuals. Traffic calming measures through road design are effective—not for calming drivers, but for reducing traffic itself. When traffic is less congested, there are fewer vehicle-related injuries. Promoting telework and other locations can also reduce traffic, as can developing local housing. There are psychological strategies, or “nudges,” that can subtly encourage people to drive more slowly, along with the use of physical barriers when needed.
However, in the U.S., what motivation do counties or states have to invest in costly solutions? Such initiatives would need funding. Sadly, traffic fatalities are often met with sympathy but don’t impact budgets. Could a series of targeted lawsuits shift government agency priorities? (I mention this as someone who dislikes the misuse of the legal system).
Thank you for looking into and addressing this issue. My primary concern for my safety revolves around this commute, which can certainly be made safer. Achieving that will require time, financial investment, and effort, but the lab is capable of reaching ambitious goals if there is political and institutional support. I believe it is the lab’s duty to prevent the health risks faced by its employees from being transferred to them and the surrounding communities. LANL should engage with the city, state, and their police departments to explore how lab funds can be utilized to create a safer commuting experience. I envision that a portion of the lab’s substantial budget could be allocated to hire additional city and state traffic officers. While I cannot comment on Albuquerque, the route from Santa Fe to Los Alamos should be consistently monitored and strictly enforced during peak commuting hours at the very least, as we develop and implement further improvements. This need for safety is particularly pressing as LANL plans to increase onsite requirements for hybrid and remote employees, leading to more frequent and congested commutes.
Great write-up. Speeding isn’t typically a problem during the commute up and down the hill. Both fatal accidents were clearly due to inattention. It’s common knowledge that texting while driving is dangerous, so I’m not sure how education would make a difference. The most effective way to reduce accidents would likely be to lower traffic density, which would require a three-pronged strategy: increasing housing in LA County (nearly impossible), boosting public transit ridership (costly), and constructing another road, likely through Buckman (politically unfeasible and expensive).