This morning another person was killed trying to walk across Coors Boulevard between Rio Bravo Blvd. and Las Estancias SW. Our count makes this at least three walking deaths since 2016, with other incidents related here and here.

Living close to this stretch of Coors in the far South Valley, and with all these incidents, the subject of how inhumanely dangerous this goddamn corridor is has taken up perhaps more blog space at Better Burque than any other. Several of those posts included details about a long-standing red light at Coors/Las Estancias that government officials have never “warranted” (i.e., made functional), and that ABQ Ride bus stops still exist on the west side of Coors here, with no even remotely safe means to get there for thousands of feet from the shops/restaurants/medical facilities on the east side of Coors.

Not that it’s surprising, but all this BB blog space hasn’t accomplished squat in terms of getting that red light “turned on,” removing those west side bus stops, or doing a single goddamn thing that would make this deadly stretch any less so. Like all of us in this matter, BB has failed. Just as the only graphic we’ll ever see about an incident in which, almost surely, a driver in a vehicle going around 60 mph struck a human being. You can imagine what that really looks like, but all we’re gonna get is this useless goddamn clip art of a police car “Christmas Tree.”

That graphic ironically captures my personal feeling of failure about this. And it pisses me off that we’re gonna only stop failing when yet another person dies, but this has gone on long enough. It’s ridiculously complicated in governmental/bureaucratic overlap, but BB understands that the signature needed to have the red light at Coors/Las Estancias turned on sits on Mayor Keller’s desk.

Here’s the link to an online form to “Email the Mayor”

The Mayor’s Office phone number is 505-768-3000. When I called this morning, I was directed to a guy named “Doug.” So ask for Doug.

Mayor Keller’s Twitter handle is @MayorKeller

ABQ Ride is, obviously, in charge of where bus stops are located. I don’t have a name that will makes getting in touch with right person faster, but ABQ Ride’s main number 505-243-7433.

If you’re up to it, feel free to contact the other jurisdictions involved in this matter, including NMDOT, Bernalillo County, the real estate developer, Walmart, etc., but contacting the Mayor and ABQ Ride should will lead to correcting the red light and bus stop debacles.

Of course, addressing the fundamental dangers in creating a high-speed stroad like Coors Boulevard in the first place, then putting all these incentives to walk across/along it without anything close to adequate attention in making it safe to walk…that’s gonna take some time. And there’s unfortunately far too many similar stretches around town, including other stretches of Coors Boulevard.

First things first. I marked out “should” above because this is going to happen. This has gone on too goddamn long. Thanks for your help.