Changes in crash types and contributing factors after bus rapid transit (BRT) infrastructure installation in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Abstract

Bus rapid transit (BRT) is an increasingly popular form of public transportation that seeks to achieve the speed and reliability of fixed rail with the flexibility and affordability of a bus system. In this paper, we examine safety outcomes before and after the construction of BRT infrastructure, specifically investigating how different crash types and contributing factors changed for all motor vehicle crashes and for pedestrian crashes. New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) provided crash data for the Central Avenue corridor of the Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) system in Albuquerque, NM. The construction of ART correlated with significant reductions in crashes attributed to excessive speed (for all modes) and left turning vehicles (for all modes and pedestrians). Crashes attributed to excessive speed decreased by 19.1 % (p = 0.059) after ART construction while crashes attributed to excessive speed resulting in fatal or serious (KA) injury decreased 100.0 % (p < 0.001). Although the number of KA pedestrian crashes increased 15.2 % (p = 0.272), KA pedestrian crashes involving a left-turning motor vehicle decreased by 80.0 % (p = 0.070). For all modes, crashes involving left-turning vehicles decreased by 34.8 % (p < 0.001) and crashes involving left-turning vehicles resulting in a KA injury decreased by 87.5 % (p = 0.009). This research provides insights into the multimodal traffic safety implications of the burgeoning public transportation mode of BRT.