During a recent government meeting, officials discussed the implementation of New Mexico's Target 0 initiative, a transformative program aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities across the state. This initiative, akin to the national Vision Zero movement, seeks to address New Mexico's alarming pedestrian fatality rates, which have been the highest per capita in the nation since 2016.

Miss Gloria Savas highlighted the concerning statistics, noting that traffic fatalities in New Mexico rose from 392 in 2018 to 466 in 2022, marking a 19% increase. The state's traffic fatality rate stands at 1.73 per 100 million vehicular miles traveled, surpassing the national average of 1.33 in 2022.

While the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) has committed to coordinating various plans to achieve Target 0, officials admitted that a specific timeline for reaching this goal remains uncertain. Questions linger about whether the target could be met by 2040 or even 2050.

In conjunction with this initiative, the strategic plan for fiscal years 2023 through 2033 includes a task to formulate a resolution for Vision Zero. Mayor and Chair Garcia indicated that legislation related to this resolution would soon be presented, signaling a proactive approach to addressing the state's traffic safety crisis.