Councilors approve Comprehensive Safety Action Plan
By Molly Ann Howell
Managing Editor
Gallup city officials are taking the necessary steps to make the community safer.
During a November city council meeting, a consultant from Bohannan Huston presented an update on the City of Gallup Comprehensive Safety Action Plan. This plan ensures Gallup meets federal requirements for future “Safe Streets and Roads for All” funding. Subsequently, consultant Clare Haley returned to the council during their April 28 meeting to present the finalized plan for official approval.
The SS4A program is a federal initiative that grants funds to regional, local, and tribal projects aimed at preventing roadway fatalities and serious injuries. Between Fiscal Years 2022 and 2025, the program has provided $3.9 billion to over 2,000 communities across all 50 states and Puerto Rico. While the federal government covers the bulk of the costs, the city must provide a 20% local match to access these funds.
To qualify for this potential funding, Gallup had to complete a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan—a data-driven roadmap designed to eliminate traffic fatalities. Additionally, the plan requires Gallup to make a “Vision Zero Commitment,” a public pledge by city leaders to eliminate most or all traffic deaths, acknowledging that such tragedies are preventable and unacceptable.
Haley began her presentation by revealing the crash data Bohannan Huston gathered during their research. Specifically, they found that between 2019 and 2023, Gallup saw over 3,000 car crashes. These accidents killed 32 people and seriously injured 95 others. Within those figures, 15 fatal crashes and 18 serious injuries involved pedestrians.
Furthermore, Haley compared Gallup’s fatality rate to state and national averages. While the U.S. averages 12.2 annual roadway deaths and New Mexico averages 20.9, Gallup’s rate stands significantly higher at 30.9.
“I bring this up not to be negative, but just to highlight how important this issue is,” Haley said, emphasizing the urgency of the Vision Zero goal.
During the discussion, Councilor Sarah Piano, Dist. 3, asked if lighting contributed to the high crash volume. Haley explained that while dark conditions played a factor, investigators couldn’t narrow the cause down to a single issue.
“There’s really not one thing that’s going to fix this,” she said. “It’s a lot of different things that come together.”
As part of the preparation process, Bohannan Huston conducted a survey in February to identify the roadway priorities of Gallup citizens. Based on 215 responses, residents expressed a clear preference for location-specific projects, corridor construction, and intersection improvements. Among the top priorities, participants suggested coordinating with schools for driver education, creating a “Safe Routes to School” program, and improving Aztec Avenue from Munoz Drive to Tocito Trail. The entire list of top priorities can be found on the city’s website under the April 28 meeting agenda.
Haley also mentioned that the city aims to adjust speed limits to fit the context of specific roadways.
Regarding public opinion on Vision Zero, Haley reported that while residents didn’t agree on specific language, they showed general support for the initiative. While 41% of surveyors preferred a goal of reducing fatalities by 50% by 2045, 36% supported the more ambitious goal of total elimination.
Haley acknowledged that total elimination is a lofty, aspirational goal that will take time.
“We know it’s an aspirational goal for a lot of communities, it’s going to take a long time to get there,” she said. “But it does show good intentions and that Gallup is taking this issue seriously, that’s what the federal government wants to see when they approve these grants.”
Before the final vote, City Manager Frank Chiapetti Jr. recommended adding an addendum to include a rail study. This study would collect data on accidents involving trains for later review. Chiapetti also noted that the Safety Action Plan might help the city secure funding from the New Mexico Department of Transportation.
The council approved the plan, and voted to set a Vision Zero goal to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2045.
