MPO launches Borderplex Safe Mobility Plan, identifies 10% of roads accounting for three‑quarters of fatal and serious crashes

The El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization on March 17 presented the Borderplex Safe Mobility Plan, a data‑driven road‑safety assessment and action plan intended to reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries across the MPO region.

MPO executive director Eduardo Calvo and project manager Ann Galante said the planning effort — funded in part by a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant with a required local match supplied by the county — has produced an initial high‑injury network based on crash records. Consultant analysis presented by Andrew (project consultant) showed that roughly 10% of centerline miles in the MPO area account for about 76% of fatal and serious crashes; the consultants used a five‑year crash window (2019–2023) and a weighted sliding‑window method used in best practice analyses to identify segments of concentrated severe collisions.

The MPO launched an interactive online dashboard that allows residents to view crash locations, filter by crash type (pedestrian, bicyclist, motor vehicle), and review the team’s analysis. Ann Galante said the plan will recommend near‑term and longer‑term countermeasures that include infrastructure projects, policy changes and education/enforcement strategies. The plan’s project list is intended to make local proposals eligible for future implementation grants, including another round of SS4A implementation funding and other federal programs.

MPO staff outlined an outreach calendar with pop‑up events across precincts beginning the week of the presentation and said a public survey is live; staff said they expect the final plan to be available this fall, with a “meat‑and‑potatoes” phase in summer focused on specific projects, policies and funding needs.

Commissioners and staff asked how the plan treats construction‑related traffic shifts and whether congestion and detours could move risk to other corridors; project staff said the approach will examine features correlated with severe crashes (speed, lighting, lane configuration, proximity to schools) and add mechanisms to score future roadways so the priorities remain current. Commissioner Stout urged consideration of Vision Zero‑style targets and said the county should consider adopting a zero‑fatalities ambition as part of broader strategic planning.

The MPO asked the court to help amplify outreach to smaller municipalities and neighborhood organizations during the comment window. The dashboard and survey link were posted by MPO staff as part of ongoing engagement.