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El Paso MPO adopts state safety performance targets for 2025 after public comment
Summary
The MPO adopted 2025 PM1 safety targets for New Mexico and Texas after a staff presentation and public comment urging focus on countermeasures and project design.
The El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization on Jan. 20 voted to adopt the 2025 safety performance (PM1) targets that New Mexico and Texas reported to federal agencies.
Jennifer (last name not specified), an MPO staff presenter, summarized state target methodologies, historical regional trends and the MPO’s options for either supporting state targets or developing region‑specific targets. Staff advised the board that MPOs must report safety targets to state DOTs under federal performance management rules and that MPOs may adopt the state targets or set their own.
Scott White, director of Vision Zero Texas, urged the MPO to move beyond headline counts and ensure projects programmed in the TIP incorporate specific countermeasures. "How does this project improve safety? How did these things get better? That's the next step," White said in public comment, adding that language and local design choices matter when projects move from concept to construction.
Board members discussed the philosophical challenge of setting a target for fatalities and serious injuries while acknowledging federal reporting requirements and ongoing local safety action plans. The board approved the motion to adopt the state targets by voice vote.
Why it matters: Safety performance targets guide how MPOs measure progress and prioritize projects and countermeasures that reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries. Adoption of state targets sets the baseline for MPO reporting and for aligning investments or local safety action planning.
What’s next: Staff said MPO safety action planning and coordination with city, county and law‑enforcement partners will continue, and the MPO will integrate safety considerations into project evaluations and the long‑range plan.
