ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – If you drive on Lead or Coal in Albuquerque often, you’ve probably been stopped by the “Rest on Red Lights.” The city installed them almost a year ago to slow drivers down. Neighbors in the area say they believe it’s working.
For the past year, drivers going down Lead and Coal have gotten used to new lights. The city added stoplights in April 2022 to slow drivers down along that corridor from Nob Hill to Downtown after too many crashes.
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“People really drove fast. They didn’t care about the speed at all, and they would just fly, you’d see them fly down the street,” said nearby resident Judith Cizek.
“Very scary, you had to watch for people flying down Lead,” said other nearby resident Jesse Trevino.
The speed limit is 30 along the corridor. If a driver goes even just one mile an hour over the speed limit within 350 feet of the signals, the light will be triggered and turn red to stop the driver. Residents said since the addition, they’ve seen fewer crashes.
“Well, I think the traffic is a lot slower than it used to be. It was out of control pretty much. We really needed those lights, and s,o now people have to slow down,” said Cizek.
“The light has been fantastic. If somebody is coming down way too fast on Lead, it turns red. You can see it happen, and it has definitely prevented accidents,” claimed Trevino.
People living along the corridor said the lights have also made a difference for residents trying to walk around the neighborhood. One even thinks adding another stop light wouldn’t hurt.
“I would definitely say one more additional light would be good. I think people really speed down Lead and Coal whenever you have a one-way and especially because it’s straight, you’re going to have people speeding,” said nearby resident, Alexandria Will-Cole.
However, other neighbors disagree.
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“I think that those two lights are probably enough. I think putting any more lights would be too much. It would just back up traffic during busy times,” explained Cizek.
Other lights can also be found along that stretch on Carlisle, Girard, and Yale. No word on if the city has more of these planned for different parts of town.
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