A stretch of Highway 70 and a section of Red Hawk Golf Road on the East Mesa have been identified as areas with high rates of speeding in Las Cruces. The Las Cruces Police Department’s Traffic Section reviewed data showing that on Highway 70, between Roadrunner Parkway and Rinconada Boulevard, 85 percent of drivers travel at least 71 miles per hour, which is 16 miles per hour over the posted speed limit of 55. Similarly, on Red Hawk Golf Road between Central Avenue and Arroyo Road, 85 percent of drivers are traveling at 45 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone.
Traffic engineers use the 85th percentile rule to help set speed limits, but the current speeds in these areas are well above what is posted. In response to these findings, the Las Cruces Police Department plans to increase traffic enforcement operations along these roadways in the coming weeks.
“Motorists who travel along Highway 70 and Red Hawk Golf Road should not be surprised when LCPD officers increase their traffic enforcement operations within the next few weeks,” according to the department.
The city continues to focus on safety and traffic management as part of its broader efforts to improve local infrastructure and community well-being.
