Speed cameras will soon be installed to help curb speeding and aggressive driving along the truck route at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s top local fed told county officials last week.
The laboratory is “finding ways to try and better manage traffic flow,” National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) field office manager Ted Wyka said during a March 19 briefing to the Los Alamos County Council.
“Those speed cameras are going up now and will be activated within the next month or so,” Wyka said. Speeding at the laboratory, which has upwards of 18,000 workers, continues to worsen and aggressive driving is a growing concern, Wyka said. A traffic fatality happened a few weeks earlier, Wyka said.
“Changing the culture, where speeding is not tolerated,” is key, Wyka said. “You are not working up here if you don’t follow the rules.” People who frequently have traffic and parking violations should probably not be working at the lab, he added.
In addition to using speed cameras and working with local police to strengthen traffic law enforcement, the laboratory is planning a public outreach campaign to encourage safe driving.
The lab is growing as it ramps up toward producing about 30 plutonium pits by 2030, Wyka said.
Other moves to ease traffic around Los Alamos include remote work, plans for satellite offices and a bus service to replace the practice of carpooling, which was curtailed during the pandemic, Wyka said.
