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In the nearly eight months since teen bicyclist Kayla VanLandingham was killed in a Northeast sa国际传媒官网网页入口 crash, changes have been made in an attempt to improve bicyclist and pedestrian safety across the city and state. 

Last week, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law Senate Bill 73, which requires student drivers to take at least three hours of training on 鈥渧ulnerable road users,鈥� such as bicyclists, pedestrians and emergency service providers.

Months earlier, the city of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 adopted an requiring drivers to stop at crosswalks in an attempt to better protect bicyclists and pedestrians. It also announced it was installing a push-button signal and crosswalk at the Hahn Arroyo where VanLandingham, 19, was killed on July 22.

On Thursday, the city took another step by launching a new at the South Broadway Cultural Center that focuses on crosswalks.

In one of the ads, VanLandingham鈥檚 mother, Melinda Montoya, stood at the Hahn Arroyo where her daughter was killed.

鈥淢y daughter, Kayla, was 19, riding her bike across this intersection,鈥� Montoya said in the ad. 鈥淪he believed everyone deserves safety but our traffic laws didn鈥檛 protect her. Stopping takes seconds. Losing someone lasts forever. Honor Kayla, stop for everyone.鈥�

The sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Police Department said in July that no charges were expected to be filed against the woman who crashed into VanLandingham.

Jennifer Turner, city Department of Municipal Development director, said the city will place the new ads everywhere, including at the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Convention Center.

鈥淪o we鈥檙e kind of blanketing the city with the campaign,鈥� she said.

District 7 City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, who sponsored the crosswalk ordinance, said the traffic campaign has been one of the biggest 鈥渉ighlights鈥� of her time on the council.

鈥淎nd I know you鈥檝e heard this before, but I鈥檓 just going to repeat this: This is all because of the advocacy of Melinda Montoya,鈥� she said. 鈥淪he is the bravest person I have met and I am honored to have gotten to work on this.鈥�

After the event, Montoya said VanLandingham would be 鈥減retty stoked鈥� about what is being done to improve bicyclist safety.

鈥淪he would have been like, 鈥楾his is needed. This is important,鈥欌�� Montoya said. 鈥淪he cared deeply about people. She worked for the Esperanza Bicycle Safety Education Center and she saw value in every life. And I think between the campaign and the city stepping up, (leaders are) seeing the same value in everybody鈥檚 lives and it鈥檚 really powerful.鈥�

Gregory R.C. Hasman is a general assignment reporter and the Road Warrior. He can be reached at ghasman@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3820.