No Signs, No Road Rules: Tulum's Growing Neighborhoods Face New Challenges

Tulum faces a growing challenge with new neighborhoods and roads that lack proper signage and municipal oversight. This issue has led to a rise in traffic incidents and fatalities, particularly involving motorcycles. The local engineering and architecture association has called for municipalization of some roads to improve safety.

According to Rosario Jessica Osorio Zavala, the Tulum traffic and roads department reported 316 traffic incidents between January 1 and April 12, 2026, with two fatalities. Motorcycles were involved in approximately 70 percent of the incidents. Francisco Javier Galindo Rojas, president of the Colegio de Ingenieros y Arquitectos de Tulum, suggests addressing this through municipalization to ensure safer roads for residents and visitors.

With the municipality's current system, new roads are often built by developers and remain outside the reach of public works funding. This gap in oversight has resulted in a lack of proper signage and infrastructure, posing risks to road safety, especially in rapidly growing southern neighborhoods.

The lack of municipal involvement in these new developments has led to a situation where the Tulum municipality must rely on the developers to provide necessary infrastructure, including signage and road adjustments. The Colegio de Ingenieros y Arquitectos de Tulum is advocating for municipalization to address these issues and ensure safer roads for the growing community.