Phoenix develops traffic safety plan as road deaths rise

Phoenix is ​​developing a road safety action plan aimed at reducing fatalities and serious injuries. The plan comes after a particularly deadly few years on the city’s roads.

By the numbers: Phoenix is ​​on track to surpass last year’s 231 road deaths, up from 185 in 2020.

Driving the news: At a subcommittee meeting on Wednesday, the city’s streets department outlined five draft plan focus areas and a handful of goals, including:

• Create a culture of road safety in the city.
• Develop new pavement design options to reduce pedestrian and cyclist fatalities.
• Use law enforcement and education to reduce speeding, red lights, and distracted and aggressive driving.
• Evaluate and modify signal timing to reduce collisions at intersections.
• Improved lighting to reduce nighttime collisions.

Rollback: In February, the city council voted to adopt a Vision Zero strategy, a global movement to end traffic-related deaths.

• Three years earlier, the council had voted against Vision Zero because some members feared it would lower speed limits and increase traffic congestion.

To note : The bipartisan infrastructure law passed by Congress in 2021 includes at least $5 billion for communities to advance Vision Zero, according to KJZZ.

And after: The city will seek public comment on the draft plan this summer and seek final council approval in October.