Phoenix developing road safety plan as traffic fatalities surge

Phoenix is developing a Road Safety Action Plan aimed at reducing deaths and serious injuries. The plan comes after a particular deadly few years on city roadways.

By the numbers: Phoenix is on track to surpass last year's 231 traffic fatalities, which was up from 185 in 2020.

Driving the news: During a subcommittee meeting Wednesday, the city Streets Department outlined five focus areas of the draft plan and a handful of objectives including:

• Creating a culture of road safety within the city.
• Developing new roadway design options to reduce pedestrian and bicycle deaths.
• Using enforcement and education to reduce speeding, red-light running and distracted and aggressive driving.
• Evaluating and changing signal timing to reduce crashes at intersections.
• Improving lighting to reduce nighttime collisions.

Flashback: 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 voted against Vision Zero because some members were concerned it would lower speed limits and increase traffic congestion.

Of note: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law approved by Congress in 2021 includes at least $5 billion for communities to advance Vision Zero, according to KJZZ.

What's next: The city will seek public input on the draft plan this summer and ask council for final approval in October.