ADOT Seeks Public Input on New Safety Plans Amid Rising Bicycle Accidents

The Arizona Department of Transportation is calling for public feedback on updated highway and active transportation safety plans.Photo byImage: Tysonomo Multimedia

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is inviting public feedback on two critical safety initiatives: an updated Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) and the state’s inaugural Active Transportation Safety Action Plan (ATSAP).

These proposals aim to enhance roadway safety, particularly for vulnerable users such as pedestrians and cyclists, according to ADOT.

The SHSP update, which aligns with federal requirements mandating a revision every five years, is designed to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on Arizona’s public roadways.

The plan, according to ADOT, was developed in collaboration with local, state, federal, and tribal stakeholders, incorporating data analysis, public input, and research to address key areas where life-altering crashes frequently occur.

These areas include human behavior, intersections, lane departures, and incidents on tribal lands, according to ADOT.

ADOT’s proposed strategies include enhancing visibility for all road users, incorporating vulnerable road users more prominently in planning processes, reducing high-risk driver movements, enforcing traffic laws at intersections, and promoting safety at crash scenes.

These efforts are guided by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe System Approach, which emphasizes shared responsibility among all road users to improve safety, according to ADOT.

In addition to the SHSP, ADOT is developing Arizona’s first Active Transportation Safety Action Plan. This plan targets the increasing number of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities in the state, particularly on local roadways.

In 2023, over 1,000 bicycle accidents were reported in Arizona, underscoring the need for more effective safety measures, according to ADOT.

The plans and comment submission details are available through Friday, Sept. 6, in these ways:

• Complete an online survey at: azdot.gov/SafetyPlanComments
• Email: ngbecerra@azdot.gov
• Call the bilingual phone line: 855.712.8530
• Mail: ADOT SHSP & ATSAP, 1655 W. Jackson St., MD 126F, Phoenix, AZ 85007