89A Pedestrian Safety Advisory Panel makes recommendations for highway safety in Sedona

89A Pedestrian Safety Advisory Panel makes draft recommendations for highway safety in Sedona

Sedona, AZ - After studying many possible solutions for improving pedestrian and bicycle safety in West Sedona, the 89A Pedestrian Safety Advisory Panel recently issued a draft of its "Recommendation Report: Highway 89A Dry Creek Road - Airport Road Pedestrian Safety Improvements."

In 2006, in response to several fatal vehicle/pedestrian accidents at night along Hwy 89A in West Sedona from approximately Andantee to Dry Creek Road, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) recommended to the City of Sedona the installation of pedestrian warning signs and 76 street lights along 89A. ADOT estimated that their recommendations would reduce these types accidents by 45%.

At an August, 2007 City Council meeting, and at a subsequent meeting in September, many Sedona citizens expressed their concerns that additional lighting would impinge upon Sedona's dark sky, and the light poles would detract from the aesthetics of the area. They were also skeptical that lighting alone was the most effective way to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety.

In response to citizen concerns, the Sedona City Council requested the formation of an Advisory Panel to further study the problem and determine if there are other alternatives that could improve pedestrian and bicycle safety along 89A.

The Advisory Panel was formed in October, 2007, and comprised Eric Levitt, City Manager; John O'Brien, Community Development Director; Charles Mosely, Director of Public Works, Joe Vernier, Police Chief; Matt Shobert, Fire Chief; senior engineers and managers from ADOT; Sedona public representatives Jennifer Wesselhoff, President/CEO Sedona Chamber of Commerce; Doug Blackwell, Douglas Blackwell Photography; Cliff Ochser Evening Sky Tours; K.B. Bren, Citizens for Safety; and technical assistance from various consultants and dark sky experts.

The Panel established criteria for evaluating safety such as effectiveness (during the day and night), cost, implementation time, community and ADOT acceptance, impact on the dark sky, and environmental impact, among other criteria.

The list of recommended safety options includes improved lighting, roadway modifications, traffic signals/crosswalks, sidewalk improvements, traffic safety enforcement, and education.

Draft Recommendations (includes short term and mid-long term solutions)

Credit: This article was compiled using information taken directly from the Recommendation Report.

Note: There will not be any discussions or decisions regarding the 89A Safety Panel Recommended Report at the February 26 Sedona City Council meeting. Please stay tuned.

If you would like to submit a comment, please send it to editor@sedona.biz

#1 As a member of the Hwy 89 A Safety Panel I am writing to extend my appreciation and acknowledge the hard work and cooperation of the panel to produce a legitimate report which recommends urgent safety treatments to Highway 89 A. I believe the recommendations, if enacted, will save lives. Hundreds of hours of work, research, deliberations and debate occurred and consensus was achieved by ADOT, the City of Sedona and all participating stakeholders to improve health, safety and welfare of our citizens and visitors.

I particularly want to acknowledge ADOT for their earnest participation in the process. Government agencies are notorious for ignoring the concerns of its constituents to advance political agendas and for expediency. ADOT representatives on the panel, and in particular Chuck Gillick and John Harper, should be thanked and encouraged to stand behind the original recommendations which were arrived by consensus after the final meeting of the panel. That consensus and the associated recommendations did not include additional roadway lighting aside from lights associated with the new traffic signal at Andante road.

Now it is time to see if the City Council and the Mayor will do their job. I urge the Mayor and City Council to vote to formally accept these recommendations without revisions and direct the City staff to implement the treatments immediately. In addition, the Council should vote to rescind their decision in June of 2007 to install 76 street lights on Hwy 89 A. I urge the community to hold our elected public officials accountable and insist that these two actions be taken at the earliest opportunity. Any delay puts our community at risk. At that time we shall see if politics will be put ahead of public health, safety and welfare. Thanks to all that encouraged community representatives on the panel Doug Blackwell, KB Bren and I and we appreciate your support.

Cliff Ochser
Evening Sky Tours, LLC
928-203-0006
www.eveningskytours.com