Diverse options on the table to improve safety on 89A

By Barbara Litrell | Sedona Verde Valley Times

Sedona, AZ - The Highway 89A Safety Advisory Committee met on December 13 and it was clear that it is not a “citizens’ advisory committee” as was originally thought, but rather a “stakeholders’ advisory committee.”

Of the 16 attendees, only three are designated as representing the residents of Sedona, Douglas Blackwell, photographer and community volunteer, Cliff Ochser, owner of Evening Sky Tours, and K.B. Bren, owner of Art Mart and founder of Citizens for Safety. Though fewer in number, the citizens’ representatives presented a strong case for not selecting 76 street lights as the best alternative for safety on 89A.

Both Mr. Blackwell and Ochser have done extensive research to ensure third party information is presented to balance the ADOT studies which led to the proposal of 76 street lights in the first place.

The remainder of the committee participants includes five ADOT representatives, 3 city employees, Police Chief Joe Vernier, Fire Chief Matt Shobert, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce Jennifer Wesselhoff and two representatives of the International Dark Skies Association, Chris Lugenbuehl and Scott Davis.

The purpose of the December meeting was to discuss the list of suggested measures to improve safety on highway 89A proposed at the committee’s first meeting in November and then to do a “sanity check” on the list, according to the facilitator, Russ Hanson. Among the criteria against which each alternative was measured was whether it would be acceptable to ADOT.

For example, ADOT would not install speed bumps or narrow the roadway. They would not, however, rule out roundabouts as traffic calming devices.  ADOT would also not consider a different speed limit at night.

According to ADOT’s Chuck Gillick, “The view from the state traffic engineer said it’s highly ineffectual and confusing. When we lower or raise speed limits, it’s done on a 24 hour basis.”
Doug Blackwell and Cliff Ochser presented information gathered from a survey of citizens carried in the Sedona Verde Valley Times and online which showed overwhelmingly that the community is opposed to more street lights as the alternative to improve safety.

A good part of the committee’s discussion focused on the speed limits.

Chief Vernier said he was not opposed to a lower speed limit on Hwy 89A. ADOT’s Gillick also said that ADOT would be gathering more speed data in West Sedona as part of this committee’s work.

While speed may not have been cited in the pedestrian deaths near the Andante area, studies do show that impact at 40mph gives the pedestrian only a 15 percentage chance of surviving.
Impact at 20 mph raises that survival rate to 85 percent. So, while the drivers of the vehicles may have been observing a legal speed limit, the higher speed skills, according to Cliff Ocher of Evening Sky Tours.

Among other items still on the table for discussion are the traffic signal at Andante, sidewalk lighting, additional crosswalks, enforcement of jaywalking ordinances and business lighting ordinances to reduce the amount of competing light sources causing distractions for drivers.

The next meeting of the group is scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 23, in the Vultee Conference room of the City Hall complex.

According to Eric Levitt, City Manager, the committee is charged with coming up with a short term recommendation that is cost efficient and a longer term recommendation that might be more expensive.

Related articles: 

89A survey results

Sierra Clubs supports dark skies in Sedona (Letter to the Editor)

Mayoral candidate Matthew Turner discusses lights along 89A in YouTube video