Phoenix is on track to have a record number of traffic fatalities this year. Between January and May, 112 people died on Phoenix streets based on early data. Street Transportation Director Kini Knudson said if the trend continues, it will surpass 2021, which had the highest number of deaths recorded at 231.

Since February, when the City Council directed staff to create a road safety action plan, the street transportation department has been gathering community input. 

Knudson told the city’s transportation subcommittee more than 2,500 have completed an online survey, “Overwhelmingly, the No. 1 priority was preventing fatal crashes, followed by enforcing driver behavior. And the next highest priority was designing streets for everyone.”

Community engagement feedback priorities:

• Prevent Fatal Crashes 
• Enforce Driver Behavior 
• Design streets for everyone
• Reduce vehicle congestion
• Promote active transportation 
• Transit priority select streets

“Although we had comments related to a number of traffic operations, congestion and lighting, the majority of the comments centered around two themes: driver behavior and missing or inadequate infrastructure,” Knudson said.

Infrastructure can mean things like lighting, bike lanes, and pedestrian crosswalks. Using community feedback and data, the street department will create objectives and strategies to prioritize safety with the goal of reducing or eliminating deaths and severe injuries. The plan should be presented to the city council this fall.

Read the draft road safety action plan and take the survey at phoenix.gov/streets/roadsafety.