Dear Honorable Mayor Lane and City Council members:

 

Yesterday, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, a woman swerved her SUV into a bike lane and killed a bicyclist.  This happened 1 mile from my home.   I rode my bike on that stretch of road the same day.  So did my two kids: one was heading for the mountain bike trails, the second was visiting a friend. 

 

It is a deadly section of road - as proven yesterday.  Us locals…. have always known this to be true.  There are two main causes: 1) the posted speed limit is too high for a neighborhood road surrounded by parks and schools and 2) high speeds - well above posted - are a chronic problem.  This stretch of road - less than 1 mile long - has 2 city parks, 2 public schools, a public library, a public pool, walking paths, and literally thousands of kids residing in the homes, condos and apartments in the immediate area.  It is a transitional piece of road -lanes change and disappear, a canal bridge limits a driver's visibility ahead, and there are several side roads feeding onto the street from parks and schools.  Reducing the speed limit will not impact commute times of the residents – this is a 1 mile stretch of road.

 

Please consider three changes that will save lives- PERIOD!   The first two changes including reduced speed have no real associated costs.  The third request is low cost. 

 

Yesterday, a life was taken needlessly while the person was enjoying one of Arizona's most beautiful areas.  Please direct staff to adjust the traffic rules in this neighborhood so our citizens and visitors can enjoy the area safely.  Don’t wait for another death – more than likely, it will be a kid going to a one of the City’s parks.

 

Respectfully,

 

Solange Whitehead

Scottsdale, AZ 85260

 

cc: COS Police Chief Rodbell, COS Parks Director J. Camerion, COS Bicycle Coordinator Reed Kempton

 

p.s.  Two pedestrian died in Scottsdale this weekend.  A blind turn – most likely at a high speed (as described in my item #2 below ) - took the life of a tourist visiting our downtown area. 

 

 

THREE FREE OR ALMOST FREE STEPS TO SAVE LIVES

 

  1. Reduce speed limit on Thompson Peak Road (between McDowell Mountain Ranch Road and 100th Street) to 35 mph and enforce!!

 

Background:  The biker was killed while using the bike lane between 100th street and McDowell Mtn Road on Thompson Peak Rd.  The road itself is tricky: transitional area with lanes changing, a bridge (with a steep descent making it hard to see pedestrians ahead), and entrances in and out of schools and parks.  High speeds are chronic – period. The posted speed limit is 45 mph is too fast and police seem unable to patrol this section --- it is tricky. 

 

Adjacent to this stretch of road: 2 Scottsdale parks, entrance to 2 public schools, public library, bike paths, public pool and a skateboard park. There are many hundreds of children that live in the surrounding apartments, condominiums, and homes. 

 

Solution:  The speed limit needs to be reduced to (at least) to 35 mph!  This is the speed limit on 100th street.    Forty five miles per hour is an extremely dangerous speed for one of the highest pedestrian traffic areas in our city.  A car will travel 200 ft after braking driving at 45 mph.   Remember, the pedestrians in this area are school kids headed to school or the library or the parks. 

 

It is imperative that both the speed limit be reduced and the new speed limit enforced.

 

The reduced speed limit will not alter any driver’s commute time.  The distance is less than 1 mile.  And yet the change will save lives – a child’s life most likely.

 

Please protect Scottsdale citizens – please direct staff to reduce the speed limit  and ENFORCE it.  

 

Note: Speed limit on 100th street is 35 mph and regularly enforced.  It is a wonderful road for pedestrians -10 mph makes a huge difference!

 

  1. Alter traffic lights on Thompson Peak at McDowell Mountain Ranch Rd.

 

Background: There is a double lane right turn from Thompson Peak turning east onto McDowell Mountain Road.  There is a green arrow and a green light.  The green light coincides with the crosswalk --- indicating it is safe for pedestrians to cross.  The right turn from the second (outmost) lane is BLIND.    There are two public schools on the east side of this intersection – it is a major crossing point for elementary and middle school kids.

 

A car in this intersection struck my son’s friend while the ‘walk’ signal was lit.

 

Solution: Please adjust the signals as follows: “green arrow” (as is – indicating right turn has right of way) and “blinking yellow arrow” replacing current green light.  This will require right turning vehicles to STOP prior to turning right.

 

  1. Add crosswalk with a pedestrian activated light adjacent to the Skateboard park and Convenience store (across the street)

 

Side note:  I love Scottsdale – everything about it.  Including our wonderful skateboard park  – THANK YOU for providing my family with  such a wonderful parks like this one.  BUT – today’s set up is dangerous. 

 

Background:  It gets mighty hot here and kids use the skateboard park all year long.   Across Thompson Peak is a convenient mart – think COLD slushies.  Kids are always jaywalking – as noted, cars are chronically speeding on this section of road but even at 35 mph, a kid suddenly jumping out from the bushes is a big surprise.  Jaywalking is illegal – but being a kid is supposed to be fun.  Let those kids get their slushies – it is great that they are outside. 

 

Solution:  Place a pedestrian activated light and cross walk connecting the park/skateboard park/schools with the convenient store.  A pedestrian crosswalk will be a compliment to the reduced speed limit- it will train drivers to slow down in this FAMILY area.