Following last week’s release of the draft Pinal County Transportation Safety Plan, Wednesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting revealed key insights about traffic safety priorities and funding mechanisms across the county.
During the meeting, officials reviewed the Strategic Transportation Safety Plan, which aims to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 20% by 2030. The plan, analyzing data from 2018 to 2022, shows 22,429 crashes occurred in Pinal County, resulting in 360 fatalities and 10,473 injuries.
Supervisor Jeff Serdy highlighted that about half of these incidents occurred on Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) facilities, particularly Interstate 10 and State Route 87, noting the higher traffic volumes and speeds on state routes rather than county-maintained roads.
A significant portion of the discussion focused on a recently completed safety project installing LED-enhanced stop signs at 13 intersections across the county. When Supervisor Anthony Vitiellio calculated the cost per sign at roughly $30,000, asking “I’m in the wrong business?”, it sparked a broader discussion about project costs.
Michael Blankenship of Greenlight Traffic Engineering explained that federal funding requirements add significant administrative overhead: “With Highway Safety Improvement Program funding there are a lot of additional cost elements, admin, ADOT admin and ADOT review.” This prompted Supervisor Mike Goodman to express frustration about multiple agencies taking “their piece of it.”
Irene Higgs, Executive Director of Sun Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization, provided context about the complexity of these installations, explaining that a four-way stop requires eight total signs – four stop signs plus four advance warning signs. She noted that even simple sign replacements require environmental and utility clearances under federal rules, though she outlined possibilities for streamlining project administration in the future.
Chairman Miller noted the public’s positive response to the LED-enhanced signs: “The public loves these things… they do catch everybody’s eye.” Supervisor Serdy added that these signs have been particularly effective at intersections where only one road has a stop sign: “The four-ways aren’t the problem, the problem is where one is, they feel like they’re equal roads but one doesn’t stop and one does… I think they’ve saved lives already in my area.”
Blankenship emphasized that half of all traffic fatalities involved unbuckled occupants. “Half of the people that died in a traffic crash in the county were not wearing a seat belt,” he noted. “That’s the number one thing that if we could change that behavior – and that’s a freebie that doesn’t cost money to fix an intersection – those numbers will come down drastically.”
During discussions about crash investigation resources, Supervisor Goodman asked if the county currently had a fatal crash team or safety committee. After learning they did not, newly elected County Attorney Brad Miller addressed the board. “My office is in the process of hiring a fatal crash team, so that we can respond to these and answer any of the board’s questions with respect to this issue,” Miller stated. “We are on this, we understand that there’s a major issue and we need to bring in that talent here in my office and also in the sheriff’s office. We have plans that we will be submitting to the board in our next budget with respect to this.”
The plan identifies several emphasis areas:
- Behavior-related issues: speeding, impaired driving, and unrestrained occupants
- Intersection safety
- Lane departure crashes
- Nighttime driving
- Age-related factors for drivers under 25 and over 64
Supervisor Goodman expressed concerns about enforcement resources. “In our particular area, we don’t have a whole lot of enforcement because of the minimal amount of officers,” Goodman said, noting ongoing discussions with the new sheriff about recruiting additional officers.
The public comment period for the draft plan runs through February 15, 2025, with comments being accepted until 10:00 a.m. on that date. The plan is expected to receive Sun Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization Executive Board approval in March 2025, followed by Pinal County Board of Supervisors consideration in April 2025.
For more information or to submit comments, interested parties can contact jb******@sc***.org or visit the Sun Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization website.
