Category: safety

University Drive textured Bike Lane


[update Jan 2018: the project area has been resurfaced (already? why?) see below]
The project area is University Drive between east of Priest Dr and Farmer Ave [correction: it’s actually Ash, a few hundred feet further east; i did not update the crash history, below; i don’t think it would change much]. There are other aspects of the project I like very much, e.g. the new raised medians. These should make the road safer for all users. The speed limit is still posted at 40mph, I encourage the city to lower the limit to 35mph, which would make the road even safer for everyone.

In a nutshell, the problem is the City placed 2′ of texturing in a 6′ bike lane, leaving only 2.5′ of usable surface (the gutter pan is the remaining 1.5′). I have a photo gallery (or most of same pics on a public facebook album) of some of the issues revolving around the texture in the bike lane. Continue reading “University Drive textured Bike Lane”

Bicyclist killed in Prescott after being struck by truck

Toby Lee Beaty
Toby Lee Beaty

[Update: PLEA DEAL March 5, 2016  Driver takes plea in fatal Prescott bike crash  “The plea agreement noted that probation of up to seven years is available” The possibility of (only) probation for manslaughter indicates the deal must stipulate that the manslaughter will be sentenced as a “non-dangerous” crime.  ]

SENTENCE: Yavapai County Superior Court CR-201501124; case minute from 4/4/2016 contains the sentence (Yavapai minutes are available via AZ Supreme Case lookup, but apparently not linkable); if i am reading it correctly, it’s 3 years incarceration in prison for the non-dangerous manslaughter. The DUI resulted in effectively no punishment (it’s concurrent; I suppose this is normal). ]

[Update: Man charged in deadly January truck vs. bicycle crash “Toby Beaty, 37, of Prescott, was arrested Sunday, Oct. 18 2015 and charged with manslaughter and two counts of misdemeanor DUI …”  No word on why this took so long.]

Victim Amber “Cricket” Harrington, 23/F.  1/16/2015 ~ 5pm Location: southbound White Spar Road, unspecified location; but presumably within city of Prescott. Continue reading “Bicyclist killed in Prescott after being struck by truck”

Pecos Road and 17th Ave Intersection

[ Update 3/1/2015 see ahwatukee.com story Changes coming to Pecos Road in next 4 to 6 weeks ]

This is all pursuant to the death of competitive cyclist Highly Falkner on Pecos road near the intersection with 17th Ave in November of 2013… Sorry this is somewhat a stream-of-consciousness… Continue reading “Pecos Road and 17th Ave Intersection”

Wrong Way driver from May freeway fatalities pleads not guilty

third-wrongwaywreckWrong-way driver Patricia Murphy who caused crash with two fatalities on loop 202 in May 18, 2014 has plead not guilty to all charges including two counts of 2nd degree murder. Police say in June that Murphy “had a blood-alcohol content of 0.18, more than twice the legal limit. A urine test showed Murphy also tested positive for opiates and benzodiazepine” Continue reading “Wrong Way driver from May freeway fatalities pleads not guilty”

Mesa woman killed in bike lane

Never made the newspapers / news reports, or at least not that I can find by googling!?? What’s become of our traditional news media? Did Mesa police keep this info to themselves?

according to sources on 12/14/2014 Helen Brandes-Weeks 66/F was killed by an apparently inattentive driver who struck her from behind in the bike lane on Ellsworth northbound between Elliot and Guadalupe… near Harvest Community Church [google maps] Continue reading “Mesa woman killed in bike lane”

Bicyclist killed in 35th Ave, Phoenix nighttime crash

I can’t find any mention of this fatality anywhere. I found it only because it appears in asdm data for 2014.

The location of the fatal collision is 35th Avenue near Turney, Phoenix. Continue reading “Bicyclist killed in 35th Ave, Phoenix nighttime crash”

Tucson Bicyclist Killed, Ran Red Light at Swan Road

I had missed this one, but there are/were news reports I found while reconciling the 2014 asdm data, News reports and database say a cyclists was struck and killed while running a red light in Tucson. Continue reading “Tucson Bicyclist Killed, Ran Red Light at Swan Road”

Bicyclist killed on US180 in Coconino Co by overtaking motorist

I can’t find any mention of this fatality anywhere.

The location is US Highway 180 (a.k.a. Fort Valley Ranch Road)… between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. Continue reading “Bicyclist killed on US180 in Coconino Co by overtaking motorist”

Bicyclist killed Deer Valley Rd by overtaking motorist

I can’t find any mention of this fatality anywhere; seems odd.

ASDM

I found this while corroborating the 2014 data, this is adot incident=2836999 Phoenix FileNumber: 201400828333; i haven’t yet tried to look up the ACR, though it should be available.

The data describes a classic motorist overtaking crash; both units were eastbound on Deer Valley Rd near 44th St, Phoenix. Middle of the morning (no lighting issues) on a weekday; when traffic is light. The motorist was dinged for “speed too fast…”.

Deer Valley Road is an urban (suburban) arterial road, in that section is a total of 4 lanes wide, two in each direction; eastbound is a dirt shoulder (westbound is curb and gutter). It’s, of course, not possible to tell the cyclist’s lane position from the database.

 

Yuma bicyclist killed in crosswalk collision

I had missed this one, and only found it when reconciling asdm data and searching on Yuma and Magnolia… There was both a police press release (laced with the a-word! Most police know better than that?) as well as a Yuma Sun article.

The cyclist was riding Eastbound on the North sidewalk (i.e. “counter-flow”) of 8th St; the driver was southbound on Magnolia — at the signalized intersection — and made a right hand turn (who had a red light? Is this another right turn on red error? (no, according to the investigation, see below); colliding with the bicyclist in the crosswalk. Continue reading “Yuma bicyclist killed in crosswalk collision”

Elderly bicyclist killed on Cottonwood Ln Tucson

I found it only because it appears in asdm data for 2014. Searching google turned up Bicyclist hit by car on Tucson’s southwest side which fits the date/location, but I find no follow up.

The location of the fatal collision is Cottonwood Ln, south of Silverlake, Tucson. The victim was 86 y.o. female. Mid-morning crash. Continue reading “Elderly bicyclist killed on Cottonwood Ln Tucson”

Elderly bicyclist killed in crosswalk by right-turning motorist

I can’t find any mention of this fatality anywhere. I found it only because it appears in asdm data for 2014.

The location of the fatal collision is Dobbins Rd and 51st Ave. This appears that it could be a right on red turning error by the motorist; Continue reading “Elderly bicyclist killed in crosswalk by right-turning motorist”

Phoenix bicyclist fatal collision 7th and Pima

I had missed this one, that apparently did not make the news, though while reconciling the 2014 asdm data, I see that accidentdatacenter.com had it correct — other than they described the cyclist as in extremely critical condition so they hadn’t updated it.

Continue reading “Phoenix bicyclist fatal collision 7th and Pima”