Powers of local authorities

tl;dr

Cities in Arizona are granted the authority to further regulate the operation of bicycles within their jurisdiction.
This in general is bad for bicyclists.

Rules of the road are already, and best, defined for bicyclists in state law; the Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS). Bicyclists riding in the road have the rights and duties (R&D) of the driver of any (any non-motorized) vehicle (§28-812), as well a few additional specific duties; the most remarkable probably being that they have a special duty to facilitate passing of faster traffic, but only under specific conditions, and only when safe… the so-called as-far-right-as-practicable (AFRAP, sometimes referred to as far-to-the-right, FTR, rule) law, 28-815A. Continue reading “Powers of local authorities”

Man on bicycle killed in hit-and-run CC Drive in Mesa

5/4/2021 “shortly after midnight”. Not much to go on here. No vehicle description…

A driver southbound on Country Club near Eighth Ave, Mesa struck and killed a bicyclist. The driver left the scene. Continue reading “Man on bicycle killed in hit-and-run CC Drive in Mesa”

Driver rams into two on sidewalk at Rural and Apache; suspect arrested

The driver of a white pickup careened onto the sidewalk, striking two ASU students walking on the sidewalk, injuring one seriously; the driver fled.

DUI remains a huge threat/problem; are we doing enough to remove illegal drivers from the road? The man arrested was FTA (failure to appear) since Jan 2020 on a November 2019 DUI and driving (then) on a suspended license which was suspended for yet another DUI. Continue reading “Driver rams into two on sidewalk at Rural and Apache; suspect arrested”

$1.35 Million Settlement in Tempe Police Speeding Wrongful Death Suit

police-speeding without the benefit of lights or sirens, seems to be a routine thing. In this incident from a several years ago:

“[a Tempe Police officer] was travelling at 95 mph in a 45 mph zone without the use of his siren or light bar… five seconds before the crash”

…striking and killing a drunk pedestrian near Baseline and Rural roads who was (I presume) “jaywalking”. The incident occurred in 2005, but a wrongful death lawsuit wasn’t settled until 2010.

Continue reading “$1.35 Million Settlement in Tempe Police Speeding Wrongful Death Suit”

Arizona legislature busy working on more subsidized driving

Parents would get paid to take their kids to school under Arizona bill

Meanwhile year-after-year-after-year our stalwart legislators have failed to generate adequate revenue to fund highway construction and maintenance for going on 30 years; leading to either both deferred maintenance and other funding sources, like sales taxes  that are totally non-user fee based. Meanwhile “the big lie”, that drivers pay their way, get passed along by opponents of cycling. Continue reading “Arizona legislature busy working on more subsidized driving”

Driver arrested in hit/run death of jogger in 2018

April 8, 2018 a hit/run driver killed Taylor White, a 21 y.o. GCU student that was jogging in a crosswalk.

Three years later, a driver was arrest on susp of 2nd degree murder (and presumably, leaving the scene of a fatal). There is much that is not said in the news article. 2nd degree murder indicates police believe they can prove the driver not only caused the crash that resulted (it was in a crosswalk, so that’s probably covered), but that the driver was doing something particularly reckless at the time — normally the only thing that will ever rise to that level is intoxication. The article says nothing about why he was charged that way.

This wouldn’t be the first time diligent policework led to a driver’s hit-and-run arrest much later, see e.g. hit-and-run-and-good-old-fashioned-policework/

Continue reading “Driver arrested in hit/run death of jogger in 2018”

Tempe woman killed at Mill and Baseline in hit-run; suspect arrested

Crash Friday evening around 7:30PM, 4/2/2021. Tempe police say a driver of a pickup towing a trailer made a left northbound Mill turning onto westbound Baseline collided with a 41 y.o. female bicycle. She was dragged to her death, and the driver fled the scene. Police arrested a suspect, Raul Meza Portillo, around 1AM at his home. That he was held on suspicion of 2nd degree murder, as well as leaving the scene indicate police believe he both was intoxicated at the time, and caused the crash.

Continue reading “Tempe woman killed at Mill and Baseline in hit-run; suspect arrested”

Driver failed to yield in fatal crash with motorcyclist in Ahwatukee

I became curious about this because it happens to be very close to where I live, and I happened to notice the roadside memorial and wondered about all the carnage; it’s just off of Ray Road, right by the Melting Pot (Fry’s food strip mall); it was about three years ago now…

01/02/2018 Fatal collision; police say a driver of a vehicle turning left failed to yield to a going-straight motorcyclist, and now the motorcyclist is dead. In bicyclist crash jargon we would call this a left-cross crashtype; it’s particularly deadly for motorcyclists.

Drivers who make a bad-left are supposed to be charged with 28-672 “Causing death by moving violation”. Continue reading “Driver failed to yield in fatal crash with motorcyclist in Ahwatukee”

Bicyclist killed in crosswalk collision w/motorcyclist

3/27/2021 (?) (time?) occurred at a crosswalk NEAR of 24th and Thomas, that is a signalized intersection.  Interesting choice of language police say the bicyclist was in a crosswalk at the time of the collision, “but it is unknown if the crosswalk was activated“.

I was wrong about it being at the intersection, now the “activated” term makes sense: the crash happened at the crosswalk at the western canal crossing of 24th Street,(the street views are presently out of date, showing construction which has since been competed) which has some sort of bike/ped signal that is activated by pushing a button; see comment below.

Continue reading “Bicyclist killed in crosswalk collision w/motorcyclist”

Cyclists, stay to the … left?

Bicyclists are required under certain conditions to be “as far right as practicable”. Why would a cyclist be, or even want to be, to the left? It turns out there are many and various reasons why, and which are not only legal, but safer for the cyclist. Staying to the left can even be more convenient for other motorists, and improve traffic flow; with one such common situation described in detail here. Continue reading “Cyclists, stay to the … left?”

A 4-year-old girl was killed in a crash outside a Glendale Walmart

3/3/2021, morning. Ug. Driver wipes out a family walking on a sidewalk within a Walmart parking lot.

“the driver could face a reckless driving charge”. Don’t count on it. Authorities have already said impairment is not involved, more than likely this will be seen as the usual “just an accident”. Continue reading “A 4-year-old girl was killed in a crash outside a Glendale Walmart”