Arrested Mesa councilman has previous extreme DUI conviction

This is the kind of driving that kills bicyclists…

(police) observed the driver swerving within his lane and nearly striking the curb several times

And pedestrians. And motorists. Drunk driving continues to be a significant factor in traffic fatalities and injuries. In Arizona, 272 of the 893 fatalities (30%) last year involved a driver who was legally drunk (BAC 0.08 or above). If it’s any consolation, nationally the figure is 29%. Continue reading “Arrested Mesa councilman has previous extreme DUI conviction”

Driver kills Bullhead City cyclist; is arrested

photo: Mojave Valley The Daily News

5/5/2017 bicyclist Robert Dale Fox II was killed by driver Melanie Laverne Jones, and arrested on suspicion of 2nd degree murder
suspected and DUI.
The rear end collision occurred on SR95 between Home Depot and the USPS. (~ MP 249)

The outside lane appears to be quite ( ~ 14 feet plus a 2 foot gutter pan) wide, and the bicyclist was thrown into the curb. The motorist was likely swerved toward the curb. The body of that car is ~ 6 feet wide. Continue reading “Driver kills Bullhead City cyclist; is arrested”

Bicyclist killed in Baseline Road crash

4/26/2017 ~8am. Bicyclist Cindi Whitmore was killed after being struck by a truck driver in south Phoenix.

Both the truck and bicycle were traveling westbound, the truck collided with the bicyclist on Baseline near 36th Street.

Continue reading “Bicyclist killed in Baseline Road crash”

Bicyclist killed in southwest Phoenix crash

4/21/2017 ~4am. Bicyclist 24-year-old Devin Williams was killed at a signalized intersection 51st Ave & Baseline, Phoenix,  in early morning hours crash. Police said the bicyclist was going against the light.

Continue reading “Bicyclist killed in southwest Phoenix crash”

AZ Legislators busy on photo-enforcement again

(Photo: Mark Henle/The Republic)

[update 2023. again]

[update 2022. again]

[ UPDATE 2018. (does this sound familiar?)
A new year, a new session. This year, like every year, some Arizona Republican legislators were busy a work on their top priority — to finally rid Arizona of photo red enforcement once and for all. News Story. HB2208 53rd2R. Opinion piece from EVTrib: Time again to discuss a traffic camera ban, and why it’s a dumb move ]

2017.
A new year, a new session. This year, like every year, some Arizona Republican legislators were busy a work on their top priority — to finally rid Arizona of photo red enforcement once and for all. News Story.

Last year, they banned it from the “State highway system” It had been in use in exactly two places, on ‘city’/’town’ streets, not freeways.  Many years ago it was expelled from freeways. Continue reading “AZ Legislators busy on photo-enforcement again”

Mill Avenue — Broadway to Southern — resurface

Thanks to the City of Tempe Streets Dept for contacting me/us about this project. A one mile section of Mill Avenue, from Broadway Road to Southern Avenue, is set to be resurfaced (they call this a “Pavement Preservation”) soon, I think Summer/Fall 2017.

existing edge line in the project area along Mill Avenue

This section has edge lines enclosing a small shoulder. (“fake bike lane”). Edge lines generally should not be used on urban arterial roads in this configuration; and especially when they look like bike lanes, and thus are easily confused with bike lanes. The picture of the grate, in the shoulder should be self-explanatory.

Here’s what the City said: Continue reading “Mill Avenue — Broadway to Southern — resurface”

No more covering your license plate

Illegal in AZ

After years of wrangling and haggling over the meaning of “A person shall maintain each license plate so it is clearly legible”. Any and all coverings, including wax according to one wag, are now banned. SB1073 has passed and was signed by the governor; the effective date is something like 90 days after the session closes; perhaps August(?).  Here’s the new section: Continue reading “No more covering your license plate”

3 Dead in Wrong Way Wreck I-17 Phoenix

photo: DPS

4/14/2017 ~ 2am. A male wrong-way driver collided headon on the I-17 freeway near Greenway in Phoenix with a vehicle carrying two sisters. All are dead.

The wrong way driver had been traveling for (at least) several miles the wrong way. Continue reading “3 Dead in Wrong Way Wreck I-17 Phoenix”

Spewing Hatred

[This is an old case: it happened in Tucson before 2009, but it has a bit of a twist… ]

December 1, 2006: A driver plows into the rear end of a bicyclist in a Tuscon-area Bike Lane (or probably more accurately, a shoulder), killing him. The young woman driving is drunk, very drunk. She tried for manslaughter, gets convicted of the lesser included charge of negligent homicide by the jury; here’s the twist, a phone call from jail while awaiting sentencing (from what i remember, all jail phone calls are monitored/recorded) causes her to receive the max sentence: Continue reading “Spewing Hatred”

Drivers are dangerous

McClintock and Apache wreck photo: Mark Beach/Fresco News

last week’s Uber-involved crash should highlight the current state of affairs: Drivers are dangerous. Tempe Police cited a “human” driver for making a bad left at McClintock and Apache causing the crash with the Uber/Volvo SUV to rollover on its side.  The Uber was being autonomously driven at the time, according to the company.

There are over 100,000 reported wrecks per year in Arizona involving motor vehicle drivers only, with hundreds dead and thousands injured; a driver is at fault in each and every one of those incidents.  Continue reading “Drivers are dangerous”

Police seek Driver in Fatal Hit-and-run north Phoenix

Sun 3/12/2017 ~ 9pm. Bicyclist Mark Dickson was killed by a hit-and-run driver in the area of 40th St & Bell Rd. BOLO silver newer Ford Fusion.

Other news reports mention the hit-and-run driver was likely speeding “…leading investigators to believe that the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed”

Continue reading “Police seek Driver in Fatal Hit-and-run north Phoenix”

Bicyclist killed in Right hook South Tucson semi crash

What’s wrong with this picture?

2/16/2017 ~noon. 60-year-old Robert Lucke was killed in what was described as a classic right hook crash with a semi at South Sixth Avenue and East 36th Street, S Tucson. Both were traveling north on South Sixth Avenue in the curb lane when the truck  turned right. Continue reading “Bicyclist killed in Right hook South Tucson semi crash”

Bicyclist dies in Tucson NW side wreck

2/13/2017 11:15AM Bicyclist 25-year-old Nicholas Rizzuti was killed as he was eastbound W Miracle Mile turning left; struck by westbound motorist at intersection of Flowing Wells Rd, Tucson

There are a lot of lanes here, there are double left turn lanes; the signal specifics weren’t mentioned, other than the WB had green; and presumably EB also had green. Most double-left configurations typically have restricted arrow cycles, but not all.

Continue reading “Bicyclist dies in Tucson NW side wreck”