The ongoing debate over Phoenix's reverse lanes has taken a turn as local non-profit, Strong Towns PHX, highlights the dangers of these streets, sharing that roads with reverse lanes witness twice the number of crashes than similar areas. In a recently revealed report, Prakshal Jain, Vice President of Strong Towns PHX, referred to these lanes as "suicide lanes" and stressed that there is now "concrete data" to validate community worries about the associated risks. As per ABC15's reporting, the city of Phoenix might face legal accountability for future accidents if no action is taken in light of this new evidence.
These lanes were introduced over four decades ago to alleviate traffic on 7th Ave. and 7th St., but Strong Towns' analysis, using data from both ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration spanning two decades, suggests that the reverse lanes have become more of an impediment than a solution. "We're allowing this to happen right now," Jeremy Thacker, a trustee with the non-profit organization, told ABC15, criticizing the city's inaction on the issue. He further added, "We're gaining nothing from the reverse lanes anymore."
The call for change isn't just coming from nonprofits; local business owners are also voicing their support for the removal of these lanes. Bill Sandweg of Copper Star Coffee, located between the problematic '7s', commented that although the lanes might have been effective years ago, the evolving city dynamics mean that "We owe it to ourselves and we owe it to our community to get rid of these and restore normal traffic to the 7’s," as he told ABC15.
However, there is resistance to the removal of reverse lanes based on concerns about increased travel delays. An official report from 2021 claimed that eradicating the lanes could severely impact commute times, but Strong Towns PHX challenges this perspective, emphasizing that crashes themselves cause significant delays. Meanwhile, Stacey Champion, a community advocate, is working to gather support for a petition aimed at eliminating the lanes. "We want them gone, we want our neighborhood to function like neighborhoods without highways in them. These streets are dangerous by design," Champion told ABC15.
Collision data underscore the gravity of the situation. Between 2014 and 2018, 7th Avenue averaged one fatal crash and about nine serious injuries annually, while 7th Street saw almost double those injuries with an average of two fatalities per year. Despite these concerning statistics, the path forward remains complicated as Phoenix weighs the benefits of traffic flow against the safety of its residents. Strong Towns PHX plans to present its findings to the city officials soon, hoping to force a policy change and reduce the risk of future accidents and fatalities.
