Mesa's streets are set for a major safety upgrade, thanks to a hefty federal grant earmarked for reducing traffic-related accidents. The City of Mesa has secured $3.1 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program. This chunk of change is set to fund the SafeTurn Initiative, which aims to lower the rate of serious crashes at eight identified high-risk intersections throughout the city.
These intersections are notorious spots for traffic mishaps and will see a suite of improvements designed to protect drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike. Upgrades include the installation of protected-only left-turn green arrows, which are implemented to allow turns exclusively when oncoming traffic halts. Alongside these signal enhancements, pedestrians can soon tread on high-visibility crosswalks and ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps, not to mention the new traffic cameras and sensors that are set to keep an eye on street movements.
MesaNow reports that the following intersections will undergo these improvements: Brown Road at Gilbert Road, Higley Road, and Val Vista Drive; University Drive at Lindsay Road and Higley Road; McKellips Road and Recker Road; Broadway Road and Lindsay Road; as well as Baseline Road and Ellsworth Road. These spots surfaced as priorities in Mesa's Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, which the City Council gave the green light to on May 19, 2025.
It's a continuation of efforts, five intersections having already been the subject of improvements under the same plan. The additional funding from this grant aims to facilitate the completion of the planned overhauls for the remaining eight intersections. With these changes, Mesa aspires to slash traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by 30% come 2030, in a bid to foster safer streets for all who navigate them.
