12th Avenue reconfiguration in Tucson reduces crashes by 44%

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) - A road reconfiguration on 12th Avenue between Irvington and Drexel in Tucson is making waves among local drivers. The city claims the area, once notorious for crashes, has significantly improved in safety.

Opinions from drivers are mixed. Some believe 12th Avenue has become safer, while others remain skeptical. The Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility (DTM) stands by its data, asserting a noticeable reduction in accidents.

"More jams, more traffic jams," said Pedro Bizcarra, who frequently drives on 12th Avenue.

"It already gets congested here," said Angela Cuevas, another driver on the same route.

Patrick Hartley, planning administrator at DTM, explained the reasoning behind the downsizing of 12th Avenue after community feedback in 2020. "A lot of it is that it reduces kind of the points of conflict or the likelihood of crashes. It also tends to slow speeds down because it reduces weaving, people passing back and forth in available lanes," said Hartley.

After the road's reconfiguration in 2020, Hartley commissioned the University of Arizona's Center for Applied Transportation Sciences to conduct a study. The findings showed a 44 percent drop in crashes from 2021 to 2023 compared to the period from 2017 to 2019.

"We pulled it from the Arizona Department of Transportation crash database," said Hartley, emphasizing the positive impact. "This is a great outcome and a great demonstration of the concept of the project."

While some drivers appreciate the changes, including added bike lanes and on-street parking, concerns about safety remain. "If you don't know the area it's kind of hard, people that drive here, people get into accidents," Bizcarra said.

"I personally think it's gotten safer," Cuevas said, reflecting a more positive view.

Green storm infrastructure is planned for this portion of 12th Avenue in September according to DTM, it's essentially landscape or trees that can provide shade or collect storm water runoff.

DTM is planning similar lane reductions on other streets, with Fifth Street between Country Club Road and Wilmot Road being the next target.

Original news Webpage: News 4 Tucson