Council reviews final Safe Streets plan; staff says adoption needed to apply for implementation grant

Mesa transportation staff reviewed the final draft of the city’s comprehensive safety plan at the May 19 study session and urged council to adopt the plan so the city can apply for implementation funding through the federal Safe Streets for All program.

Transportation staff described the draft as the final report and said the plan will support applications to the Safe Streets for All implementation grants, which were advertised recently and have applications due June 26. Staff told council the grant application would focus on infrastructure projects that offer the largest reduction in fatal and serious-injury crashes—specifically upgrading several signalized intersections to protected left-turn phases.

Councilmember Adams asked about signal timing and the “all-red” interval. Transportation staff said all-red timing (the interval when every approach displays red to allow vehicles to clear an intersection) varies by intersection width and approach speed and typically lasts one to two seconds. Staff also noted that engineering standards and national studies inform signal timing and cautioned that overly long all-red intervals can have adverse effects.

Staff said the city will pursue both the infrastructure upgrades targeted by the grant and non-infrastructure strategies such as public education on driver, pedestrian, bicycle and motorcycle safety. Council did not adopt the plan at the study session but staff said they were presenting the final draft to position the city to apply for the June grant deadline.