Flagstaff advisory committees forward updated pedestrian, bicycle crash report to Transportation Commission

The Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC) voted Nov. 20 to accept an updated pedestrian and bicycle crash data report and forward it to the Transportation Commission.

A staff presenter said the committees had "finished updating the data to reflect 2024," describing two levels of analysis: short street segments and aggregated corridors. The report separates "high crash" locations from "high injury" locations, the latter counting only serious injuries and fatalities.

Why it matters: The report highlights where serious pedestrian and bicycle injuries have clustered over the past decade, information the city can use when applying for federal safety grants and prioritizing capital projects.

Key findings cited in the presentation included that 29% of pedestrian crashes were serious injury or fatal and 15% of bicycle crashes were serious injury or fatal. The presenter also noted that 120 nighttime pedestrian crashes represented 38% of pedestrian crashes, and that 44% of pedestrian crashes involved a pedestrian who did not use a marked crosswalk (66 incidents).

Committee members asked about undercounting because some injured people go straight to the hospital without a police report. The presenter acknowledged underreporting and said EMS and trauma registries capture some cases but have limitations for documenting location consistently.

Members also discussed how crash hotspots overlap with missing crosswalks and asked staff to overlay hotspot maps with crosswalk locations. A committee member said that showing crosswalk absence would reveal where pedestrians are "being forced to cross because there aren't" marked crossings.

On a procedural motion, a committee member moved "to approve moving this forward to the transportation committee." Both BAC and PAC recorded voice votes in favor and the motion passed; staff will forward the report to the Transportation Commission for its consideration.

Next steps: Staff offered to circulate the report link and suggested committee members review it ahead of a February council retreat and upcoming Transportation Commission meetings where related grant and design decisions will be discussed.

(Reporting based solely on committee remarks and the staff presentation at the Nov. 20 BAC/PAC meeting.)