By Rusty Bradshaw
Independent Newsmedia

While Maricopa County officials reach out to residents to help craft a plan for active transportation, reminders about bicycle and pedestrian safety also appears necessary.



County officials’ plan involves human-powered modes of transportation, mostly bicycling and pedestrians. The plan is expected to increase access to those modes in communities throughout the county. With input from the community, planners aim to eliminate gaps in access to services in the Sun Cities and elsewhere, said Reed Kempton, Maricopa Department of Transportation senior planner.

“I need to know from you what you want for us to do,” said Mr. Kempton, an avid cyclist. “This plan will supersede the 1999 MCDOT bike plan.”

But for at least one cyclist, enhanced safety might be in order first. At about 8:02 a.m. April 26, Antoni Ramotowski was riding his mountain bike east on Greenway Road near Bolivar Drive and was struck head-on by a Mitsubishi Lancer driven west by Roxanne Barnet. Mr. Ramotowski survived the crash, suffering a broken right leg. But the accident could have been worse, according to Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office reports.

“Mr. Ramotowski was transported to Abrazo West Valley Hospital, initially believed to have sustained life threatening injuries,” Mark Casey, MCSO public information director, stated in an email.

Ms. Barnet had dropped her 15-year-old son off at school and was returning home when a cup containing hot coffee tipped over and she reached down to right it. The action resulted in her vehicle crossing the center line and through the eastbound lane, striking Mr. Ramotowski.



Sun City has few, if any, bicycle trails, forcing riders to share the roadways with vehicles. However, Sun City West does have trails.

“In our community, PORA (spearheaded by Rob Robbins) worked with MCDOT to create a bike trail which takes cyclists through neighborhoods and is very well marked,” said Sun City West resident Jim Sloan. “I ride portions both alone and with groups and to date have not had any issues.”

He added with the exception of R.H. Johnson and Meeker boulevards, Sun City West is bicycle friendly.

“If I were to suggest improvements it would be to more clearly mark bike lanes,” Mr. Sloan stated in an email. “This would help motorists and golf cars understand the safe distance necessary for bikers’ safety and that the bike lane is not a (golf) car lane.”

Mr. Sloan said cars and bikes are inherently incompatible unless awareness of each other is maintained, and then courtesy to share the roads should be in the front of the minds of both cyclists and vehicle drivers.
Arizona Department of Transportation officials stress bicycle safety is a shared responsibility. The ADOT website, www.azdot.gov, contains a two-page section with tips for bicycle safety. Key among those are, for bicyclists, riding properly, riding defensively, staying visible and wearing a helmet. The pages include tips for vehicle drivers, including being aware of cyclists, sharing the road and using extra caution.

According to ADOT statistics, 675 people nationwide are killed in bicycle crashes annually, creating a $14 billion economic impact.

County officials adopted its Bicycle Transportation System Plan in May 1999, which identified 479 projects. Of those, only 161 are complete. The Valley has more than 5,000 miles of bikeways, according to Mr. Kempton.
To devise the new plan, officials will identify areas needing improvement, such as places where trails cross roadways.

“We’re not going to go out and build trails but we’re looking at where trails cross our roads,” Mr. Kempton said.
Scooters and chairs

Senior communities present an additional area of concern — scooters and power chairs. According to Mr. Kempton, the rules for these modes of transportation are completely different, but few people are aware of the difference.

“For these devices, the rules of pedestrians apply,” he said.

That means scooters and power chair riders are required to travel on the sidewalks. If they are unable to and must use the roadway, they must travel as close to the right curb as possible and in the opposite direction of vehicular traffic.

“That makes it easier for you to see the traffic and easier for the drivers to see you,” Mr. Kempton said.

Sun City residents Clarron Koon and Merry Lassa said, during Sun City Home Owners Association’s Roads and Safety Committee meeting May 17, they were unaware of that requirement. The requirement does create additional problems.

“Some of the sidewalks in Sun City are too small and I am forced into the road,” Ms. Koon said.

Ricthie Miller, SCHOA board member, said there were two areas in the community he was aware of — 103rd and Alabama avenues — where sidewalks are too narrow for scooters and power chairs.

Ms. Lassa also said the crosswalk buttons for pedestrians are too hard to reach for people in scooters and chairs.

“Some of those intersections also have bad sidewalks, or no sidewalks at all,” she added.

Sidewalks are also part of the county’s developing active transportation plan, according to Mr. Kempton. In fact, county officials are already addressing some areas. Jim Powell, SCHOA Roads and Safety Committee chairman, said county officials emailed him that sidewalks were to be installed on both sides of Lindgren Avenue from 99th Avenue to Conestoga Drive, something the committee has been requesting for some time. That project was scheduled to start May 30.

“County officials asked the PRIDES for our input and we told them not every street in the community has sidewalks and every one of them should get one,” said Lloyd Maple, SCHOA board member.

The county has 1,291 miles of sidewalks, only 20 percent of which are wider than four feet, which is inadequate for shared use. In such areas, county officials will look to widen sidewalks or add widened stretches to allow for passing. Among unincorporated county islands, Sun City and Sun City West account for 33 percent and 25 percent, respectively, of sidewalk mileage, according to data presented by MCDOT officials.

To improve the county’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, planners will also look for areas to add or improve curb ramps, sidewalks, crosswalks, traffic signals and traffic islands, Mr. Kempton said.

PROVIDE INPUT:
Maricopa County Active Transportation Plan input
Visit www. gis.maricopa.gov/atp
Arizona Department of Transportation bicycle safety tips
Visit www.azdot.gov
general search for “Bicycle safety is everyone’s responsibility”