Slade: Del Webb, SCW do not control sign locations

I read the response to my recent letter regarding traffic safety in Sun City West with some amusement.

Apparently, some people think that Del Webb or Sun City West determine where traffic control signage is required. This is no truer than Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny making such determinations. The Maricopa County Department of Transportation makes these assessments for each intersection in Sun City West based on standards developed over many years of study.

Virtually all traffic control signage placements are determined by “warrants,” meaning, among other things, that a minimum amount of traffic per hour must pass through an intersection in a given amount of time; usually the AM peak hours (7-9) and the and PM (4-6) peak hours.

Side roads with no signage are not a “free for all.”  We should have learned many years ago that we should “yield the right of way,” meaning among other things that “When two vehicles reach an intersection at the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left must yield to the vehicle on the right. This holds true regardless of intersection signs or no signs.

There are vexing problems that have been caused by poor placement of traffic signal control boxes in the median on R.H. Johnson Boulevard, particularly turning left from R.H. Johnson Boulevard to 128th Avenue and at R.H. Johnson Boulevard turning left onto Conquistador Drive. I have done road and subdivision design in three western states and sight distance for oncoming northbound traffic at these intersections is dangerous due to the placement of the traffic control boxes and speed of oncoming traffic.

Another problem road design is the newest residential subdivision near Goodwill. This has an access road for a number of new houses. There is a 90 degree intersection less than one car length from the Goodwill parking lot to the access road to R.H. Johnson Boulevard. This would not have been permitted anyplace that I ever worked for a number of reasons and will be the cause of multiple “fender benders.”

Finally, I am surprised that a new traffic signal is being placed at Meeker Boulevard and Echo Mesa Drive. I do not believe that after being developed for 40-plus years that suddenly more traffic is passing through this intersection thus warranting installation of a traffic control signal.  What I do believe is that this light has been installed as a “traffic calming” device to slow traffic on Meeker Boulevard. I fear that this light will create more rear end and T-bone collisions on both roads as we all know some drivers “crowd” traffic lights. Perhaps we should call this newest signal addition the “Lawyers Full Employment Act.”

These hazardous traffic conditions in Sun City West can all be overcome with good driving habits. Stay off the cell phone. Pay attention to traffic in your immediate area. Drive defensively. 0bey the “rules of the road.” If you are no longer safe to drive for whatever reason, use an Uber, Lyft or other means of travel.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.