Local opinion: Help us make Pima County streets safer

Tucson is a top-ranking city in a category where it has no desire to be a leader: pedestrian fatalities. To get that number down, we need your help.

Pima County’s Departments of Health and Transportation are partnering on a survey asking residents to ID safety concerns around driving, cycling, walking and public transit in Pima County. By taking the Pima County Safety Action Plan survey, your input will help us develop a plan to improve conditions for bicycling, walking, driving and/or using public transit.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that Tucson had 37.2 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents from 2019 to 2023. Only Memphis and Albuquerque had higher death rates among major U.S. cities.

Over the past decade, pedestrian deaths in Pima County have increased by more than 50%. Overall, more than 10,000 vehicle crashes across Pima County in 2023 resulted in 5,616 injuries and 185 deaths. And while there has been a decline in pedestrian deaths in recent years, pedestrian safety is still a significant public health concern.

We know that a community’s transportation system matters to your health. Well-designed, well-lighted roads can reduce the likelihood of injury or death. Safe routes for walking and cycling allow individuals to stay active and healthy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, engaging in physical activity is one of the best things people of all ages can do to improve their health. Physical activity promotes healthy aging, reduces the likelihood of chronic disease, and prevents early death.

One way of decreasing transportation-related fatalities is in our control as individuals. We know that traffic speed is a major factor in traffic-related fatalities. For more than two decades, speeding has been a factor in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities. We can all do our part in reducing traffic fatalities by following traffic laws.

While individual behavior matters, we also know that the design and management of roadway conditions also make a difference in keeping us safe and encouraging physical activity and health. For example, well-designed traffic calming measures can reduce speed and encourage biking and walking. Access to sidewalks and bicycle paths can improve pedestrian and cyclist safety. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, a well-designed active transportation infrastructure creates interconnected networks, reduces congestion, reduces traffic fatalities, improves human health, and improves social connection of communities.

Please help us develop a plan for improving conditions for bicycling, walking, driving and using public transit. By taking our survey and adding your safety concerns to our interactive map, you will help us prioritize improvements to build safer streets, create more opportunities for safe physical activity, and reduce injury-related deaths. Let us know what you think at www.pima.gov/safestreets.