As Phoenix continues to grow, it’s crucial that our infrastructure meets our community’s needs.
The reverse lanes on Seventh Avenue and Seventh Street, implemented when the neighborhood lacked council representation, are relics of outdated urban planning.
While intended to expedite traffic flow, these lanes have created problems for residents and local businesses, making our streets neither safe nor productive.
Reverse lanes, which change direction during peak hours, are confusing and dangerous. For residents, the unpredictability can turn simple errands into stressful ventures.
As someone who has been hit by a wrong-way driver before on Interstate 17, I’m not looking to get hit again — especially not on confusing road configurations like reverse lanes.
Local businesses suffer as well. Potential customers avoid these areas due to the confusion and danger posed by the reverse lanes, leading to decreased foot traffic and lost revenue.
Business owners are left to deal with the fallout, as the lanes make it harder for delivery vehicles to navigate and for patrons to turn into a business.
The city’s 2021 study indicates most crashes occur in regular lanes, not reverse lanes, and removing them might increase commute times by up to 40%.
However, this perspective prioritizes car throughput over community safety and livability. Additionally, studies can overestimate the negative impacts of removing such infrastructure due to assumptions that don’t account for future changes in driver behavior or improvements in sustainable transportation options.
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Street engineers often focus on maximizing car traffic at the expense of creating spaces where people want to live, work and shop.
Take, for example, the construction of State Route 51 that was built after the reverse lanes on the sevens. The use of eminent domain displaced residents, forcing them to move further away from their workplaces, thus increasing their commute times and contributing to the very traffic problems the expansion aimed to solve.
This disrupted communities and failed to improve traffic flow.
If the goal of the sevens is truly about getting people in and out of downtown efficiently, then we need to consider better, more sustainable options that prioritize safety and productivity.
One solution is a bus rapid transit (BRT) line. BRT systems offer a cost-effective and efficient way to move large numbers of people quickly. By dedicating lanes to buses, we can ensure a smoother flow of traffic, reduce congestion and provide a reliable transportation option.
According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials, one car lane can move 600-1,600 people per hour, whereas a dedicated bus lane can move up to 8,000 people per hour.
If Phoenix’s Street Transportation Department truly cared about efficiently moving people during rush hour and doing it safely, it would advocate for dedicated bus lanes and service.
Our streets should be for people, not just for cars — that’s what highways are for. These lanes would offer significant improvements, providing a dedicated space for public transit and emergency vehicles that helps reduce confusion and improve safety for everyone.
It’s time for Phoenix to rise from outdated urban planning and embrace solutions that make our streets safer and more productive.
By rethinking the reverse lanes and exploring options like BRT or basic bus lanes, we can create a city that truly works for its residents and businesses.
Let’s invest in infrastructure that reflects our values and meets the needs of our growing community. Nobody wants a speedy pseudo-highway outside their house.
The only speed these lanes should have is the city’s urgency to eliminate them. You can sign the “end the rush hour reverse lanes” petition on change.org to help.
Jamie Trufin lives in downtown Phoenix and runs Urban Avenues, a content business focused on sustainability and urbanism. They serve on the Vision Zero Community Advisory Committee and the board for Phoenix Spokes People. Reach them at Jamie@urbanavenues.city.
Phoenix's reverse lanes are a hassle. Remove them now
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10.06.2024
As Phoenix continues to grow, it’s crucial that our infrastructure meets our community’s needs.
The reverse lanes on Seventh Avenue and Seventh Street, implemented when the neighborhood lacked council representation, are relics of outdated urban planning.
While intended to expedite traffic flow, these lanes have created problems for residents and local businesses, making our streets neither safe nor productive.
Reverse lanes, which change direction during peak hours, are confusing and dangerous. For residents, the unpredictability can turn simple errands into stressful ventures.
As someone who has been hit by a wrong-way driver before on Interstate 17, I’m not looking to get hit again — especially not on confusing road configurations like reverse lanes.
Local businesses suffer as well. Potential customers avoid these areas due to the confusion and danger posed by the reverse lanes, leading to decreased foot traffic and lost revenue.
Business owners are left to deal with the fallout, as the lanes make it harder........
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