The city of Phoenix is ​​taking steps to make the crossings in the valley safer after a surprise report

The Maricopa Association of Government published their list of the 100 Riskiest Crossings based on data from 2015-2019.

PHOENIX – Thousands of Arizonans take to the streets in the valley every day, but all too often they don’t make it home.

Phoenix ranks third among U.S. cities after Los Angeles and Houston when it comes to deaths on its streets.

The Maricopa Association of Governments has published a list of the 100 Most Dangerous Crossings. The list was compiled from data between 2015 and 2019 and takes into account the number of crashes and severity.

Phoenix has 73 hybrids on this list, including the top three.

At number one is 75th Avenue and Indian School Road. Officer Paul Rutherford was killed near this intersection in March 2019. Officer Rutherford was responding to an accident in the area when he was hit by another car and killed.

The rest of the top three are close by. Number two is 67th Avenue and Indian School Road, followed by 67th Avenue and McDowell Road.

“I think it’s time to do something about it,” said Matt Wilson of the Phoenix Street transportation division.

Many of the crossings on the top 100 list are concentrated in the West Valley. Wilson said a combination of high population, older infrastructure, and features such as roadside driveways are a contributing factor to this high number.

Wilson said the city is working to address the areas that are dangerous through a combination of efforts.

Just this week, Phoenix City Council approved more than $ 6 million to address safety concerns, including more than $ 3 million to upgrade three intersections, including 75th Avenue and Indian School.

“There are some proven engineering and design techniques that we know will improve safety,” said Wilson.

These improvements include better lights that show clearer signals. It may include adding buttons to the automatic zebra crossing to protect pedestrians. Even the lanes themselves can make a difference.

The problem is not just in the valley. 51st Avenue and Camelback Road in Glendale are number five.

Rural Road and University Drive in Tempe are ranked 7th. Southern Avenue and Stapley Drive in Mesa are ranked 12th.

If you want to see the entire list, you can check it out here.

A map of all locations can be found here.

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