PHOENIX — Is it time to end reverse traffic lanes on Seventh Street and Seventh Avenue?
Proponents have always said the lanes reduce congestion, but opponents maintain they are confusing and dangerous.
On Nov. 1st, a group of Phoenix residents who live and work around the area launched a petition, asking the Phoenix Mayor and city councilors to end the “suicide lanes.”
The lanes in question are the center turning lanes along Seventh Avenue between McDowell Road and Northern Avenue, as well as Seventh Street between McDowell Road and Dunlap Avenue.
Drivers can use the center lane as an additional traffic lane heading south from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. heading north during the work week.
The reverse lanes have been around for over 40 years, originally installed to address traffic concerns and congestion as downtown Phoenix was growing. As the Valley has continued to grow, so have the concerns for those who live and work around the corridors.
“If somebody accidentally goes in the wrong way, [everybody] gets mad,” said Teresa Dickinson. “It’s road rage central.”
Dickinson owns Melrose Pharmacy, which is located north of Indian School Road on Seventh Avenue. She is one of a group of residents who have been pushing for reverse lanes to end.
In the first 24 hours of launching the petition, the group gathered more than 200 of the 500 signatures on their goal.
“People really want to be able to actually have a community and we can’t because we have this freeway going through our town,” the business owner added.
Almost two years ago, the City conducted a study on the stretches of road and concluded that eliminating the reverse traffic lanes, partially or completely, “will create operational delays, increase times by more than 40% in some parts, and increase the possibility of crashes due to traffic congestion.”
Dickinson disagrees with the findings because she believes “the study was flawed” and wants the area to be looked at again.
“It’s going to be a big fight, but hopefully it’ll be sooner rather than later,” Dickinson said.
The study also called for improvements to signs, installing cameras and widening the lanes. Gregg Bach, a representative from Phoenix's Street Transportation Department, told 12News no changes have been made.
“Department staff is considering how the recommendations can be integrated into the city’s ongoing capital improvement plan,” Gregg said in a statement. “A timeline for when any changes would be made has not been determined and specific funding has not been identified.”
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