Keep Sedona Beautiful

ADOT Presents 89A Roadway Lighting Options
Wed., October 28th from 5:30 to 9:30 PM in Sedona City Council Chambers

Here’s What You Need To Know
by Robert Carabell, KSB Vice-President

Photo by Bob Coates

ADOT will present to Council a list of 68 Roadway Lighting Design Alternatives for West 89A with a power point presentation by John Harper of ADOT and discussion between ADOT and the Council.

The meeting will then be opened up for public comment. No final decision is expected at this meeting, however, it will be important to hear the discussion between ADOT and Council in order to better understand the eventual decision, and for making relevant comments when the meeting is opened for public feedback.

Following that meeting, ADOT will conduct a public Open House, similar to a charette, at the Sedona Public Library on November 5 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. Based on the feedback received from the Oct. 28th and Nov. 5th meetings, ADOT and City Staff will then narrow down the list of 68 alternatives to a smaller. optimum list. Then, perhaps in Jan. 2010, ADOT will present more detail on this smaller list for Council’s review and possible approval. Some of these alternatives include over 100 lights!

The ADOT alternatives being presented are all complex, all virtually incomprehensible to a layman, and all include continuous roadway lighting in one form or another; the option of “no lighting” or last year’s Safety Panel recommendation is not an alternative being considered. ADOT has also made it very clear that any alternative other than the original proposal (ie. 76 high pressure sodium Cobra head lights, standard ADOT issue) will cost the City the difference and some of the alternatives are very expensive. To view these ADOT alternatives, go to City Council’s section on the www.SedonaAz.gov website and look for the meeting date October 28 and click on meeting materials/packet details. You may find some of the information confusing, but it can be simplified with this one question:

Why is ADOT not presenting the best overall alternative: the Feb. 2008 recommendation from the “89A Pedestrian Safety Advisory Panel” consisting of Sedona citizens, ADOT representatives, and International Dark Sky Association? This recommendation was as follows:

• NO continuous roadway lighting on West 89A, and
• Signalize the Andante intersection, the location where three fatal accidents occurred over a 5-year period.

The benefits of this recommendation are many:A signalized intersection at Andante will contribute to safety both at night and day (over 90% of ALL accidents occur in the daytime),

• A signalized intersection at Andante will cost FAR less than the other alternatives,
• Little to no light pollution; learn more about the importance of reducing “light pollution” at www.darksky.org,
• No light trespass into nearby neighborhoods that overlook 89A and
• No degradation of our famous and gorgeous starry night skies.

ADOT is proposing to put a signalized intersection at Andante, but what will 76 or more lights do for safety when it’s needed most? Most of the pedestrian (and motorist) accidents have occurred during the busy daylight hours on West 89A. The solution to protecting pedestrians and motorists is not more lights but sensible and creative roadway precautions that monitor and slow traffic down.

98% of KSB Members rejected Continuous Roadway Lighting on West 89A in a recent survey; click here to read the respondents’ comments that provide insightful information on this issue. In addition, you may find reading the KSB Board’s recent resolution, “Continuous Roadway Lighting for West State Route 89A,” to be helpful as well KSB’s “dark skies” web page.

We urge you to attend the Council Meeting on Oct. 28th. Express your opinion; do not be afraid to stand up and be vocal. Be informed, be involved; it is the only way to make a difference and “keep Sedona beautiful.”

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