COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF THE CITY'S TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYSTEM

 

We, the undersigned residents, property owners, and stakeholders of the City of Maricopa, Arizona, hereby respectfully petition the City of Maricopa Public Works Department to conduct a comprehensive, citywide evaluation of Maricopa's traffic signal system.

WHEREAS, the City of Maricopa has experienced exceptional population growth over the past decade, becoming one of the fastest-growing cities in the State of Arizona and in the nation;

WHEREAS, this population growth has substantially increased vehicle trips and traffic volumes on city roadways, placing demands on the existing traffic signal infrastructure that far exceed the conditions for which those signals were originally designed and timed;

WHEREAS, many of the City's traffic signals rely on pressure-activated inductive loop detection systems that have proven unreliable under current traffic conditions, frequently failing to detect motorcycles, bicycles, and smaller vehicles, and contributing to unsafe driver behavior and unnecessary delays;

WHEREAS, numerous signalized intersections throughout the city lack Flashing Yellow Arrow (FYA) indications for left-turn movements — a signal configuration endorsed by both the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) as best practice for improving left-turn safety and operational efficiency;

WHEREAS, outdated and poorly timed traffic signals contribute to congestion, elevated collision risk, increased vehicle emissions, and diminished quality of life for Maricopa residents;

WHEREAS, a proactive, systematic approach to traffic signal evaluation and improvement is essential to keeping pace with the City's continued growth and to fulfilling the City's obligation to provide safe, efficient, and modern transportation infrastructure;

NOW, THEREFORE, we the undersigned do hereby petition the City of Maricopa Public Works Department to:

1.  Conduct a comprehensive traffic engineering evaluation of all signalized intersections within the City of Maricopa, with specific attention to signal timing adequacy, vehicle detection technology, left-turn signal configurations, and pedestrian and bicycle accommodations;

2.  Use current traffic volume and collision data to identify and prioritize intersections in greatest need of modernization, with emphasis on high-volume corridors most impacted by population-driven traffic growth;

3.  Develop a phased capital improvement plan for signal upgrades — including conversion of outdated pressure-activated signals to timed or adaptive control systems, and installation of Flashing Yellow Arrow indications where warranted — with defined timelines and funding strategies;

4.  Establish an ongoing signal monitoring and retiming program to ensure the City's signal system remains calibrated to current and future traffic conditions; and

5.  Report the findings of the evaluation and the resulting improvement plan to the public, with regular updates on implementation progress.

 

We believe that these actions are necessary, reasonable, and urgently warranted given the pace of Maricopa's growth. We respectfully urge the City to act promptly on this petition in the interest of public safety, traffic efficiency, and the well-being of all who live, work, and travel in Maricopa.