The Northern Arizona Council of Governments held the last of its open houses this fall to discuss the Verde Valley Master Transportation Plan at Community Library Sedona on the evening of Oct. 9, after doing similar outreach in Camp Verde and Cottonwood.
“Last updated in 2016, the plan’s main goal is to improve how people travel within, to, and from the Verde Valley by building a transportation system that is safe, efficient and accessible for everyone,” NACOG stated. “It will also include a Supplemental Safety Action Plan to help guide the design and construction of future transportation infrastructure across the region.”
The VVMTP will develop transportation policies for the next 30 years, do a multi-modal comprehensive transportation analysis and “develop a transportation project list with a safety emphasis,” NACOG stated.
The SSAP will assess road safety throughout the Verde Valley and identify and prioritize infrastructure projects that focus on speed management, vulnerable commuters, lighting, the safety of emergency responders and other area safety.
Part of the SSAP is updating vehicle crash data and doing an analysis. According to NACOG, from 2020 to 2024, the Verde Valley reported a total of 5,210 crashes. Of these, 51 were fatal, 214 resulted in suspected serious injuries, 780 involved suspected minor injuries and 533 involved possible injuries. The majority of crashes, 3,517, resulted in no injuries and only property damage, while 114 crashes had unknown severity.
Those numbers do not include any crashes on Interstate 17, according to Dillion Kennedy, a transportation with AECOM.
“While we have a significant amount [or crashes] that are in the property damage only category, so more of your fender-benders,” Dillion said, pointing out that the number of incidents within a category generally decreases as the severity gets more intense up to a fatality. “[But] while looking at a percentage, [if] you’re like ‘1% that’s a low number,’ but 1% is a lot of … individuals over time. … One of the intents here [is] how can we take what we’re seeing as needs and then translate that into what are the opportunities to address those needs and to help the local jurisdictions, cities, town the county NACOG as a regional entity to help plan to identify projects that compete for funding.”
Of crashes, speeding or aggressive driving was the most common contributing factor, involved in 98 crashes resulting in a fatality or serious injury. Failure to yield contributed to 43 such crashes, while failure to remain in lane was a factor in 42. While 2% of all crashes involved a pedestrian or bicycle, “32.2% of pedestrian related crashes are fatal or serious injury crashes,” and “26.4% of bicycle crashes are fatal or serious injury crashes,” according to NACOG.
“Something that’s a little bit unique to the Verde Valley is seeing higher than the average amount of motorcycle related crashes,” Kennedy said, noting that in the Verde Valley, “35.6% of motorcycle related crashes are fatal or serious injury crashes.” An additional challenge has been outreach to motorists for the VVMTP because they were underrepresented at the open houses.
The SSAP is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, while the VVMTP will undergo analysis for the remainder of the year. Another round of public input is scheduled for the third quarter of 2026, followed by plan development and anticipated completion by the end of that year.
Resident Comments
Some of the 131 resident comments on the VVMTP’s interactive map that’s available on the project website include:
▪ “No shoulder or bike lane on Schnebly Hill.”
▪ Noting that there is not a direct way for pedestrians to cross SR 89A in the Cooks Hill area and that area “needs a better collusion for cyclists.”
▪ “Add a road connection [at Chavez Ranch Road] to relieve 179 traffic and additionally create multiple ways to connect [the] town for commute and recreational traffic,” a resident wrote advocating for alternative routes from West Sedona to the Chapel area.
▪ “Shuttle service between [the] VOC and Sedona is needed,” a resident wrote. “Could also open up a loop of the Verde Shuttle that services Cottonwood.”
▪ Trailhead congestion at Bell Rock and trails along SR 179 was noted by several residents.
▪ There are “many walkers on Verde Valley School Road,” a resident wrote. Although “the wide shoulders should be adequate the lack of lighting makes it very dangerous for pedestrians especially at … major intersections.”
▪ Several pot holes along Finne Flat Road in Camp Verde were noted.
Nearly 50% of Verde Valley resident comments have been focused on Cottonwood.
“This is a dangerous area to ride,” a resident wrote about entering Old Town Cottonwood. “Because the road is so choppy and if you’re riding from Clarkdale into Cottonwood, cars rounding the bend are annoyed that riders are in their way. There isn’t a safe way to enter Old Town Cottonwood on a bike from either direction.”
For more information visit verdevalleytransportationplan.com or call (623) 825-3444.
