By Dallas Hammit / ADOT Deputy Director for Transportation

It may be hard to believe, but the summer is starting to wind down. We’re entering into the time of year when students head back to school, the days get shorter and we all start to see more events going on the calendar as temperatures begin to cool.

It’s also when we begin to see more pedestrians and cyclists take to the streets, making now the perfect time to review and improve our habits when it comes to sharing the road.

Yes, I know I share this same message every year around this time, but it is something that’s worth repeating — especially since pedestrian involved crashes and fatalities spiked last year. The number of pedestrians killed rose to 197 in 2016 from 163 the year before and crashes increased by 16 percent, from 1,408 in 2015 to 1,637 last year.

Those numbers should tell all of us — motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists — that we need to pay attention, slow down and avoid distractions when traveling.

As someone who enjoys bicycling (I even bike to work at least once a week), I’ve seen firsthand some of the close calls that occur when everyone’s not paying attention to the road. Intersections pose a notable challenge because drivers aren’t always looking out for bicyclists or pedestrians.

Luckily, there are some great resources that focus on how to safely handle intersections, blind spots, crosswalks and everything in between. You can find those guides on ADOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program website at azbikeped.org. Look for “Sharing the Road with Pedestrians” and “Arizona Bicycling Street Smarts.” Both publications offer information on Arizona traffic laws and important safety tips.

And, as always, please share these resources with your friends and loved ones and take the opportunity to talk with them about making safe choices.

Editor's Note: More safety messages from Dallas Hammit, ADOT's state engineer, are available at Driving Safety Home on azdot.gov.

By Dallas Hammit / ADOT Deputy Director for Transportation

ADOT works to plan, build and maintain the state’s transportation system — but we don’t just do it for motorists. We’re responsible for creating a system that accounts for the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians, too.

As drivers, we also need to remember that the roads aren’t always just for motorized vehicles. Likewise, when we’re bicycling or walking, it is critical for us to be attentive and careful of the vehicles we’re traveling near.

Sharing the road is an obligation we all have to each other.

If you’re looking to review the rules and improve your skills when it comes to sharing the road, ADOT has a great resource. It’s the ADOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program website, azbikeped.org.

There, you’ll find plenty of helpful information, including guides focused on safety.

Even if you’ve been to the site previously, I encourage you to check it out again. Just recently, it has been updated and completely redesigned, allowing users to more easily find what they’re looking for.

Sharing the Road with Peds

In the coming weeks and months, an updated “Sharing the Road with Pedestrians” guide will be published on the site, along with a brand new, interactive Cycle Arizona bicycle user map.

Besides providing educational resources like the website, ADOT also studies how pedestrians and bicyclists use the state system. Improvements based on safety are often made, including the installation of countdown pedestrian signals and the increased use of pedestrian hybrid beacons — both examples of traffic control devices that better assist pedestrians in crossing a street or highway.

As always, I hope you’ll think about your own habits and take the opportunity to talk with your loved ones about this topic. Encourage them to make safe decisions.

Editor's Note: More safety messages from Dallas Hammit, ADOT's state engineer, are available at Driving Safety Home on azdot.gov.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Kohinoor Kar, an ADOT senior project manager, collaborated on this post with Mike Cynecki, a consultant with Lee Engineering who retired after a long transportation career with the city of Phoenix.

Arizona's weather is magnificent this time of year, making it ideal time for motorcyclists and bicyclists to be out on the roads.

Whether you are riding a motorcycle or a bicycle, both require a higher level of attentiveness and personal responsibility. For motorcyclists, a proper helmet can save you from serious injuries, but that's just the start.

Here are other tips from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation:

• Be visible by using headlights and avoiding blind spots for drivers.
• Dress for safety (bright helmet, eye protection and protective clothing).
• Constantly search the road for changing conditions.
• Know your bike and how to use it by getting formal training and practicing.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation stresses that motorcyclists should always give themselves space from other vehicles because other drivers often can't see them. Even when drivers do see motorcycles, chances are they’ve never been on a motorcycle and can’t properly judge their speed or maneuverability.

With a goal of reducing crashes and fatalities involving motorcycles, ADOT has developed an online safety presentation for new riders. You can find links to it at azdot.gov/motorcyclelicense, or follow these links to the presentation for desktops and laptops in English and Español and for mobile devices in English and Español.

Those interested in riding motorcycles also can attend rider safety programs offered by state-approved schools. You'll find a list at azdot.gov/drivingschools. By completing one of these programs and receiving a Motorcycle Safety Foundation card from the school, applicants can skip both the written and road tests at MVD.

Bicyclists should wear helmets, bright clothing and eye protection and also have front and rear bicycle lights. Here are some other safety tips:

• Make sure your bicycle is in good condition, checking air pressure, brakes and chain before each ride.
• Always wear proper shoes.
• Use a mirror to see motorists approaching from the rear.
• If you ride next to parked cars, watch out for doors opening.
• Remember that rules of the road apply to you too, including stopping at red signals and stop signs and signaling your intent to turn, change lanes or stop.

If you're driving around motorcycles and bicycles, keep a close eye on them and check your blind spots instead of relying only on mirrors.

Regardless of who may be at fault when a collision occurs between car or truck and a motorcycle or bicycle, those using the latter are far more vulnerable to injuries. For drivers with four wheels, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

By Caroline Carpenter / ADOT Communications

Are you using US Bicycle Route 90, Arizona's first designated U.S. bicycle route? We're eager to hear your stories.

US Bicycle Route 90 runs from the California state line through Phoenix and Tucson and ends along State Route 80 at the New Mexico state line. Its 573 miles take cyclists through historic, cultural and tourist destinations including Bisbee, Tombstone and Saguaro National Park, connecting routes and scenic areas that make Arizona so popular with cyclists (see the slideshow above).

It's part of a U.S. Bicycle Route System encompassing more than 11,000 miles in 23 states and the District of Columbia.

Based on the interest US Bicycle Route 90 generated when we announced it late in 2015, we're checking back to see how you're using it. We invite you to visit the ADOT Facebook page to share stories, photos, links to travelogues and more.

Who knows? Maybe your story will inspire others to pedal through our great state.

By Dallas Hammit / ADOT Deputy Director for Transportation

It’s that time of year again – temperatures are beginning to cool, students have gone back to school and extra events are on schedule as we head toward the holidays. It’s also when we start seeing more pedestrians and cyclists take to the streets.

That makes now the perfect time for all of us to review and improve our habits when it comes to sharing the road.

According to ADOT’s Crash Facts Report, the number of pedestrians killed in Arizona crashes rose to 161 in 2015 from 155 the year before. In this state, 29 bicyclists died in crashes during 2015 and in total, there were 1,399 crashes involving pedestrians and 1,434 that involved bicycles.

The statistics show that all of us – motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists – need to take precautions and remember how vital it is to share the road with each other.

There are a number of resources online that’ll give you guidelines and safety tips for sharing the road safely and legally. Two good ones are both on ADOT’s website. “Sharing the Road with Pedestrians” and “Share the Road” each cover a number of different situations and show actions to help us avoid a collision.

While there’s not enough room in this message to cover every safety scenario, I do want to highlight one safety tip that, when followed, serves drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists: Pay attention and be aware of your surroundings.

All travelers are better off when drivers put down their cell phone and pay attention to the road. Using your phone for texting or talking while driving takes your focus off the job at hand, which is to safely operate your vehicle. Bicyclists and pedestrians also need to be aware of their surroundings – headphones and cell phones cause distractions and can reduce your ability to hear traffic.

As always, I hope you’ll think about your own habits and take the opportunity to talk with your loved ones – especially any students in your household – about this topic. Encourage them to make safe decisions.

Editor's Note: More safety messages from Dallas Hammit, ADOT's state engineer, are available at Driving Safety Home on azdot.gov.

By Caroline Carpenter / ADOT Communications

The State Route 77 (Oracle Road) project west of Mt. Lemmon not only adds travel lanes for drivers but has something for bicyclists and wildlife. The six-mile long construction runs from Tangerine Road to the Pinal County line. The $33.9 million project will be completely paved and striped this summer. Here's a rundown:

Improvements for cyclists

Improvements include an additional 12-foot-wide travel lane in each direction, making the road six lanes across. Ten-foot-wide shoulders (7-feet-wide with curb in Catalina) have been added to allow bicyclists to use the wider shoulders and the new shared-used path on the east side of Oracle Road from Wilds Road to Eagle Crest Ranch Boulevard.

Wildlife crossings

The first wildlife overpass structure in southern Arizona has been constructed as part of this project to allow wildlife to migrate safely between the Santa Catalina and Tortolita mountains. It is located south of Wilds Road. A wildlife underpass was also built south of North Big Wash Overlook Drive. The Regional Transportation Authority funded both wildlife crossings.

Additional SR 77 improvements

There are several other improvements motorists along this stretch of road will notice:

• Raised-center medians and left-turn lanes in the Catalina area
• Retaining walls Sound barriers
• Traffic signal improvements
• Drainage improvements

By Steve Elliott / ADOT Communications

We let you know recently about an opportunity to help chart our transportation future through the National Household Travel Survey if yours is among up to 30,000 Arizona households invited to participate. For those who aren't invited, we've set up our own online survey so everyone can share their travel story.

Today we're sharing a public service announcement on these surveys featuring ADOT Director John Halikowski. Please check it out and see how you can provide information that will help guide decisions not just on freeways and bridges but public transportation, bikeways and even sidewalks.

Cycling your way across the state got a little easier last month when Arizona received approval for its first U.S. bicycle route…

The best part is that you don’t even have to wait to use it!

U.S. Bicycle Route 90, a continuous corridor through the state that connects with New Mexico and California, doesn’t involve building any new infrastructure. The route directs riders along a 573-mile-long east-west path that runs along existing state highways, local streets and shared-use paths.

ADOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Coordinator Michael Sanders explains in the video above that there are more than 11,000 miles of designated U.S. Bicycle Route in 23 states.

“It’s very exciting for us here at ADOT to have a U.S. bicycle route now designated,” he says. “Many people know us for our highways and Motor Vehicle Division, but now that we’re on the map, I think people recognize that Arizona is multimodal and that we are working to accommodate bicyclists on our roadways and streets.”

The route will take cyclists through many Arizona communities, including Douglas, Bisbee, Tombstone, Tucson and Wickenburg.

“All the road maps in existence for the last hundred years have been for driving a car from one place to another,” says cyclist John Wettack in the video. “This is a road map for being able to ride a bicycle from one place to another.”

Adventure Cycling Association has developed detailed maps and other information about Arizona’s route and the rest of the route system to support bicyclists as they ride across Arizona and the rest of the states. You can find a map of the U.S. Bicycle Route System on the group’s site.

Get more information on ADOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program on our website.

Good news for all you cyclists out there…

Arizona just received approval for its first U.S. bicycle route that will run through Arizona border to border while connecting to a national system of bike routes.

See the ADOT news release below for all of the details. After you’re done reading, revisit some our previous bike-related blog posts.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approved the application submitted by the Arizona Department of Transportation to establish U.S. Bicycle Route 90, a continuous route through Arizona that connects to New Mexico and California. Arizona’s route, along with additional U.S. bicycle routes in other states, was approved at the recent 2015 AASHTO Annual Meeting in Chicago.

U.S. Bicycle Route 90 is a 573-mile-long east-west route that runs along existing state highways, local streets and shared-use paths. The route begins along Interstate 10 at the California state line, runs through the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas, and ends along State Route 80 at the New Mexico state line. The Phoenix and Tucson areas each have extensive bikeway systems. U.S Bicycle Route 90 features several miles of off-road paved paths in each metro area, including The Loop in the Tucson area and the Arizona Canal path in the Phoenix area.

U.S. Bicycle Route 90 winds through many of Arizona’s historic, cultural and tourist destinations, such as Bisbee, Tombstone, the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area and Saguaro National Park. Bicyclists are able to tour the sprawling cities and small towns of the Grand Canyon State with mountains and cacti in view—all diverse attractions that offer something for everyone and can be accessed on two wheels.

“This route directs bicyclists along a combination of comfortable bikeways through a scenic Arizona landscape,” said Michael Sanders, ADOT’s bicycle and pedestrian program coordinator. “Arizona is considered a destination state when it comes to experiencing it by bike. Our state’s ideal weather, new infrastructure and numerous bicycling events continue to lure cyclists from all over the country and around the world to experience riding through Arizona’s scenic backdrops. This new intrastate bike route makes it all that much easier for cyclists to tour our state from one border to the other.”

The ADOT Multimodal Planning Division led the effort for the application process for U.S. Bicycle Route 90, a process that required the input and involvement of stakeholders, local and state agencies, and bicycle advocacy groups. In order for Arizona’s bicycle route to move forward, it required the concurrence of all local entities that it passes through. Maps and turn-by-turn directions were also submitted with the application to AASHTO.

The designation of U.S. Bicycle Route 90 does not involve building new infrastructure, as the route follows existing state highways and local streets and paths.

AASHTO and Adventure Cycling Association are the two main agencies leading the national effort for the U.S. Bicycle Route system. AASHTO’s Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering most recently approved 2,141 miles of new U.S. Bicycle Routes in five states: USBR 90 in Arizona, USBR 7 in Vermont, USBR 21 in Georgia, USBR 35, 36 and 50 in Indiana, and USBR 76 in Kansas. The U.S. Bicycle Route System now encompasses 11,053 miles of routes in a total of 23 states and the District of Columbia.

Adventure Cycling Association has developed detailed maps and other information about Arizona’s route and the rest of the route system to support bicyclists as they ride across Arizona and the rest of the states. For more information, visit adventurecycling.org. A map of the U.S. Bicycle Route System can also be found on the site.

For more information on ADOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, visit azbikeped.org.