PHOENIX — The federal government is focusing on safety along what many consider a dangerous corridor for drivers and pedestrians in central Phoenix.
The city is set to receive nearly $25 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to make improvements along a stretch of Indian School Road between 39th and 91st avenues.
According to new numbers released on Wednesday, crashes are all too common along parts of the roadway in west and central Phoenix.
"Yeah, it's not safe. I don't think it's safe because these people are driving fast every day, you know?” said Samuel Casias, who says he walks Indian School Road daily.
Between 2017 and 2021, the corridor saw 39 deadly crashes and 85 serious injury crashes. Of the fatalities, ABC15 is told almost half involved people walking or biking, and just more than half happened when it was dark.
Funding will go towards things like pedestrian beacons and installing new sidewalks along this corridor, all to make things safer for people walking through.
Representative Ruben Gallego announced the funding.
"You should be able to walk to where you are going, whether it's shopping, whether it's to visit a friend, whether it is to go to work, and not be putting your life at risk. And this is why we brought these funds home to Arizona," said Gallego.
The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety says 1,320 road-related deaths in Arizona in 2022 — a record high.
While they use around $14 million to fund road safety programs across the state, ABC15 asked GOHS Director Jesse Torrez if he believes the programs are working, given the numbers.
"I can only imagine what it would be if we don't fund these programs,” said Torrez.
He says ultimately, it comes down to each driver to ensure the roads in Arizona are safe for everyone.
The Governor's Office of Highway Safety shared a statement with ABC15 saying it “continues to strive and provide leadership by developing, promoting, and coordinating programs that influence public and private policy by increasing public awareness of highway safety issues. Funded programs target speed reduction, decreasing impaired driving, increasing seat belt and child safety seat usage, pedestrian and bicycle safety as well as motorcycle safety awareness and driver distractions that cause traffic fatalities and injuries on our streets and highways."