TEMPE, AZ — Starting Wednesday, the City of Tempe will be piloting a project that will change how and when pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles can move.
The Fifth Street and Mill Avenue intersection in the heart of downtown will become an “all-pedestrian” crosswalk for a four-week test period.
While the crosswalk phase is activated, all vehicles, including bicycles, must stop and will not be able to turn right on red, as shown below. Pedestrians will be able to cross in any direction, including diagonally.
Conversely, when vehicles have green lights to cross either way through the intersection, pedestrians will not be allowed to cross, as shown below. And still, vehicles will not be allowed to turn right on red at any point during the pilot period.
Cyclists must dismount their bicycles to be considered a pedestrian and use the crosswalk as such. If they do not dismount, the city said they are considered a vehicle and will need to follow all traffic laws in the intersection.
To help ease the transition, the city said representatives from Downtown Tempe Authority (DTA) will be intermittently on-site to help people navigate the intersection change.
The city said “all-pedestrian” crosswalks are typically used in areas with mixed-use developments and a high amount of foot traffic to improve traffic flow and further separate pedestrian and vehicle movements.
The city will pilot the intersection change for four weeks and said it will reevaluate at the end. If successful, Tempe may consider making the “all-pedestrian” concept a permanent feature at this intersection.
The city is also looking for feedback from the public throughout the pilot phase, which can be given online here.