Tempe lands federal grant to make crash-prone stretch safer

City data shows 340 crashes on a 3-mile stretch of Baseline Road from 2020 through 2024. A new federal grant will help fund wider sidewalks, raised medians, and safer crosswalks.

by · ABC15 Arizona
Tempe is receiving millions in federal funding to improve one of its most dangerous corridors as city data shows Baseline Road had the most crashes in the city over a five-year period.

TEMPE, AZ — Tempe is receiving millions in federal funding to improve one of its most dangerous corridors as city data shows Baseline Road had among the most crashes in the city over a five-year period.

The City Council formally accepted a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant last week to improve traffic flow and safety along Baseline. The more than $15 million project will be funded largely by the grant, with Tempe contributing over $3 million from bond funding.

City data shows 340 crashes occurred along a three-mile stretch—roughly between the intersections of Hardy Drive and Bala Drive—from 2020 through 2024, including 13 deadly or serious injury crashes.

Tempe tracks crashes on segments of road that see high rates of wrecks with a "high-injury network." The number of vehicle crashes on Baseline ranks high on the list, with Mill Avenue, Broadway Road, Rural Road and University Drive all topping 300.

The city began the grant application two years ago, before it developed its high-injury network, but data still informed the effort to land federal funds, according to city Senior Civil Engineer Ellie Volosin.

"Whenever we look at our map of serious and fatal injury crashes, Baseline always consistently pops up as an area of higher instances," Volosin said. "So we knew we needed to address that."

People who regularly drive on Baseline said the numbers weren't surprising.

"It makes sense," local business owner Adam Allen said. "You're close to [State Route] 60 … It gets congested quite a bit, because everybody's trying to avoid the 60 or get onto the 60."

The project will include wider sidewalks and raised medians designed to make the road appear visually narrower — a psychological approach the city hopes will reduce speeding and crashes. The city also plans on improvements to crosswalks and traffic signals to better protect pedestrians and cyclists.

The raised medians are also intended to address a specific crash pattern the city has identified on the road.

"It separates both pedestrian movements and through movements from those left-turn decisions," Volosin said. "[We think that's] going to really help with left-turn crashes, which we see quite a bit of on Baseline Road."

Allen welcomed the investment.

"I think it's great," Allen said. "I think any kind of investment in the city is helpful. It shows that we're, you know, taking the initiative."

The city is beginning the initial design phase now and will collect public feedback in the coming months, with the full project due for completion by the end of June 2031.

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