Sedona - SR 89A, SR 179 Congestion Issues

[Brian556]

Traffic congestion has become very bad in Sedona. It is particularly bad around holidays and on weekends. I visited on a weekday and didn't experience any congestion, except at the crosswalk to be mentioned below.

There is debate about the causes and solutions. One source of problems is said to be the SR 89A/ Forest Rd signal. A project is underway to add another thru lane that will end past the signal. Another is the crosswalk at Tiaquepaque properties (just west of the Oak Creek crossing) This causes congestion because of the pedestrians having ROW over cars. This could be solved by signalizing the crosswalk to make pedestrians wait and cross in groups. The other big issue looks to be the SR 89A/ SR 179 roundabout. I'm wondering how much improvement could be made by replacing the roundabout with a typical signalized intersection. Another more creative idea would be to add Ranger /Brewer Rd to the state highway system and make it one way south, and the current SR 179 one way north from Ranger Rd to SR 89A, and make SR 89A one way west from SR 179 to Brewer Rd. This would effectively create an oblong roundabout, eliminating the need for a signal.

Now as far as road capacity goes, it looks like SR 179 needs to be 4-laned from SR 89A down to the south end of the Village of Oak Creek

[Max Rockatansky]

Don't count on any expansion for AZ 179.  The traffic and accompanying pedestrian issues is why it was converted into roundabout hell in the first place.  There might still be some pre-roundabout images on Google if you search around Oak Creek and Sedona.

[US 89]

There will never be any more expansion in Sedona than there has been already. Hippie NIMBY/BANANA types will make sure of that.

[Sonic99]

ADOT in Northern Arizona is in LOVE with their roundabouts and literally wants them everywhere they can. Not a chance in hell they ever remove one.

[Max Rockatansky]

The amusing thing is that Sedona is relatively easy to get to pain free from Phoenix via 89A northbound.  I used to take Cornville Road and Page Springs Road from I-17 to reach 89A.

[pderocco]

A couple of years ago, I was driving north on 89A, and it took me over five minutes to get through that roundabout, due to a continuous line of cars turning from SB 89A onto 179. That's the problem with roundabouts: they're fine at low to medium traffic levels, but unlike four-way stop signs, they can completely lock up if there's an infinite source of cars. That's when you know you need a real traffic light.

[Rothman]

A couple of years ago, I was driving north on 89A, and it took me over five minutes to get through that roundabout, due to a continuous line of cars turning from SB 89A onto 179. That's the problem with roundabouts: they're fine at low to medium traffic levels, but unlike four-way stop signs, they can completely lock up if there's an infinite source of cars. That's when you know you need a real traffic light.

Nah.  Just add another lane to the roundabout.

[Strider]

Traffic congestion has become very bad in Sedona. It is particularly bad around holidays and on weekends. I visited on a weekday and didn't experience any congestion, except at the crosswalk to be mentioned below.

There is debate about the causes and solutions. One source of problems is said to be the SR 89A/ Forest Rd signal. A project is underway to add another thru lane that will end past the signal. Another is the crosswalk at Tiaquepaque properties (just west of the Oak Creek crossing) This causes congestion because of the pedestrians having ROW over cars. This could be solved by signalizing the crosswalk to make pedestrians wait and cross in groups. The other big issue looks to be the SR 89A/ SR 179 roundabout. I'm wondering how much improvement could be made by replacing the roundabout with a typical signalized intersection. Another more creative idea would be to add Ranger /Brewer Rd to the state highway system and make it one way south, and the current SR 179 one way north from Ranger Rd to SR 89A, and make SR 89A one way west from SR 179 to Brewer Rd. This would effectively create an oblong roundabout, eliminating the need for a signal.

Now as far as road capacity goes, it looks like SR 179 needs to be 4-laned from SR 89A down to the south end of the Village of Oak Creek

What about a pedestrian bridge? It could eliminate having them cross the traffic.

[US 89]

ADOT in Northern Arizona is in LOVE with their roundabouts and literally wants them everywhere they can. Not a chance in hell they ever remove one.

Is Yavapai County a different ADOT district than Coconino? 89A on the Yavapai County side has been widened to a nice 4 or 5 lane cross section with traffic lights and not a single roundabout.

[Max Rockatansky]

ADOT in Northern Arizona is in LOVE with their roundabouts and literally wants them everywhere they can. Not a chance in hell they ever remove one.

Is Yavapai County a different ADOT district than Coconino? 89A on the Yavapai County side has been widened to a nice 4 or 5 lane cross section with traffic lights and not a single roundabout.

ADOT doesn't go by county when determining districts:

https://azdot.gov/business/highway-maintenance/districts-highway-maintenance

[Plutonic Panda]

Traffic congestion has become very bad in Sedona. It is particularly bad around holidays and on weekends. I visited on a weekday and didn't experience any congestion, except at the crosswalk to be mentioned below.

There is debate about the causes and solutions. One source of problems is said to be the SR 89A/ Forest Rd signal. A project is underway to add another thru lane that will end past the signal. Another is the crosswalk at Tiaquepaque properties (just west of the Oak Creek crossing) This causes congestion because of the pedestrians having ROW over cars. This could be solved by signalizing the crosswalk to make pedestrians wait and cross in groups. The other big issue looks to be the SR 89A/ SR 179 roundabout. I'm wondering how much improvement could be made by replacing the roundabout with a typical signalized intersection. Another more creative idea would be to add Ranger /Brewer Rd to the state highway system and make it one way south, and the current SR 179 one way north from Ranger Rd to SR 89A, and make SR 89A one way west from SR 179 to Brewer Rd. This would effectively create an oblong roundabout, eliminating the need for a signal.

Now as far as road capacity goes, it looks like SR 179 needs to be 4-laned from SR 89A down to the south end of the Village of Oak Creek

What about a pedestrian bridge? It could eliminate having them cross the traffic.

This is the most logical solution.

[brad2971]

The amusing thing is that Sedona is relatively easy to get to pain free from Phoenix via 89A northbound.  I used to take Cornville Road and Page Springs Road from I-17 to reach 89A.

C
ADOT and Yavapai County should discuss a road swap: ADOT gets Cornville Rd, and Yavapai County gets SR 89A from the Clarkdale Pkwy roundabout to Robert Rd in Prescott Valley. ADOT, Cottonwood, and Sedona need the extra state-maintained road to I-17 more than they need a road through Jerome at this time

[Max Rockatansky]

The amusing thing is that Sedona is relatively easy to get to pain free from Phoenix via 89A northbound.  I used to take Cornville Road and Page Springs Road from I-17 to reach 89A.

C
ADOT and Yavapai County should discuss a road swap: ADOT gets Cornville Rd, and Yavapai County gets SR 89A from the Clarkdale Pkwy roundabout to Robert Rd in Prescott Valley. ADOT, Cottonwood, and Sedona need the extra state-maintained road to I-17 more than they need a road through Jerome at this time

89A through Jerome southward is a significant tourist and somewhat landslide prone.  There is no way Yavapai County would agree to take from ADOT.  ADOT in recent years has tried/failed to get rid of difficult to maintain mountain mileage (like the Coronado Trail) and been laughed out the door by the counties.  Even ADOT trying to CA 39 the section of AZ 88 over Fish Creek Hill has been met with fierce public resistance.

[Plutonic Panda]

A somewhat interesting fact: Sedona is home to the only McDonald's in the world that lights, their arches blue instead of yellow because the city required them to blend in with the desert scenery more. Not sure how true that is but I read it on Facebook.

[Strider]

Yeah, I heard of this too. I want to visit that McDonald's there just because of the blue arches. Some day I will.

[Max Rockatansky]

A somewhat interesting fact: Sedona is home to the only McDonald's in the world that lights, their arches blue instead of yellow because the city required them to blend in with the desert scenery more. Not sure how true that is but I read it on Facebook.

It is true.  That McDonald's was next to a store I managed security for.

[Rothman]

There's a McDonald's near Times Square that has awnings so faded, the double arches seem pink.

[pderocco]

How do blue arches blend in with red rocks?

[kdk]

There will never be any more expansion in Sedona than there has been already. Hippie NIMBY/BANANA types will make sure of that.

yeah ADOT tried about 15 years ago to widen 179 from I-17 into town.  The opposition was so fierce even to widen areas outside of town it was scrapped.  All that was done was the current design of the divided road with one lane in each direction and the roundabouts through and near Oak Creek.