Prescott Valley Town Council heard the results of a speed study contracted by the Town during its Thursday, March 7 Study Session.
A traffic engineering consultant Lee Engineering has been collecting speed and volume data throughout the Town. Initial draft reports were submitted to the Town in October 2023. The second phase of data collection has involved study of 19 travel corridors within the Town, considering roadway environment and character, geographic context, collision history, and speed distributions (pace speed, median speed, and 85th percentile speed).
Appropriate speed limits promote roadway safety while maintaining traffic circulation and roadway connectivity and encourage driver compliance.
Study locations included Antelope Meadows Drive, Bradshaw Mountain Road, Enterprise Parkway, Glassford Hill Road, Granville Fairway, Lakeshore Drive, Long Look Drive, Loos Drive, Navajo Drive and Old Black Canyon Highway – Stoneridge, Old Black Canyon Highway – Raven Ridge, Prescott East Highway, Robert Road, Santa Fe Loop Road, Spouse Drive, Stoneridge Drive, Tuscany Way, Viewpoint Drive – North of 89A, and Viewpoint Drive – South of 89A.
The study recommends seven speed limit changes within the Town. These include:
- Granville Fairway – 25 mph to 30 mph
(Many of the Granville area collector roadways are posted at 25 mph. With no direct residential frontage, these roadways currently operate at higher speeds and would benefit from an increase to 30 mph.)
- Prescott East Highway – Antelope to Granville only – 25 mph to 30 mph
- Robert Road – Roundup to SR89A – 30 mph to 35 mph
- (With the proposed relocation/reorganization of HUSD schools, the recommended increase from 30 mph to 35 mph on Robert Road from Roundup to SR89A will require further study due to impacts related to school traffic.)
- Santa Fe Loop Road – 25 mph to 30 mph
- StoneRidge Drive – 35 mph to 40 mph
(The proposed Stoneridge Drive speed limit increase from 35 mph to 40 mph should not take place until full buildout of the five-lane cross section.)
- Tuscany Way – 25 mph to 30 mph
- Viewpoint Drive – North of SR89A – 30 mph to 35 mph
(The proposed fill-in development of the Viewpoint North area is expected to provide significant roadway improvements. The proposed increase from 30 mph to 35 mph should not take place until Viewpoint Drive is widened to a three-lane cross section.)
The Council took no action on the study in Thursday’s session, rather the Public Works Department will bring a resolution at a later date for Council consideration to change speed limits in accordance with the recommendations provided.
View a presentation of study results online at https://pv-azgov.info/2023SpeedStudy
