The first auto accident in American history was in 1891 in Ohio City, Ohio. Driver, John William Lambert hit a tree root. He lost control of the car and hit a hitching post. Lambert and his passenger, James Swoveland, received minor injuries. It’s not clear how fast he was driving the first single-cylinder gasoline automobile. Injuries from this accident were minor.

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s 2018 crash statistics, someone is injured in an auto accident every 9 minutes and 51 seconds, 146 persons each day. Three lose their lives each day. Preliminary reports suggest 2019 had fewer accidents than 2018, but more fatalities.

Governments are constrained by budgets, regulations, procedures and, too often, politics. In other words, a mountain of red tape and closed-door influences. Solving a traffic problem could drag out for years.

Building, maintaining and making roads safer requires adhering to thousands of guidelines and regulations. Besides construction considerations, a multitude of details like slopes, sight distances from intersections and the driving abilities of people over 65 years old are factored in.

Page, a small town out of earshot from the center of Arizona power, needs attention. U.S. Route 89 has two dangerous intersections. People are injured. People lose their lives. The state is responsible for the highway and improvements needed to adjust to changing conditions. Increased tourism is both a blessing and a liability for Page. Traffic safety is an ongoing and increasing concern.

In recent years the city of Page used its limited resources to deal with U.S. 89 traffic problems at Horseshoe Bend. ADOT has authorized needed improvements, but it takes time.

The main artery to Page is Lake Powell Boulevard. Both ends intersect at U.S. 89, one to the south, the other to the north. Both intersections are verifiably dangerous. Locals learned to avoid them if possible. For example, they know it’s safer to take Haul Road to the traffic circle to reach stores and restaurants in lower Page. Traffic circles work. They’re confusing to some, but the chances of serious injuries are less. Anything that reduces speed helps.

When Todd Savage was killed in a motorcycle accident at the corner of U.S. 89  and North Lake Powell Boulevard Nov. 15, the highway safety murmurs grew to actions. Last week, Mayor Levi Tappan, City Manager Darren Coldwell, Police Chief Drew Sanders, Fire Chief Jeff Reed, and Tim Suan, community development director, met with Audra Merrick, an ADOT district engineer and Nate Reisner, a development engineer. The Chronicle reached out to ADOT with questions, but they went unanswered by press time. [Update: ADOT did respond later in the day after the print edition was sent to press.]

Getting the state to make highway safety improvements is a long, expensive process. It’s a maze of engineering studies, risk and cost analysis, resources and of course, politics. State road funds are limited, so Page must compete with every city, nook, and cranny in Arizona. Even if funds for a $4-6 million traffic circle are allocated, it could take four-six years to build. That’s the hard reality.

The City of Page can’t wait and is currently discussing and evaluating the costs of fast track options— ways of slowing traffic at highway intersections, like flashing signs that detect speed and warn drivers to slow down. Coldwell said this could happen in 30-90 days. His staff is spending the next few weeks gathering costs and details to help decide feasible options.