- Home
- LTE Blog
- Resources
- Public Service Awards
- Letters to the Editor
- Bill Alewyn
- Janell Alewyn
- Pat Atchue
- Ralph Atchue
- Debbie Broome
- Deborah Burdett
- Bill Clark
- Carole Clark
- Cynthia Gugenberger
- Mike Hurley
- Robin Jenkins
- Nicholas Moorehouse
- Roger Oleson
- Larry Pazier
- JP Pierce
- Gayle Reck
- Bobbi Seabolt
- Stephanie Seigla
- Dale Smith
- Ryan Summers
- Darlene Trainor
- John Trainor
- Susan Wortman
- Letters We Like
- SAVE OUR SCHOOLS
As vouchers drive spending, road safety takes backseat
August 20, 2024
It’s no surprise to any regular commuter that State Route 347 has been ranked one of the most dangerous in the state highway system. While the Legislature is in session, I travel daily to Maricopa County to serve Pinal County at the Capitol, and I know that the statistics reflect the reality. It can take as long as an hour and a half to get from Phoenix to the city of Maricopa in the evening.
It’s more than just lost time. Traffic means crashes. Between 2017-2022, nearly 1,000 crashes happened on SR 347, with some proving fatal. Every other day on average there’s a crash. Just last month, a state trooper was injured in a serious crash on the shoulder. It is unacceptable that a trip to Phoenix is so likely to become a trip to the body shop or even the hospital.
This has been a problem for years. We know it, and ADOT knows it. Their engineers studied the road and made plans to build a new intersection a long time ago. And in this year’s state budget, I supported funding for that project to get it done as soon as possible.
But because of the billion-dollar deficit that’s been run up by the majority party, lawmakers were forced to make painful, across-the-board cuts to the budget. The new intersection for SR 347 was among the many projects delayed or cut, and widening the road still has not been funded. I’m glad that funding for SR 387 and the I-10 made it in, but it’s more about what didn’t make it, and why.
While road safety was left out, the majority party’s huge flat tax cut for the wealthy continues, even while middle class families are struggling to stay afloat. It gave the highest earners enough of a tax break to buy a new Porsche every year, while everyone else barely got enough to buy a pizza.
While road safety was left out, the majority party continues their policy of handing blank checks to the unchecked ESA program, to the tune of $800 million.
The SR 347 intersection project should be fully funded and on track, not delayed for four more years. In January, when the Legislature reconvenes, we need new leadership at the head of both chambers who will get our finances straight and our priorities in order. Safety needs to be at the top, not on the chopping block.
———
Rep. Keith Seaman, D-Coolidge, is a candidate for reelection to the state House.
