Drivers in Ahwatukee will notice some changes on Pecos Road starting Monday. Changes have been made to make it safer for cyclists.
The changes were prompted by a fatal accident last year. A 59-year-old man was struck and killed while cycling at the intersection on 17 th Avenue.
A bicycle lane has been added on the westbound lanes of Pecos Road from Desert Foothills Parkway to 17 th Avenue. Two lanes of through traffic, for both bikes and vehicles, are also marked to cross that intersection. The speed limit has been reduced from 50 miles per hour to 45.
“One of the things we’re hoping that this change to the official bike lane gets us a little more visibility for bicyclists and a little more awareness from the drivers," said Kerry Wilcoxon is with the Phoenix Transportation Department. "But it is still a high-speed road with bicyclists next to it. So we still urge both drivers and especially bicyclists to be very, very safe and very, very cautious.”
Wilcoxon says about 15,000 to 20,000 vehicles use Pecos Road every day. It’s also very popular with bicyclists.