CATS study finds improved road safety in Tucson
Yao-Jan Wu, professor of CAEM, is the founder and executive director of both the Center for Applied Transportation Sciences (CATS) and the Arizona Transportation Institute (AZTI).
KGUN9 news highlighted a study from the University of Arizona’s Center for Applied Transportation Sciences (CATS) that analyzed a recent transportation project on Tucson's South 12th Avenue. Research showed the project significantly improved road safety.
CATS, which is led by faculty from the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics, is a center that works with governments and private companies to improve transportation infrastructure.
“We are working together with multiple jurisdictions to develop data-driven approaches to traffic issues, such as pedestrian safety and mixed cyclist and vehicle traffic, e-scooter programs and advanced traffic operations technologies,” said Yao-Jan Wu, CAEM professor and CATS executive director.
In October 2020, the City of Tucson’s Department of Transportation and Mobility reconfigured a stretch of South 12th Avenue between Irvington Road and Drexel Road. The CATS study examined data on crashes and traffic fatalities on that stretch of road before and after the reconfiguration. From 2017 to 2019, there were two traffic deaths, but from 2021 to 2023, there were zero recorded fatalities. The researchers also observed a 44 percent decrease in all crashes, with an 84 percent decline in pedestrian-involved incidents. They also noted that despite removing travel lanes, adding a center turn lane, and adding enhanced bike lanes and on-street parking, travel times remained relatively stable.