SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Scottsdale’s preliminary budget for next year includes nearly $600,000 for a flashing crosswalk along a busy stretch of Shea Boulevard.
The planned project is drawing controversy.
Neighbors say the road is so busy that it’s dangerous to cross on foot, especially on the Sabbath when people walk to a synagogue near 66th Street south of Shea.
“We have seen people trying to cross. And we stand, and we look, and we pray,” said Gila Lesky, a member of Congregation Beth Tefillah.
She said the city needs to act before someone gets hurt.
“If one child dies, one teenager, one parent, one grandparent, one elderly person, then we will all be culpable,” she said.
The flashing crosswalk would be similar to one near Kierland Commons along Scottsdale Road. Known as a High Intensity Activated CrossWalk, or HAWK, the signals operate in a yellow-red sequence to let drivers know pedestrians need to cross.
But some residents oppose the change, saying it would make driving conditions worse along Shea.
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“We’re talking about this crosswalk at 66th only benefiting those people who live between 65th and 68th north of Shea. That is not the majority of the congregation,” said Scottsdale resident Dan Ishac.
Others who spoke at a Scottsdale City Council meeting earlier this month called it a “pet project” of Scottsdale Vice Mayor Adam Kwasman. He belongs to the nearby synagogue.
Kwasman denied any involvement.
“This issue came up prior to me being elected to the council,” he said.
Some residents also question why there was no recent study to justify the project. City staff said a 2024 study found the number of pedestrian crossings was slightly lower than the threshold the city usually uses for HAWK signals.
“But that doesn’t preclude us from doing it,” said Alison Tymkiw, the city’s senior director of transportation and infrastructure.
She said that area of Shea Boulevard has a high volume of traffic and multiple lanes.
“It is a safety issue, and we wouldn’t want people crossing mid-block without the light, without the beacon. And that’s what we found is happening,” she said.
The city council is expected to vote on June 9 on a $2 billion budget for fiscal 2027, which would include funding for the planned crosswalk.
Email ABC15’s Anne Ryman at anne.ryman@abc15.com, call her at 602-685-6345, or connect on X, formerly known as Twitter.
