The crosswalk where three University of Arizona students, Josiah Patrick Santos, Sophia Akimi Troetel and Katya Rosaura Castillo Mendoza, were hit and killed on Oct. 30 lacks a conspicuous coat of paint less than three weeks after it was claimed to be repainted by the city.
Erica Frazelle with City of Tucson Transportation and Mobility wrote to AZPM in an email that the crosswalk on North Euclid Avenue and East 2nd Street was repainted on Nov. 7 around 2:30 a.m. with a waterborne paint manufactured by PPG Traffic Paint.
The photo sent to AZPM by the city from the night of the repaint shows two freshly painted crosswalks, which do not reflect their current conditions several weeks later.
Less than a week after the repaint, on Nov. 12, the crosswalk’s road paint looked significantly faded on the east side by Main Gate Garage.
Just south of the 2nd Street crosswalk, the crosswalk from the University Services Building to Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church was also freshly painted, but appeared similarly faded a few days later.
Frazelle said that the paint’s longevity is influenced by “external factors out of the manufacturer’s control,” such as high UV exposure and abrasion from sand and dust. She said there is accelerated wear with the high traffic the area experiences.
AZPM reached out to PPG but did not receive a response.
Notably, for crosswalks, thermoplastic paint from PPG is meant to be durable, visible and is said to have a traffic-calming effect. The City of Tucson did not choose this option, while the pedestrian safety effects of the thermoplastic paint have been proven in multiple studies.
Frazelle said while the paint may appear faded, it “remains within the acceptable visibility standards.”
The City of Tucson is currently looking for a contractor to install the High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) lights at the intersection to make it safer for pedestrians.
