SAHUARITA, Ariz. (KGUN) — With its population skyrocketing from 3,200 residents in 2000 to over 26,000 today, Sahuarita is grappling with the challenges of rapid growth.
To address safety concerns stemming from increased traffic, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has awarded the Sahuarita Police Department a $58,000 grant aimed at improving road safety and reducing collisions.
The grant, divided among several initiatives, will fund DUI enforcement, traffic patrols to curb speeding, along with strengthening pedestrian and bicycle safety programs. A portion of the funding will also provide advanced training for officers to analyze traffic collisions and determine their causes.
“Like every department out there, budgets are finite,” said Michael Falquez, Public Information Officer for the Sahuarita Police Department. “We always have to find additional funding sources to ensure that we’re providing the safety that our community members expect.”
As Sahuarita’s roads grow busier, residents like Greg Miller and Laura Nastase have noticed a rise in dangerous driving behaviors.
“My spouse gets onto me all the time because I set my cruise control,” Miller said. “If it’s 30 miles per hour, I do 33, and I see people flying past me.”
Nastase echoed those concerns, describing her experiences while walking her dog in her neighborhood. “They speed around that curve, and sometimes I get a little nervous,” Nastase said.
She says the town’s growth is largely the cause. “More houses, more people, more cars—it’s just gotten really bad.”
Falquez explained that certain intersections, such as Nogales Highway and Sahuarita Road, as well as Rancho Sahuarita Boulevard, are hotspots for collisions. The department plans to use the grant to increase patrols in these areas, aiming to reduce accidents and create a safer environment for the community.
Of the $58,000 grant, over $20,000 is designated for DUI enforcement and investigations, while $12,000 will fund speeding and safe driving initiatives.
An additional $15,000 is allocated to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety programs.
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
