After months of contentious debate and construction delays, the lights are finally shining over West Sedona. The Arizona Department of Transportation recently completed work on a $4.3 million safety project designed to enhance SR 89A throughout much of West Sedona, with a string of streetlights standing as the most prominent improvement. For local business owners, longtime residents, and even tourists who call Sedona their second home, the addition of roadway lighting between Dry Creek Road and Airport Road has been an illuminating experience in more ways than one.
Bethany Patterson, a 33-year-old bank teller who visits Sedona regularly to shop and sightsee, was pleasantly surprised when she saw the lights for the first time.
“I’ve always loved looking at the stars above Sedona on a clear night, and I was hoping the new lights wouldn’t be too bright,” she said. “I just walked from my condo to the Martini Bar, though, and I’m glad to see that the night sky is still there.”
Prior to the completion of this major lighting project, sidewalks throughout West Sedona’s business district were typically dim by dusk and darkened after sundown, and the lack of reliable pedestrian traffic left local restaurants and bars with little option but to close before midnight. With residents and visitors now taking advantage of the lengthened nightlife created by the lights, restaurant managers like Felipe Villalpando of the Red Planet Diner are hoping to capitalize by attracting new customers.
“The new lights look great and they fit Sedona well,” he said. “The locals already love to come out and eat right around sunset, so the lights extend that timeframe for them. And tourists arriving in town at night can’t help but notice our restaurant when they pass through. The lights should definitely result in more after-hours business for us.”
Another popular destination for dinner and drinks that has already experienced a boost when it comes to late night walk-ins is the artfully adorned Barking Frog Grille. In addition to the increased foot traffic from the adjacent Sedona Super 8 motel, this longtime hotspot for live entertainment has also benefited from the installation of a nearby traffic signal at the intersection of SR 89A and Andante Drive, according to the hostess and manager, Connie Phillips.
“We’ve definitely noticed an increase when it comes to late night walk-ins,” she said. “The new stoplight at Andante gives drivers a chance to stop and notice our sign, and with the streetlights up, more tourists have been walking over from the hotel.”
While there were initially many doubts about the installation of streetlights in Sedona, a growing city that has always strived to maintain its genuine sense of small-town appeal, the new lights have been praised as an unobtrusive, and even welcome, addition to Sedona’s main thoroughfare.
Sedona resident Sammantha Gallegos has heard several of these rave reviews while working the front desk at Wyndham Sedona vacation resort. According to her, many guests visiting Sedona for the first time head out after sundown to explore the town, looking to find a great place for dinner and drinks.
“Before the lights went up, guests were always coming back from their walks disappointed because they couldn’t find restaurants in the dark,” she said. “Today, most visitors tell us that the new streetlights have helped them find parts of Sedona they never knew were here.” FBN