Dozens of people have lost their lives at bus stops in Phoenix due to extreme heat, sparking calls for action and prompting officials to track heat-related deaths. The investigation conducted by ABC15 revealed that at least 40 people died at bus stops from heat-related causes, while another 48 fatalities occurred at benches, parking lots, or on sidewalks. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office reported that a man’s body temperature reached above 109º at a bus stop in 2020 before his demise.
Expressing concern over these heat-related deaths, Councilwoman Laura Pastor emphasized the responsibility of each city to address extreme heat and take the necessary initiatives. She called for the City’s Office of Public Health to collaborate with the Office of Heat Mitigation, Phoenix Fire, and other departments to track these fatalities. Councilwoman Pastor, along with other elected officials, serves on the Valley Metro Rail Board of Directors, which oversees the transportation network in the area.
Tempe Vice Mayor Jennifer Adams, another member of the Valley Metro Rail Board of Directors, highlighted the multi-faceted heat relief efforts undertaken by Valley Metro and the City of Tempe to ensure the well-being of the community during extreme heat. The city provides a network of cooling and hydration centers while Valley Metro’s frontline teams actively monitor passengers’ health and safety.
Surprisingly, neither the city’s transportation department nor Valley Metro tracks deaths or incidents involving heat-related illnesses at bus stops. However, Valley Metro’s bus operators are trained to identify symptoms of heat-related illnesses and will check on riders in distress. In such cases, operators may request police officers or firefighters to assist, but there is no available data on the frequency of these occurrences. Additionally, buses can serve as cooling centers for passengers in need.
To address the issue, the city aims to add shade structures to 80 bus stops annually until 2027, with 516 shelters already installed since 2017. However, the prioritization of shelters is based on passenger ridership, ensuring that a higher percentage of riders are served compared to the percentage of shaded bus stops.
By shedding light on the concerning number of heat-related deaths at bus stops, this investigation has prompted officials to call for action and advocate for better tracking of such incidents. With ongoing efforts to provide shade structures and the commitment of Valley Metro and city officials to ensure passenger well-being, steps are being taken to mitigate the risks of extreme heat at bus stops in Phoenix.
