Phoenix city government is justifiably known for its efficiency. Phoenix should be proud of its cost-effective services and AAA credit rating. Sometimes, however, that efficiency is taken too far. When a city becomes too efficient, it begins to lose its soul. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the way that Phoenix police direct traffic during major Downtown events.

The individual officers are not to blame here. They're following the orders they've been given under a plan known as "Sunburst." Sunburst essentially divides Downtown into quadrants and organizes traffic flow so that cars driven to a big game in one place don't compete with cars from a concert at another venue a few blocks away.

The problem with Sunburst is that it assumes that most attendees of Downtown events want to arrive and depart as quickly as possible without ever pausing for the type of serendipitous exploration that makes cities interesting. Someone attending a concert as the US Airways Center might be considering a drive half a mile north for a snack or drink along Roosevelt after the show, but that person is essentially given no choice when barricades and police officers directing all traffic toward the nearest freeway greet him or her upon departure from a parking garage.

For that reason, we need to "sunset the sunburst" and retire this outmoded plan, which was originally created in the late '90s (article link below) -- a time when Downtown was so forlorn that there was little to explore beyond the arenas and theaters in the immediate city core.

Of course, traffic engineers may see the result as chaos. Maybe, but a little chaos is a part of city life, and Phoenix needs to stop fearing it. Moreover, this sunset doesn't have to be a total eclipse. There can still be signs, Downtown ambassadors, and police helping those who want to leave right away. Those who wish to stay, however, should be encouraged to do so and not compelled to make a quick exodus via the nearest on-ramp.