This busy intersection just got safer and brighter thanks to a new collaboration
Earlier this month Living Streets Alliance had the joy of leading yet another block-painting party at the intersection of 7th Street and 5th Avenue, which resulted in a big, bold, and vibrant transformation of the space. The project came about as a collaboration with Startup Tucson, organizers of TENWEST Impact Fest, as a way to provide a lasting contribution to the area and as something that participants could be a part of creating.
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Photo by Mamta Popat
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Cyclovia invites the best kind of "traffic"
On October 29th tens of thousands of Tucsonans filled 3.5 miles of local streets connecting downtown Tucson and the Amphi Neighborhood. Drumming circles, pole vaulting, and salsa dancing ensued. It's amazing what can happen when streets are free of cars!
Next month we'll have a full recap including stats gathered through our Cyclovia Census. In the meantime, enjoy photos of the day and thank you for being a part of it!
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World Day of Remembrance a reminder of how far we have yet to go in creating Safe Streets for People
This Sunday, November 19 is the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, an annual, international event to remember those killed and injured in crashes and to amplify the call for change. Now in its 23th year, communities all around the world will commemorate the day through a variety of events and actions calling attention to the roadway safety crisis and the proven strategies we need to implement to create safe streets for people.
Safe Streets for People is this year’s overarching theme and it's a timely one. With 2021 U.S. roadway fatalities at its highest in 16 years, and pedestrian fatalities reaching a 40-year high in 2022, the U.S. now ranks the worst amongst 29 high-income countries analyzed for road safety by the Centers for Disease Control. Tucson, which is now the 13th most dangerous metro area in the nation for walking, is not immune from this trend with 89 people killed on our streets so far this year. Click below to learn more and join us in demanding safer streets!
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Webinar: People First Streets
Wednesday, November 15, 11:00 - 12:30 PM
(Virtual)
Our friends with Pinnacle Prevention are hosting a webinar to explore the many reasons why it is important to build streets for people. Join them and hear from panelists about how people first streets can improve wellbeing for residents, boost economic activities for cities and protect the environment.
Bonus: This panel includes LSA alumni Vanessa Cascio, with Safe Routes Partnership :-)
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#GivingTuesday Happy Hour with Living Streets Alliance
Tuesday, November 28, 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Tap & Bottle, 403 N 6th Avenue, #135
Help us kick-off the giving season in Tucson. Grab a friend and join us in celebration of that we've accomplished together in 2023. We'll have refreshments, hot cocoa, and hot apple cider to warm you up, plus a couple fun surprises!
Bonus: Tap+Bottle will donate a portion of proceeds from the evening toward our #GivingTuesday fundraising goal. Buy a brew, join us for a toast, and support the work of LSA in the coming year!
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TIME SENSITIVE: Weigh in on the 5th/6th Street safety enhancements by November 19!
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As part of Proposition 407, Tucson Parks & Connections, 5th / 6th Streets is slated to receive major Pedestrian Safety & Walkability improvements. If you use this corridor regularly weigh in and share your thoughts about what would make it safer and more comfortable for people walking and rolling.
There is one issue we'd like to bring you your attention: Street Lights
New street lighting is one of the major components of this project. There is currently no lighting or minimal street lighting in most of the project area, with some exceptions and this project was intended to fill the gaps. Our team has attended the recent public meetings and noted comments from some of the area residents who are opposed to street lights on the grounds of "preserving the historic look" of the neighborhoods.
We are big advocates of preserving our historic structures and resources and we believe that contemporary street lights and historic homes can coexist. In urban areas, research has shown that illuminating the roadway can reduce all crashes by between 16 and 32 percent, and nighttime vehicle/pedestrian crashes at intersections between 40 and 60 percent.
We've heard form many area residents over the years about their desires to improve safety on 5th/6th Street. Given that this is a well-traveled corridor with unmet pedestrian safety and comfort needs, if you live near or travel along 5th/6th Street, we encourage you to take the survey and show your support for street lights to help ensure that they don't get eliminated from the project.
Don't wait! The survey closes on November 19th. Learn more here.
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Shape Tucson's first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system
The City of Tucson is studying a 5-mile corridor on Tucson's north side for BRT, a new high-capacity transit service that will connect people and places between the Tohono T'adai Transit Center/Tucson Mall and the downtown Ronstadt Transit Center. This represents the first phase of a planned 15-mile high-capacity transit corridor that will ultimately extend south to the Tucson International Airport.
(TODAY) Tuesday, November 14, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center
2160 N. 6th Avenue, Main Meeting Room
Wednesday, November 15 (virtual) 6-7 p.m.
Link: bit.ly/tucson-transit
Phone: 1-408-638-0968 Meeting#: 951 9345 0111
Thursday, November 16, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Amphitheater High School
125 W. Yavapai Road, Panther Hall
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Photo courtesy Mike McKisson for AZ Luminaria
Tell RTA: More funding for transit!
Note: Huge thanks to YIMBY Tucson for putting together this call to action
The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), and Technical Management Committee (TMC) are working on the RTA Next plan and need to hear from you! This plan will guide how and where money will be spent on transportation planning in our region for the next 20 years and is funded entirely by sales tax.
On June 26, 2023, by a vote of 18-6, the CAC adopted a budget framework that would dedicate more to public transportation, active transportation, and safety improvements than the current budget proposal put forth by the RTA staff and TMC. The CAC's adopted budget framework was informed by unanimously adopted guiding principles that include providing equitable transportation services and preparing our region for a new climate reality. For context, 52% of the CAC's adopted budget framework would go to road projects and 30% to public transit. In contrast, the RTA/TMC's budget proposal would spend about 62% on road projects and only 22% would go to public transit.
There is an ideological divide on the CAC, and a majority of people developing the RTA Next plan are against this level of investment in public transit and want more money to go toward new roads, interstate exchanges, and road widenings in suburban communities. In fact, they claim it is the duty of urban taxpayers to subsidize transportation investments in the suburban ring to create a strong and economically viable region. They claim that voters in Pima County will not support a plan that meaningfully invests in public transportation or pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. We need to tell them they are wrong. Join the fight for expansion of public transit on the regional level by writing to the RTA Board before November 22!
The RTA is regional, but there is no currently accepted definition, priority, or vision for what good regional transportation planning looks like. Every jurisdiction is going to have their own opinions and priorities, but one thing is certain: the urban core is both the mobility and economic hub of our region and it is not the obligation of urban voters to subsidize the special interests of suburban communities.
Deadline: November 22nd
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Funding Opportunity: Safe Streets Mini Grants
The City of Tucson just announced a new mini grant program as part of Prop 411 Tucson Delivers: Safe Streets. These mini grants are designed to deliver traffic calming improvements to neighborhoods across the city. Click below to learn more + apply:
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Article: Tucson's biggest safety concern is on our roads
Our In case you missed it, Tim Steller of the AZ Daily Star wrote a great piece last month outlining how one of the BIGGEST safety concerns is our roads and that getting around is one of the riskiest things that we all do on a daily basis.
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Op Ed: What Tucson can learn from Houston's Prop B
Last week a citizen-led initiative in Houston—Proposition B—passed, requiring their MPO to restructure to create a more balanced voting system. Find out why this could be important for Tucson's future, including RTA Next.
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The mission of Living Streets Alliance is to advocate for a thriving Tucson by creating great streets for all of us.
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