Thank you for supporting the 6th Ave Protected Bike Lane!
Last month we shared an urgent call to action to stand up for the 6th Avenue Protected Bike Lane project, north of downtown. This project—approved by voters as part of the Prop 407, Parks + Connections bond in 2018—was intended to provide a bike lane separated by a curb from the adjacent travel lane thereby creating an "all ages and abilities" bicycle facility from 7th Street to Speedway. Unfortunately, the project stood to be watered down substantially and reduced to simply paint (traffic striping) and flex posts, which don't provide any actual physical protection.
Thanks to strong vision amongst 2018 Parks + Connections Bond Oversight Commissioners and letters and voices of support from people like you the project is moving forward as originally envisioned, with curb-protected bicycle facilities on 6th Avenue from 5th Street to Speedway.**
While this might seem like a small victory, it’s significant. Many years of advocacy went into even getting the Prop 407 Bond developed in a way that included essential bicycle facilities, then it took advocacy to get the Bond passed by voters, ongoing advocacy to change the public narrative around bicycling as a mode of transportation for everyday people, and finally advocacy to stand up for a bikeway that will truly prioritize the safety of people on bikes over parking and car culture. It’s one small step for our bicycle network, but a moment to celebrate how far we’ve come. Stay tuned as this project comes online, meanwhile you'll have the opportunity to enjoy multiple blocks of newly completed two-way protected bike lane on Stone Avenue by the end of this year!
**The stretch from 5th to 7th St will have buffered bike lanes
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Meet our Fall interns
We're excited to welcome two new interns to the LSA team this Fall: Dexter Mitchell, Public Space and Community Events Intern, and Caroline Kajkowski, Cyclovia Census Intern.
Dexter (he/him) is a current high school student at Mica Mountain. He has grown up in Tucson and been involved with a number of performing arts: mainly dance. His work with LSA will be focused on supporting community events from planning to implementation and a community outreach mapping project. He has a strong interest in urban design and plans to attend a university to pursue a related degree in the fall of 2025. Dexter loves to travel and has aspirations to live in a number of countries in his future.
Caroline (she/her) is in her final year at the University of Arizona studying Urban and Regional Development, French, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Her work with LSA will be focused on designing the census and analyzing the data for LSA's Cyclovia and Cycolvita events. She is interested in continuing her studies in data science and incorporating that knowledge in urban development. Outside of academics, she enjoys theatre, singing, travel, and the Arizona sun.
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"The Street Project" screening
Saturday, October 12 at 6:00 PM
Main Gate Square Plaza (behind Caffe Luce)
943 E University Blvd
The Street Project is the story about humanity’s relationship to the streets and the global citizen-led fight to make communities safer.
Digging deep into the root causes of traffic violence, the filmmakers engage a diverse array of experts including street historian Peter Norton, city planner Jeff Speck, and urban design expert Mikael Colville-Andersen. These expert interviews are interwoven with the stories of real people working to make their communities safer.
Join us for a free outdoor screening as part of Film Fest Tucson. We'll have our Bike Valet set up, so ride on over!
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Mobile Bike Repair
The following Mobile Bike Repair clinics are scheduled in partnership with area schools. If your family attends one of these schools, make sure to contact the front office to reserve your slot! We'll provide basic bicycle maintenance and youth bicycle helmets for FREE. Made possible by the City of Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility.
Wednesday, October 16, 3:30 - 6:30 PM
Pueblo High School
3500 South 12th Ave (85713)
Friday, October 25, 5:00 - 8:00 PM
Safford K-8 School
200 East 13th St (85701)
Saturday, October 26, 9:00 - 11:00 AM
Liberty Elementary School
5495 South Liberty Ave (85706)
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Slow Roll Beer Release!
Happy Hour at Pueblo Vida
Thursday, October 17, 5 - 8 PM
Pueblo Vida Brewing Company
115 E Broadway Blvd
Pedal to the Pueblo Vida taproom to celebrate the release of Slow Roll and get ready for Cyclovia Tucson with this special beer!
Be the first to try this new brew and get your hands on brand new Cyclovia merch, hot off the press!
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Cyclovia Route Cleanup Day
Come out for the good music, good vibes, and taking pride and care of the land where we live leading up to Cyclovia Tucson.
Saturday, October 19
Meet at:
Mission View Elementary, 8:00 AM - Noon
2600 S 8th Ave
-or-
Ochoa Community School, 8:30 AM - Noon
101 W 25th St
Need to get your bike ready for Cyclovia? Bring it along—we'll have FREE Mobile Bike Repair at Mission View!
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Cyclovia Tucson: Downtown—South Tucson
Sunday, October 27, 9 AM - 3 PM
Armory Park to Mission View Elementary
Walk, bike, roll, connect and play in car-free, care-free streets. Check out the route map and full lineup of activities at cycloviatucson.org
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Weight in on the 1st Ave Improvement Project
1st Avenue will see major changes in the near future as the the City of Tucson works to make it more of a complete street that prioritizes safety and ease for people walking, biking, and riding the bus.
They've begun seeking public input and will be hosting an in-person and virtual open house this month where you can hear a project overview, learn about current conditions on the corridor, and share your feedback. There's also a brief online survey, which you can access by clicking below. Don't sit this one out!—weigh in with your priorities and vision for a future 1st Ave.
In-Person Open House
Wednesday, October 9, 6 - 7:30 PM (tomorrow!)
Donna Liggins Recreation Center
2160 N 6th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85705
Virtual Open House
Thursday, October 10, 6 - 7 PM
To join online: https://bit.ly/1stAve_TUS
To join by phone: +1-669-444-9171
Webinar ID: 969 6284 3250
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Check out ten Key Action Strategies for Tucson Norte-Sur
Tucson Norte-Sur is a plan for equitable transit-oriented development (eTOD) along a 15-mile long north-south corridor spanning from the Tucson Mall on the northside to downtown Tucson and the Tucson Airport on the southside.
Following a 3-year public engagement and data collection process, the DRAFT Tucson Norte-Sur Phase II (the final phase) documents are now available and ready for review.
While there's a much longer and detailed report you can read through, there's also a condensed report that captures the highlights of everything so far as well as ten key action strategies for the City to take into account going forward. Here's a quick snapshot of the strategies:
- Formally Adopt and Establish Programming for Equity Priority Areas
- Advance Key Activity Centers Within Tucson Norte-Sur Study Area
- Initiate Development Code Updates to Support Transit-Oriented Development
- Acquire Vacant and Underutilized Properties for Affordable Housing in Key Areas
- Develop an Anti-Displacement Fund Directed at the Most Vulnerable Housing Types
- Create a Façade and Walkway Improvement Grant Program for Norte-Sur Businesses
- Expand the Sidewalk Network
- Upgrade Tohono Tadai, Ronstadt, and Laos Transit Centers
- Designate N. Stone Ave and S. 6th Ave as Transit and Pedestrian Priority Corridors to Implement Multimodal Safety Improvements
- Require Street Trees to be Installed in a Landscape Zone Adjacent to High-Frequency Transit Corridors
Click the link below and check out pages 20-30 to see more details about each of the strategies. If you have edits, comments, or questions make sure to share them by this Friday, October 11th.
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El Presidio Historic District to become walkable oasis in the heart of Tucson
Activate El Presidio, a project fueled by volunteers and local business owners, will transform Washington Street into walkable haven under a new plan to close the road to cars and add murals, playgrounds and sidewalk tables for visitors.
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Study: We Can Build Our Way out of Climate Change
If you build it, they won't drive. Cities can dramatically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by rezoning single-family housing areas for denser, mixed-use developments, according to a new study that reaches familiar conclusions that take on a new urgency in an era of twin climate and housing crises.
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A Map That Visualizes Walkable Neighborhoods Across the US
An interactive map allows anyone in the US to see their proximity to grocery stores, playgrounds, schools and more. Geographer Nat Henry created an interactive travel-time map because he was curious to test the assumptions about Seatlle, where he lives: Was his city really as walkable as some people say?
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