Living Streets Alliance 2024 Annual Report
4th Avenue / Fontana was Tucson’s first specifically designated Bicycle Boulevard, receiving signage, traffic calming, and safe crossings at major roadways in 2010. Fourteen years later, Tucson’s Bicycle Boulevard network is well on its way to completion with 140 of the ~200 miles funded and built or in planning. What better way to celebrate our 20th Cyclovia Tucson event last October than to return to the origins of our city’s “low stress” bicycle network. After all, our Cyclovias are designed to highlight the best people-friendly routes for everyday use. Cyclovia Tucson: Downtown—Amphi was especially meaningful because of the care and creativity that neighbors and partners brought not just to the event, but to the months of outreach leading up to it. It’s neat to see open streets embody a different energy with each new route or connection, in this case community members uplifting the needs of their refugee neighbors and the need for stable and affordable housing for all.
These themes of access, housing, and community connection were echoed in what we heard from people living in the 29th Street Thrive zone, where we’ve had the unique opportunity over the past year to meet with people where they are and support moments of joy and possibility in community. The themes also became a common thread throughout our strategic planning process, which engaged people involved in housing justice, people from immigrant communities, people with disabilities, and beyond, in visioning a fuller picture of what LSA’s transportation advocacy should look like over the next three to five years.
The first half of 2024 put our new strategic plan into action as we rallied once again in coalition for preservation of fare-free transit. And, unfortunately, the urgency of making our streets safer from traffic violence is greater than ever: just last month the Tucson region was ranked 3rd deadliest in the nation for people on foot. Clearly, it’s time for Vision Zero. Tucson has come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. Thank you for your steadfast support and persistence in pushing for a community where everyone can enjoy safe and dignified transport and feel connected to their surroundings through vibrant public streets.
Onward!