Shared Streets launches in South Tucson creating calmer streets for neighbors to enjoy

Living Streets Alliance is excited to share that the City of South Tucson can be included among a growing list of cities re-purposing their neighborhood streets as people-friendly spaces so that communities can stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, Living Streets Alliance, in collaboration with municipal partners and with help from neighbors, launched Shared Streets or Calles Compartidas, designating South 8th Avenue and West 37th Street as shared spaces for people to walk, bike, and scoot. Already, the program is taking on its own community flavor as neighbors have begun to dub the program with their own unique nicknames including: Calles Libres, Slow ‘n Low, and Paseo de los Vecinos.

With the onset of the pandemic, the month of March marked a new reality for community engagement with the cancellation of the Spring Cyclovia Tucson event, which would have routed onto South 8th Avenue. South Tucson neighbors and families expressed disappointment more than ever as so many had become even more invested in the corridor, helping to design and paint the community traffic circles with the Mission View and Ochoa school communities. Hearing from neighbors and families who want calmer streets so that they can recreate and safely connect to places, Shared Streets began to take shape in response to resident feedback, knowing that it could be a very long time before a block party or open streets event could happen again.

Artwork creation led by artist Mel Dominguez with youth from the John Valenzuela Youth Center

It’s been over a month that South Tucson Shared Streets have been in place and the placement of barricades and signage which create temporary traffic calming features are already sparking important conversations among neighbors about the future of South 8th Avenue as a planned bicycle boulevard, as well as eliciting a larger vision for streets that connect community.

“A lot of people have mis-perceptions about South Tucson, but this has been our home for generations. I grew up playing and walking around all over these streets with my friends until the streetlights came on, when it was time to come home. I want my son to have that too, to feel comfortable and safe here,” said Dee Toro who is serving as a Shared Streets Neighborhood Steward along with her partner Josh who live near 8th Avenue and 25th Street. They are part of a network of a dozen other South Tucson neighbors who are serving as stewards for the program. These neighborhood leaders have long-time connections to the community and are compiling their own observations of traffic along and around South 8th Avenue as well as additional feedback they hear from neighbors about how the Shared Streets are working.

In addition to Neighborhood Stewards, LSA has its own bilingual crew on the ground doing door-to-door canvassing, conducting on-street intercept surveys, making follow-up phone calls, and hosting weekly bike repair clinics that draw local residents, all of which have added up to countless hours of valuable conversations with neighbors. “It’s truly such an honor to work closely with South Tucson neighbors and every week that I am in the neighborhood, I carry a small notebook with me in an effort to document everything that I see and hear. We have met with long-time residents who have so many stories to tell of their life here. We also have talked with neighbors with young families who want a healthy neighborhood and access to parks and open space for their kids. This is feedback that can shape the future bike boulevard design and future projects with the neighborhood,” comments Vanessa Cascio, LSA’s Director of Family & Youth Initiatives.

Chuy and his family regularly attend the weekly bike repairs, and they also serve as Neighborhood Stewards.

South Tucson Shared Streets will stay in place at least until the end of the year, and perhaps even longer based on neighborhood feedback. In the meantime, LSA is excited to continue to work with the community to liven up the corridor with more homespun artistic signage that expresses the neighborhood culture.

Special thanks to Pima County’s Department of Environmental Quality for helping make this program possible, and also to Psomas Engineering for developing the barricade plan. Your partnership and support is much appreciated!