Broadway Coalition

Broadway Blvd.

Broadway Widening: Comment Deadline, Flash Mob & Council Vote

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Broadway Blvd.
Campbell and Broadway intersection on the latest Broadway widening project maps.

The Broadway widening project is bumping up against yet another deadline and vote at the Mayor and Council Meeting on April 19. In advance of Tuesday’s vote the Broadway Coalition and supporting groups like Sustainable Tucson and the Tucson Bus Riders Union are organizing.

TONIGHT: The Broadway widening comment period closes tonight (April 15) by midnight.  (Full details for this and all action steps below the jump.)

On Sunday, April 17, there is a “rally and flash mob”, endorsed by the Broadway Coalition and the Tucson Bus Riders Union. (Sounds like fun. Info below.)

On April 19, at the City Council there will be a vote on the disputed project. Will the City Council side with the residents (who have had basically the same “modest expansion” message for years? Approximately 200 people– on both sides of the expansion argument– attended the public meeting on April 5.

Continue after the jump for details from the organizers.

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Broadway Blvd.

Broadway Widening… Again! How Many Times Do the People Have to Say ‘NO!’

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Broadway Village Shopping Center, designed by Tucson icon Josais Joesler, is one of the most unique shopping locations in Tucson. It could be destroyed with the widening of Broadway.
Broadway Village Shopping Center, designed by Tucson icon Josais Joesler, is one of the most unique shopping locations in Tucson. It could be destroyed with the widening of Broadway.

UPDATE: About 200 Tucsonans came to the Tucson City Council meeting publicized below. The Arizona Daily Star reported that the city “got an earful” from residents who want a modest project on Broadway. The final City Council vote will be Tuesday, April 19.

Remember all of those public meetings in which the citizens of Tucson said they don’t want Broadway Blvd turned into a massive eight-lane highway?

Or how many times we said we wanted to keep valuable historic buildings on Broadway? Or how many times we said that following obsolete growth projects was a silly idea? Or how many times we said, “We’re widening Grant Rd., why widen Broadway, too?”

Well, apparently, we have not told the Mayor and Council, “Enough is Enough” enough times.

I thought the fight over sustainable development and modest expansion of Broadway had been won months ago when the citizens task force voted to go with a smaller foot-print for the widening– a plan that the neighbors and concerned citizens agreed with– but no. Developers, real estate speculators, and automobile promoters are putting pressure on the Mayor and Council to ignore the will of the citizens.

TONIGHT – April 5 at 5:30 p.m. is another major public hearing on the Broadway Widening Project. Note the location change. It will be at the County Board of Supervisors meeting room. Details from the Broadway Coalition, link to a petition to sign, and links to four years of past articles after the jump. 

Broadway Blvd.

June 9 City Council Meeting: Broadway Coalition Redux #10? (I’ve Lost Count)

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Broadway Blvd.
Campbell and Broadway intersection on the latest Broadway widening project maps.

How wide should Broadway Blvd. be between the Snake Bridge and Country Club Rd? This seems like a never-ending question, but today– June 9– is a big day. Today, the Tucson City Council will vote on moving forward with the Broadway widening project.

You’ll remember that the Broadway Citizens Task Force meetings over the last few months have been filled with drama and intrigue. Originally, powers that be in the city/county wanted to widen Broadway to eight lanes, based upon flawed traffic projections from 20 years ago. Over and over again in meetings and on comment cards, the citizens of Tucson have said that expansion was not necessary because the city didn’t grow east, as projected– besides the fact that expansion to 8 lanes would destroy historic buildings and put small businesses out of business. That 8-lane idea was beaten back, but still the “pro-car” … er… “pro-growth” forces tried to manipulate the process.

Also, on tonight’s agenda is a discussion of the Sun Tran budget and potential route changes.

So– if you support sustainable, historically sensitive growth and transportation, come to today’s Mayor and Council Meeting and show your solidarity with the Broadway Coalition and the Tucson Bus Riders Union. Below are the details about the Broadway widening and about Sun Tran…

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UPDATED: Broadway Widening Redux: March 26 Meeting on ‘Community Alignment’

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The First Assembly of God Church, erected in 1950, is on Broadway Blvd.
The First Assembly of God Church, erected in 1950, is on Broadway Blvd., within the boundaries of the widening project.

The beleaguered Citizens Task Force (CTF) of the Broadway Widening Project revolted at last week’s meeting and didn’t approve the city staff plan for widening Broadway Blvd. because it didn’t match the CTF’s recommendation from December 2014.

Consequently, the CTF will meet again tonight, March 26 at 5:30 at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church Activity Building, 1200 N. Campbell. Here is the background from Sustainable Tucson. Read about last week’s meeting here and here.

UPDATE FROM THIS MEETING BELOW.

Alternative ‘community alignment’ tonight!

After a revolt by the Broadway Citizens Task Force at their meeting March 19th, an alternative “community-supported” version by respected transportation engineer and transit historian, Gene Caywood will be presented tonight so the City of Tucson can decide the best solution for improving Historic Broadway and the Sunshine Mile.

Come tonight to support the Citizens Task Force complete their three years of work. More background after the jump.

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Broadway Blvd

Broadway Widening: Citizens’ Task Force Meeting March 19

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Broadway Blvd
2014 public meeting on Broadway widening

The Broadway Citizens Task Force (CTF)– the city-appointed residents and business owners who have been working on the Broadway widening project– will meet at 5:30 today, March 19, at the Our Savior’s Lutheran Church at 1200 N. Campbell Ave.

The focus of the meeting is to review the latest round of plans and maps for widening Broadway to six-lanes and knocking down 37 buildings in the process. You’ll remember a week ago, Sustainable Tucson, Blog for Arizona, and others were encouraging everyone to comment on those maps that show staff recommendations. All comments made by the March 11 deadline were sent to the CTF members before today’s meeting, but comments are still being gathered at this address: broadway@tucsonaz.gov.

There will be two calls to the audience at tonight’s meeting, and if an agreement on the maps is not reached tonight, there could be a subsequent meeting next week. Here’s the back story on the current maps. Details, maps and agenda here.

Come on down and speak out for  “human scale” improvements to Broadway.

Below is the background and important future dates from the Broadway Coalition (the group of citizen activists who are pushing for modest, less destructive improvements to Broadway).

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