Sun Tran

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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Sun Link should offer one-way tickets

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Sun Link modern streetcar, courtesy of Donovan Dean Durband
Sun Link modern streetcar, courtesy of Donovan Dean Durband

Now that the Sun Link modern streetcar has been operating for almost 4 months, I’m suggesting that some change is needed.  Operations started on July 25, 2014, with the first 3 days of riding for free.

People have been complaining of no one-way passes/tickets.  Not everyone who rides the 4 mile route needs a round trip one day (24 hour) pass, which costs $4 at the kiosks.

Offering one way passes at the Sun Link station kiosks would encourage ridership by people who would use it one way to get somewhere. Currently people who want a one way trip realize it costs $4, so they are opting out.  There is no option to buy a one-way pass at the kiosks.

A one-way ticket for $1.50 or $2 would be highly beneficial for students (who don’t usually have a lot of extra money), new riders, families.  I’ve ridden Sun Link a number of times and have encountered frustrated riders who desire one-way tickets. Even walkers in the All Souls Procession on Nov. 9 needed one-way tickets back to the 6th Avenue/6th Street start-up point, where many had left their cars/trucks/bikes.

Offering one-way passes may help families save some money. For example, a family of four on a day trip in town would have to pay $16 to ride both ways under the current system,  but with one-way passes would pay only $6 – $8,  then could choose to walk back to save some $.  AZ Daily Star columnist Tim Steller and his family encountered this problem just recently: http://tucson.com/news/local/column/steller-streetcar-ticketing-discourages-spontaneous-trips/article_9a4d9b0c-3eb5-54fa-a98b-a4b8a19532e9.html?id=201408

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Go Car Free on September 22

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carfree

From www.sunrideshare.org:

Tucson will again join in the celebration for World Car Free Day onSeptember 22. Sun Rideshare and Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) promote Car Free Day in an effort to get area drivers to leave their cars at home and try an alternative mode of transportation. Alternative transportation reduces pollution, traffic congestion, and energy consumption, as well as promotes a more active, healthy lifestyle.

This year participants will qualify for the prize drawings by logging in their car free trips in the Sun Rideshare Travel Calendar.  Only one car free trip is needed to possibly win:  

  • E-reader
  • Gift cards: (2) $100, (1) $50
  • Sun Rideshare gift package

All trips must be logged in by 8:00 am on September 23 to qualify for the prize drawing.  All trips logged will also earn points in the Sun Rideshare Rewards Program.

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Desire a ride on the Sun Link streetcar

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Sun Link on Congress Street, courtesy of Donovan Dean Durban
Sun Link streetcar on Congress Street, courtesy of Donovan Dean Durband

The new modern Tucson streetcar named Sun Link is now linking the University of AZ Medical Center on the east end to the Mercado San Agustin & El Rio Clinic on the west side (west of the I-10 freeway).  Along the way are the University of Arizona, college-friendly Main Gate Square, the eclectic 4th Avenue shopping and restaurant district, and of course downtown Tucson’s main thoroughfares Congress St. and Broadway Blvd.

I’ve been riding a few times to experience this brand new, clean, air conditioned public transportation system, an alternative to the Sun Tran bus system, the Cat Tran vans (free for UA students and personnel), and the free Downtown Loop van service (mostly for workers).  Sun Link is only 4 miles long (3.9 miles to be exact) but it is a smooth ride on tracks, unlike Sun Tran which I just rode on Friday, where you can feel most of the bumps and lumps of our patched asphalt streets.

The one way ride from the east end to the west end  takes 30 minutes with about 20 station stops. To the credit of the drivers, the wait time at the station stops is momentary, just to unload and load passengers, most of whom have their Sun Go cards ready to “tap” on one of the 4 monitors inside.

Sun Link started operation on July 25, 2014 and offered free rides on the first weekend for 3 days, and also free for UA students/faculty/staff from August 15 to September 14.  Starting tomorrow only paid fares will be allowed.

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Will the Tucson City Council Throw the Bus Riders Under the Bus?

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Busriders318-sig-sm72by Pamela Powers Hannley

With pressure from developers and the budget, the Tucson City Council once again is considering decisions which would reduce– or at least hinder– bus transportation.

Today, Tuesday, May 7, at the City Council study session, Councilwoman Shirley Scott is expected to propose a $2 million cut to Sun Tran services. The Bus Riders Union has sent out an action alert for citizens who want to preserve bus transportation to come to the study session, which begins at 1:30 p.m. Here is a link to the agenda.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 8, City Councilwoman Karin Uhlich will meet with members of the Bus Riders Union regarding proposed redevelopment of the Ronstadt Transit Center (RTC) at 5:30 p.m. in the library room of the the Armory Park Center, 220 S. 5th Ave. This event is free and open to the public. Please attend if you want your voice heard. (You can also send comments to busriders@tucsonbusridersunion.com.) More details and results from the bus riders survey after the jump.