A new path: Dept. of Transportation and Mobility seeking neighbors ideas on Arroyo Chico Greenway project

For Tucson residents who walk, bike, run or walk their dogs through Midtown, the city is considering a major expansion of the Arroyo Chico Greenway that could create a safer, more comfortable route between Reid Park and downtown. The proposed project would connect currently separated sections of the trail into an approximately 3-mile, off-street path following the Arroyo Chico and Citation washes. City transportation officials are asking nearby residents to help shape the route while the plans are still in the early design stage.

The project is intended to fill gaps in the existing Arroyo Chico Greenway and make it possible to travel through the corridor without relying as heavily on busy streets. The city envisions a continuous walking and biking connection through Midtown, linking neighborhoods with parks, streets and other destinations. For people who currently ride or walk beside traffic, the project could offer an alternative designed specifically for people outside cars.

The planned path would be built as an asphalt shared-use trail. Preliminary project materials call for landscaping, shade trees, lighting and benches along the route. Those features would add places to rest and improve comfort for people using the path during Tucson’s hot weather, while lighting could help make the route more usable at different times of day. The final details, including the precise alignment, have not been decided.

The proposed greenway would also connect with several existing walking and biking routes. Those include the Aviation Bikeway, the David Bell Multi-Use Path at Reid Park, the Camino Miramonte Bike Boulevard and the Treat Avenue Bike Boulevard. Together, those connections could give residents more options for reaching parks, neighborhoods and other destinations by foot or bicycle. The project’s broader purpose is not only to extend one trail, but to strengthen Tucson’s network of low-stress transportation routes.

Alizabeth Potucek, a planning project manager with the city’s Department of Transportation and Mobility, said the goal is to help people travel more easily while connecting them with places that are important in their daily lives. The city describes the future route as one intended to be comfortable for a wide range of users, rather than a narrow bike facility placed next to fast-moving traffic. Potucek said the design should feel accessible to people ranging from children to older adults.

The city already has several pieces of the Arroyo Chico Greenway. Officials describe the current system as four main segments that serve people walking, running, bicycling and walking dogs, including paths near Reid Park and along other portions of the Midtown corridor. Because those pieces are not yet connected into one continuous route, users may have to leave the greenway and navigate streets before reaching the next section. The proposed work would focus on closing those breaks.

The project is being paid for through Proposition 407, the Tucson Delivers bond program approved by voters. That funding provides the city with a source for investing in transportation and public infrastructure projects such as this planned greenway expansion. The project remains far from construction, however, because the city is still working with its design team to determine exactly where the path should run and how it should address conditions along the washes and surrounding neighborhoods.

That early stage is why city officials are emphasizing public participation. Residents can tell staff where they believe the route would be most useful, identify potential problems and raise concerns before the design is finalized. The city held a public meeting at Robison Elementary School on Thursday, Oct. 1. Another meeting was scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, from 8 to 10 a.m. at East 12th Street and South Santa Rita Avenue. At the meetings, residents could speak with city staff, ask questions and provide feedback. Free food and bicycle repair were also planned.

Potucek said the city is using this portion of the planning process to work through questions about the route with residents and the design team. That gives people who live near the Arroyo Chico and Citation washes an opportunity to influence how the future trail fits into their surroundings. As planning continues, the city will use that input while developing the route and other elements of the proposed greenway. For Tucsonans who already use the existing trail segments, the project offers the possibility of turning a collection of paths into a connected Midtown route from Reid Park toward downtown.