Tucson’s downtown gets parking, shuttles and safety upgrades

For Tucson residents who work, dine, attend concerts or spend evenings downtown, finding a reasonably priced place to park and getting safely between a garage and a destination may soon become easier. Pima County is directing about $1 million in excess funds toward new downtown parking hours, transportation services, lighting, cleaning and late night ride assistance through an initiative called “See You Downtown.”

The effort is a joint project involving Pima County and the Downtown Tucson Partnership, a nonprofit organization that promotes and supports the central business district. County officials approved the spending at a Tuesday meeting, and Downtown Tucson Partnership leaders described the plans at a Thursday news conference outside The Monica on East Congress Street. The stated goal is to make downtown cleaner, safer and more active while helping businesses attract customers during Tucson’s busy winter and spring tourism season.

One immediate change will involve three county parking garages that previously were available only to county employees. Before Dec. 1, those garages are expected to begin opening at night and on weekends, with a flat fee of $5. The Public Service Garage at 38 East Alameda Street is one of the facilities identified by the county. Expanding access could give people attending shows, eating at downtown restaurants or visiting public spaces another option beyond the parking facilities and street spaces they already use.

The Downtown Tucson Partnership also plans to add transportation between parking areas and downtown activities. A free weekend shuttle will be introduced, along with smaller golf carts that can carry either four or six passengers. The services are designed to address the practical gap between leaving a vehicle and reaching a restaurant, bar, event or other destination. Nick Wayne, who owns Highwire cocktail bar and Gibson’s Food Hall and Market, said those details can influence whether people return downtown. In his view, customers need to know they can locate affordable parking and move conveniently from a garage to their evening plans.

The initiative includes a renewed version of the partnership’s Safe Ride Home program. Under the program, downtown businesses can provide patrons with up to $40 toward an Uber ride during late night hours when they should not drive. The program is intended to help people get home after visiting downtown without getting behind the wheel if they are impaired or otherwise unable to drive. The announcement did not specify when the service would restart or how many businesses would participate.

Cleaning and visibility are another part of the county’s investment. The partnership’s purple shirt ambassadors, along with its round the clock street care team, will receive mobile cleaning carts. The carts are intended to make street cleaning more visible while supporting the team’s work in public areas. County documents also set aside $75,000 for lighting improvements and for expanding ambassador coverage in locations officials believe have a direct effect on how people experience and perceive downtown.

Supervisor Andrés Cano, whose district includes downtown, said the county wants people to spend time in the area, support local businesses, use public spaces, attend performances and stay for dinner or other activities. The plan therefore goes beyond simply adding parking capacity. It combines access, transportation, maintenance, lighting and safety services in an attempt to make downtown feel more welcoming to residents and visitors during the months when tourism and outdoor activity typically bring more people into the city center.

The money comes from county funds left over after departments finished the year with more money than anticipated. County Administrator Jan Lesher said the surplus was connected to department level budgeting and was not created by the county’s expenditure limit. Her explanation comes as Pima County asks voters to approve Proposition 425, a measure that would change the formula used to calculate how much the county can spend each fiscal year. The current limit was established in 1980, and approval would raise it by 75 percent.

Lesher said the expenditure limit and this year’s excess funds are separate issues, though they are related to the county’s future ability to use revenue it collects. Without a change to the limit, she said, the county may bring in more tax revenue than state law allows it to spend in coming years. She characterized Prop 425 as giving the county authority to spend existing money rather than creating permission to raise taxes. The downtown program itself, however, is being launched with the current surplus.

The county expects the additional parking operations to be supported by the fees collected at the garages. The Downtown Tucson Partnership’s transportation, safety and public space services are being treated as a two year pilot. County staff will track how many people use the shuttle, golf carts and other services before officials consider whether to renew funding in later budget cycles. That evaluation means the program’s future will depend in part on whether downtown residents, workers and visitors use the new options. For now, the changes are intended to make it easier to arrive downtown, move around once there and leave safely at the end of the night.