TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Residents in Tucson’s Garden District neighborhood say a pedestrian easement connecting the neighborhood to Grant Road has become a source of safety concerns in recent years, but they are optimistic that a city initiative could help improve the corridor.
The easement, which provides a direct connection for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling between the neighborhood and businesses near Grant Road and Alvernon Way, has drawn complaints about litter, loitering and criminal activity.
Trey Steinbeck, who has lived in the Garden District for several years, said he and his partner once regularly rode their bicycles through the easement to reach nearby destinations, including VASA Fitness.
“The timber, or make up, of the people changed a little bit,” Steinbeck said. “It became a little more criminal, a little more threatening.”
Rather than avoid the area entirely, Steinbeck began volunteering his time to clean portions of the easement himself.
“From the basketball hoop there, to right where the concrete starts, I would clean exactly that and no more because I didn’t want to burn out,” he said.
Steinbeck later connected with Garden District Neighborhood Association representative Meg Johnson, who said the pathway has been a recurring neighborhood concern but has worsened over the past several years.
“But the last few years, it has become a significant issue where people who used to go to the VASA center or Walmart don’t anymore — they’re too scared,” Johnson said.
The easement lies within the Grant Road and Alvernon Way area, one of four locations targeted by the City of Tucson’s Violence Interruption and Vitalization Action, or VIVA, program. The initiative uses environmental improvements, community engagement and public safety strategies to reduce crime in areas that have experienced persistent gun violence. Since the program began as a pilot, city officials have reported significant reductions in gun violence around the Grant and Alvernon site.
Johnson said neighborhood leaders have met with city officials, although specific improvements have not yet been finalized.
“We don’t know yet, exactly, what is going to be done,” Johnson said. “Suggestions have been from gating both ends. There is a low shelf that runs the length of the easement that’s very comfortable to sit on, so putting rick-rack rocks there.”
The Garden District Neighborhood Association, which works to improve neighborhood safety and quality of life within the area bounded by Grant Road, Swan Road, Speedway Boulevard and Alvernon Way, hopes any improvements will encourage more residents to walk and bike through the corridor again.
For Steinbeck and Johnson, the goal is straightforward: a cleaner, safer passage that reconnects neighbors with the businesses and amenities just beyond their neighborhood.
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