TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Neighbors in Tucson’s Garden District are questioning the future of a long-discussed street safety project after learning planned improvements along a stretch of East Pima Street may no longer move forward as expected.
The section of Pima Street between North Columbus Boulevard and North Swan Road serves as a key corridor through the midtown neighborhood, connecting apartment complexes, bus stops, small businesses and homes. But residents say the street lacks basic pedestrian infrastructure, including continuous sidewalks and adequate lighting.
“Well, there’s more traffic on it than there used to be,” said longtime Garden District resident Alice de Buhr.
De Buhr, who has lived near the corridor for decades, said increased vehicle traffic has made the area feel less safe for pedestrians.
“I don’t walk at night, I won’t,” she said. “I don’t feel safe enough in this neighborhood.”
The concerns are particularly acute for residents with mobility challenges.
“My partner uses a mobility scooter,” de Buhr said. “And because there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood, she’s out in the street and it’s real rough.”
According to the Garden District Neighborhood Association, the City of Tucson’s Department of Transportation and Mobility identified the corridor for safety improvements in 2022. The project was expected to use a combination of Proposition 411 funding and federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars to add sidewalks and streetlights, with construction anticipated by fiscal year 2025.
Proposition 411, approved by Tucson voters in May 2022, extended a half-cent city sales tax for 10 years. The measure is expected to generate roughly $740 million for roadway improvements and transportation safety projects. While 80% of the funding is dedicated to resurfacing neighborhood streets, the remaining 20% is earmarked for safety upgrades such as sidewalks, pedestrian accessibility improvements, streetlights, traffic signals and bicycle infrastructure.
Recently, neighborhood leaders were informed that the Pima Street project would not be proceeding as previously planned, prompting concerns about how and when improvements might occur.
De Buhr said opinions in the neighborhood vary regarding the proposed upgrades.
“I don’t really care about sidewalks or streetlights, but that said, I understand it would be nice to have sidewalks for some people on either the north or south side,” she said.
She also expressed mixed feelings about additional lighting.
“Streetlights? I think Tucson has enough light pollution,” de Buhr said. “But again, it is a dark street.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation and Mobility told KGUN9 a statement regarding the project was expected Wednesday. As of publication, the city had not publicly explained why the project was removed or whether alternative funding sources are being considered.
For Garden District residents, the uncertainty leaves unanswered questions about when — or if — improvements aimed at making one of the neighborhood’s busiest corridors safer for pedestrians will become a reality.
——
Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
----
STAY IN TOUCH WITH US ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
