TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Two Garden District intersections in Tucson are slated for major changes as part of the city’s Safe Streets Mini-Grant Program, aimed at calming traffic and improving neighborhood safety.
Neighbors in the midtown community say drivers often speed through stop signs, creating hazardous conditions. “On Fairmount Street there’s a stop sign over there, and there’s a stop sign right behind me. And they are constantly run,” said Alice de Buhr, a 27-year Garden District resident.
Seeking a solution, two neighborhood groups contacted the City of Tucson, where they learned about the Safe Streets program, funded through Proposition 411. “The Safe Streets mini-grant program is a voter-approved initiative for traffic calming features in residential neighborhoods,” said Andrea Altamirano, transportation coordinator with the city’s Department of Transportation and Mobility.
The program, supported by voters in 2022, dedicates 20% of revenues from a half-cent sales tax to road safety improvements, including speed humps, traffic circles, sidewalks, bike lanes and street lighting.
Garden District residents took the lead in applying for the grant funding. “I filled out the form online for the grant. I had to get a certain number of people to sign on just to submit the grant,” said resident Delores Schultze.
Once applications were submitted, projects went before the Complete Streets Coordinating Council, which reviews proposals and decides funding eligibility. “These are members that have been appointed by Mayor and Council to represent the 4-11 Tucson Delivers initiative,” Altamirano said.
Ultimately, both Garden District projects received $75,000 each. The funds will be used to build new traffic circles and speed humps at problem intersections where speeding and collisions have been ongoing concerns.
For residents like de Buhr, the investments represent more than just road work. “For the first time really seeing tax dollars being used in my own neighborhood, which is amazing, that we have a chance to slow traffic down and make it safer for everyone in the neighborhood,” she said.
Applications for the next round of Safe Streets grants are open, with a Dec. 31 deadline for submission.
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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.
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