TAKE ACTION: Next steps on Move Tucson transportation plan

Move Tucson is the city-wide mobility plan being developed as a way to implement Tucson's Complete Streets policy. For the past several months Department of Transportation and Mobility has been working to analyze existing conditions of our transportation network, and gain an understanding of community priorities. TDTM has identified 234 projects totaling approximately $5.7 billion dollars that will make Tucson's transportation system more complete.

Tucson's Department of Transportation and Mobility (TDTM) has compiled its Move Tucson projects list based on survey feedback, and the next steps include:
(1) Asking Tucsonans to further prioritize what work should be done when. 
(2) TDTM will host a virtual town hall on Fri 23-JUL-2021 at 12:00N to gather your comments. More info at -- https://movetucson.org

Join by computer at -- https://bit.ly/MoveTucsonTownHall2

From March until August 2020, Tucsonans shared their vision for the city’s mobility future. Over 4,500 people participated in the online survey from all areas of the city.

These responses confirmed that Tucsonans want:
Roads, streets, and paths that provide safe and connected access for all modes.
Better ways to travel across town
Safety improvements for all modes, particularly for those walking and biking

Improve connectivity by closing network gaps, providing safe crossings at major roadways for all users, and supporting cross-town mobility options

Prioritize maintenance, including repaving roadways and bikeways, removing debris, repairing sidewalks, and addressing potholes across the network
Increased options for how to get around
Transportation options that support a sustainable city

Increase shade and vegetation to improve comfort of travel along roadways and paths
Improve access for persons with disabilities, particularly for trails and bridges
Slow vehicle speeds to improve safety and comfort of travel along city roadways

Catalyst Corridor projects (see pic above) are large-scale Complete Streets projects that create space for multiple modes along an entire corridor, creating significant change to the look, feel, and operations on the street. These projects improve safety and access for most modes of travel and will involve: reconstructing pavement, adding continuous sidewalks and enhanced bike lanes, and upgrading traffic signals, among others. 
$1,828,792,775 COMBINED COST
SEE PROJECT LIST (PDF)122

Move Tucson is asking Tucsonans to look over the proposed projects and indicate their priorities on a new interactive map and to share where they would like the money budgeted to go. 

Check out their online map + share your thoughts:

(1) Project map 

https://movetucsonrecommendations.altaplanning.cloud/storage/app/media/project_lists/Move%20Tucson_%20MAP_Draft%20Prioritization%20Results_20210615.pdf

(2) Project list 
https://movetucsonrecommendations.altaplanning.cloud/storage/app/media/project_lists/MoveTucson_CombinedProjectList.pdf

(3) Step through the different categories and detailed explanations of each (requires javascript) -- https://movetucsonrecommendations.altaplanning.cloud/en#/catalyst-corridor-projects

(4) Survey form (requires javascript that is already set up in most computers) -- https://movetucsonrecommendations.altaplanning.cloud/en#/overview

More Information:

Diana Alarcon shared a presentation on proposed projects and how to navigate the Move Tucson app. 

https://youtu.be/CO4cybvj1lE?t=1185

This is a key moment to help them further prioritize which of the projects is implemented first. Make sure to take the survey and share your thoughts and priorities! Your input helps shape this very important transportation initiative that will guide Tucson's growth for generations to come.

Calls needed: Congress extend unemployment benefits now

The clock is ticking for many of the 30 million people who have been receiving unemployment benefits. Across the country, those benefits have either already expired or are set to expire tomorrow, because Republicans in the Senate refuse to take action to provide real relief.

Instead, Senate Republicans unveiled a new stimulus package bill that seeks to lower unemployment benefits for folks who are already struggling to put food on the table while, infuriatingly, doubling the so-called "three-martini lunch deduction."1 The Trump administration and Senate Republicans are not listening to the American people, and we need them to do better.

Will you call your senators and demand they extend the $600 COVID-19 unemployment benefit until the pandemic is over?

• Sen. Sinema - (202) 224-4521
• Sen. McSally - (202) 224-2235

Under the plan released by Mitch McConnell and the Senate GOP, unemployed workers would receive only $200 per week. This is not enough to survive on, let alone manage household, health care, childcare, food, and transportation expenses. What's more, this plan would require states to switch to a new and complicated system to calculate and distribute payments to jobless workers.

This is especially cruel, given that many states are already struggling to meet the demands of distributing the current benefits, which are much simpler to administer. This would delay payments for many families who are already struggling, nearly 50% of whom are people of color, who have been hardest hit by the pandemic. 

The pandemic is far from over, and the Senate needs to take the kind of action that will make sure each and every American can get through these difficult times. This is why, last week, Move on delivered over 1.6 million signatures in Washington, D.C., to demand that Congress and the Senate extend the $600 COVID-19 unemployment benefit.

We need the Senate to act with the American people in mind and pass the HEROES Act, which will ensure that the $600 unemployment benefits are extended until the end of the pandemic.

- Move on team

Source: 

1. "Senate GOP won't extend pandemic food stamps but doubles 'three-martini lunch' deduction," The Washington Post, July 28, 2020 

More Information:

Here’s How Congress Might Replace the Extra $600 Weekly Jobless Benefit - The New York Times,  July 27, 2020 

Time to MOVE TUCSON: Fill out the city's transportation survey and interactive map

All this downtime has given Tucsonans a chance to reflect on how we do things here. When the city shut down, people drove less and air pollution decreased! As soon as the state weakened the stay at home recommendation, air quality got worse. This is a teachable moment!

Join Sustainable Tucson's next virtual Topical Issue Meeting to learn more about the Move Tucson public input process and how you can make your voice heard on a more inclusive transportation plan! 

Tuesday, June 9th, at 6pm

Join with Google Meet: meet.google.com/ehf-xquo-uso

Join by phone‪: +1 252-696-1240‬ PIN: ‪465 615 840‬#

The City of Tucson is preparing a city-wide transportation master plan that will create a mobility blueprint for the City’s future in a rapidly-changing world. The plan will be innovative, creative, and inclusive. By working together, we can commit ourselves to create a mobility future that works for all of us.

How can streets be made safer? How can we expand travel options so more people can walk, bike, or take public transit? How do we improve reliability of travel time, particularly as we grow? You help is needed in shaping the City’s vision and action plan to answer these questions and more. Together, we can create the city we want to be.

The City of Tucson has been hosting town meetings to introduce their mapping app. This app is so cool. You can click on specific areas and add your own suggestions of what should be included there (like sidewalks, biking trails, green infrastructure, shaded bus stops, safer crosswalks, etc.)

Do you know of an area of town that needs any of these features? Do you have your own ideas? This is your chance to share them!

Here is a link to the website with the transportation survey and the interactive map app. 

https://movetucson.org/

The outcome of the planning process will be a document that informs the Mayor and Council’s decisions in the very near future about policy, resources, and how welcoming and livable our city is to visitors, residents, and business owners.

#MoveTucson