DSNA asks for Public Art, bike path on Speedway underpass redesign

Cc: Regina Romero, Tucson City Council Member, Ward 1

The following letter was submitted to TranSystems, the City of Tucson, and the Ward 1 council office to request certain design elements be included in the planned widening of Speedway Blvd. between Main Ave. and I-10. The project is planned to be in design for another 2-3 years and constructed as early as 2015.

Re: Speedway Boulevard, Main Avenue to I-10 Improvement Project

The Dunbar/Spring Neighborhood Association met on August 16, 2010 to discuss the Speedway Boulevard, Main Avenue to I-10, improvement project and voted unanimously in support of the following recommendations:

1. Include Public Art. We request that one percent of the project budget be allocated for public art in accordance with the City of Tucson policy for capital improvement projects. This historic underpass has unique design details and is old enough to be a candidate for historic preservation. If preservation is not warranted, public art and aesthetic enhancements should be incorporated into the new design. The nearby I-10 overpass also includes unique public art features. We expect that this underpass project will include attractive design features and public art components that will enhance this project and the large expanses of concrete.

2. Bicycle Facilities on Speedway. We request that the new Speedway Boulevard cross-section include a bike facility, such as a cycletrack, that is separated from the roadway. We understand that 5’ foot wide bike lanes are typically part of any new roadway, but this facility alone will not be safe for children, elderly and inexperienced bicycle riders along this new section of roadway.

3. Bicycle/Pedestrian Facilities on Bridge. We request that the new railway bridge include bike and pedestrians facilities to allow pedestrians and bicyclists to travel over and across Speedway Boulevard to access neighborhoods and destinations to the north and south of Speedway Boulevard. The existing bridge includes U-turn facilities that allow bicycle/pedestrian – we want to be able to continue to use the bridge to cross over Speedway.

4. Main Avenue. We request that Main Avenue not be widened as part of this project, and that no additional lanes be built on eastbound Speedway approaching Main, such as a dedicated right-turn lane. Councilmember Romero and TDOT have supported reducing the number of lanes on Main Avenue south of Speedway as part of the redesign of the Oracle/Drachman intersection. Main Avenue now provides two dedicated southbound left-turn lanes approaching Speedway, to direct southbound traffic away from Main Avenue. We do not want this Speedway project adding more traffic to Main Avenue.

5. Water Harvesting Median Design. We request that any landscaped medians on Speedway, if any, be depressed to catch and utilize storm water runoff and that all adjacent surfaces be sloped to direct storm water into the center medians creating a system of active rainwater harvesting rather than drainage. We also request that all landscape plantings be chosen from a palate of vegetation native to the Sonoran Desert.

6. Street Lighting. We request that any and all street lighting be dark sky compliant and include shields to deflect any light from adjacent properties.

Sincerely,

Ian Fritz

Dunbar/Spring Neighborhood Association President.