The Honorable Richard Elías, Pima County Supervisor, District 5, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the Pima County Department of Transportation will host a Dedication Ceremony for the Camino de Oeste: Los Reales Road to Valencia Road Improvement Project. The Dedication Ceremony will be held on Friday, April 5, 2013, at 1:00 pm, 7285 S. Camino de Oeste (northwest corner of Los Reales and Camino de Oeste).

Speakers at this event will include the Honorable Richard Elías, Pima County Supervisor, District 5, Master of Ceremonies; Peter Yucupicio, Chairman, Pascua Yaqui Tribe; Francisco Muñoz, Councilman/Treasurer; Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and Priscilla Cornelio, Director, Pima County Department of Transportation.

Camino de Oeste from Los Reales Road to Valencia Road was widened from a two-lane roadway to a three-lane section with a two-way left turn lane and six-foot-wide paved shoulders.  In addition, contractors installed a sidewalk along the west side of roadway, lighting, landscaping and minor drainage improvements.

This project was funded by Pascua Yaqui Tribe Highway User Revenue Funds (HURF) in the amount of $2.95 million.  Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) is a partner in this project contributing approximately $55,000 for the construction of an access point to a planned TUSD facility.

The construction for this project started May 2012 and was completed March 2013.

For more information, contact Annabelle Valenzuela, Pima County Department of Transportation at (520) 740-6445.

Pima County Department of Transportation, Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and their contractor, KE&G, continue improvements on the Cortaro Farms Road/Magee Road: Thornydale Road to Oracle Road Improvement Project.

5-DAY CLOSURE ON MAGEE ROAD
Starting Monday, November 26, 2012, at 5:00 a.m., KE&G will close Magee Road at the Cortaro Farms/Shannon Road intersection. Crews will be installing the underground drainage system, constructing the intersection to its new configuration and preparing the intersection for final paving. Area traffic will be detoured west of the intersection to Thornydale Road. This closure is expected to last until November 30, 2012, at 5:00 p.m. Local access to the Fairway Terrace Condominiums and Casas Adobes Country Club Estates subdivisions on Magee will be provided.

SHANNON ROAD TO RE-OPEN MID-DECEMBER
Shannon Road north of the Cortaro Farms/Magee Road intersection will remain closed until mid-December 2012. Construction crews continue to install underground drainage and prepare for final paving.

RIVER PARK PEDESTRIAN PATH CLOSED THROUGH FEBRUARY 2013
The Cañada del Oro River Park pedestrian path at Magee Road will remain closed until February 2013. This closure is necessary so that crews can perform the installation of underground drainage and bridge construction activities in the area without jeopardizing the safety of pedestrian traffic.

All businesses will remain accessible during construction. Please approach these areas with caution and obey all traffic control devices. In the event of mechanical failure or inclement weather, the schedule is subject to change.

For more information, contact Annabelle Valenzuela, Community Relations, at (520) 740-6410 or visit the project website at http://roadprojects.pima.gov/CortaroMagee/.

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is the fiscal manager of the $2.1 billion plan approved by Pima County voters on May 16, 2006. The RTA Board is comprised of representatives from local jurisdictions in Pima County, including the cities of Tucson and South Tucson, Pima County, the towns of Marana, Oro Valley, and Sahuarita, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the Tohono O’odham Nation. A representative of the Arizona State Transportation Board also serves on the board. For more information at the RTA plan, visit www.RTAmobility.com or call (520) 770-0410.

Slide 1 of 1.
Emily Martin, 11, front left, and counselor Keenan Duncan, front right, ride along the Loop during the Summer Bike Camp presented by El Grupo Youth Cycling and Bicycle Inter-Community Art & Salvage (BICAS).
Source: Pima County Communications Office

The Pima County Department of Transportation Bicycle and Pedestrian Program will sponsor Bike Camp for kids ages 8-13, Oct. 1-5. The camp is presented by El Grupo Youth Cycling and Bicycle Inter-Community Art & Salvage (BICAS). Additional support is provided by The North Face Explore Fund, Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), University Medical Center, and Technicians for Sustainability.

Daniela Diamente, director of both El Grupo and the camp, said that the two summer sessions of Bike Camp sold out quickly so they decided to offer another camp during the fall school break. “It’s a new thing for parents to have the fall break,” she said. “A lot of parents don’t have vacation time and it’s cooler out so it’s a great time to do another camp.”

Campers begin and end each day at Technicians for Sustainability Warehouse located at 612 N. Seventh Ave., near Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue, just north of downtown. Campers begin the day at 8 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Program will provide nationally certified bike safety instruction through the Bike Ambassadors program, and 10 El Grupo members ages 14-18 will server as youth instructors. It’s great leadership training and job experience for the El Grupo kids, Diamente said, and the campers enjoy being taught by older peers.

October Bike Camp teaches confidence, knowledge, and skills in a safe, fun and peer-led environment. Activities focus on developing safe-riding skills, mechanical knowledge, and bike handling for each skill level, as well as exposure to health and wellness, environmental stewardship, air quality issues, and recycled art through a series of hands-on experiences.

Youth Bike Camp Schedule

Day 1: Orientation to Bikes, El Grupo and BICAS, Basic Bicycle Mechanics, and Bike Safety

Day 2: On-the-bike skills sessions & nutrition activities (by UMC)

Days 3 & 4: Bike rides! With lots of skills training along the way, recycled art, clean air activities (by DEQ)

Day 5: Bike ride to group “Goal Destination,” Graduation!

The weeklong camp session costs $150 and scholarships are available based upon need. To request a scholarship application or for more information about the camp, email: info@elgrupocycling.org

North Stone Avenue between East Toole Avenue and East Alameda Street will be closed between 3 a.m. Sunday, July 29, 2012, and 6 a.m. Monday, July 30. Drivers are advised to approach the areas with caution and obey all traffic control devices.

The road and lane closures are necessary for the installation of a new water line that will serve the Pima County/City of Tucson Joint Courts Complex being constructed at North Stone and East Toole avenues.

The Pima County Justice Court is currently located in three facilities downtown that are too small for the work volume and the Tucson Municipal Court Building also has inadequate space. Co-locating the County and City courts in one building will allow for shared spaces, functions and activities, and will reduce the public’s confusion about what building to go to for court matters.

As construction continues, notices will be sent out in advance of additional lane restrictions and possible evening road closures.

Drivers can continue to expect upcoming road closures on North Stone Avenue and evening lane closures on East Toole Avenue.

North Stone Avenue between East Toole Avenue and East Alameda Street will be closed between 2 a.m. Sunday, July 22, 2012, and 6 a.m. Monday, July 23.

Additionally, eastbound lanes on East Toole Avenue between North Stone Avenue and East Alameda Street will be closed from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning starting Monday, July 23, and continuing through Thursday, July 26.

Drivers are advised to approach the areas with caution and obey all traffic control devices.

The road and lane closures are necessary for the installation of a new water line that will serve the Pima County/City of Tucson Joint Courts Complex being constructed at North Stone and East Toole avenues.

The Pima County Justice Court is currently located in three facilities downtown that are too small for the work volume and the Tucson Municipal Court Building also has inadequate space. Co-locating the County and City courts in one building will allow for shared spaces, functions and activities, and will reduce the public’s confusion about what building to go to for court matters.

As construction continues, notices will be sent out in advance of additional lane restrictions and possible evening road closures.

Pima County, Ariz.(Nov. 21, 2011) – Why does the early morning sky look hazy, now that cooler weather is here?

Meteorologists call this phenomenon a temperature inversion. It’s what happens when early morning temperatures fall, trapping pollutants in the chilly air. Warm air above the cool air traps the cooler air below, and keeps it from rising.

That’s what causes the haze, as airborne pollutants hang closer to ground level. But as the sun rises and the cool air warms, the hazy air begins to rise, carrying airborne pollutants with it. The hazy air moves higher and higher, dispersing as it goes, and improving visibility.

This often yellowish-brownish haze occurs mostly in winter, when nights are longer and the air stays cool until the sun rises in the sky.

Tucson is surrounded by mountains, and they contribute to the winter inversions. The mountains cause an overnight downward flow of cold air onto the desert floor and that cold air can increase the strength and duration of these morning temperature inversions.

What this means is that air quality can be poorer in winter as pollutants from motor vehicles, industry and fireplaces remain trapped longer in the air we breathe.

People can help reduce winter air pollution levels by driving less often, limiting idling our vehicles to a minute or less, and reducing our use of fireplaces.

Fireplaces are inefficient sources of heat. When you have the option, choose natural gas, electric or solar-powered heat or a wood stove certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.

To reduce the use of polluting fossil fuels, carpool or take the bus if you can, and do more than one errand while you’re out, to reduce the number of trips you make. And, if you can, drive a vehicle powered by an alternate energy source, such as electricity.

For more on local air pollution levels in Tucson, including particulates, ozone and carbon monoxide readings, go to www.AirInfoNow.org.  Also, call Pima County’s Department of Environmental Quality air pollution hotline: (520) 882-4AIR or (520) 882-4347.

Beth Gorman

 Pima County, Ariz. (Oct. 4, 2011) – Adults can join millions of others around the world and walk to school with their children on International Walk to School Day, Wednesday, Oct. 5.

The event is held each year to encourage active ways for children to get to school and to improve air quality around schools and in neighborhoods.

A record 49 local schools are participating this year in Pima County’s Walk to School Day. Many of these schools received special training from the Pima County Department of Transportation or Safe Kids Tucson, a program that works to enhance child safety.

Walking and bicycling improve health through physical activity, help reduce obesity, reduce traffic congestion, and provide family members with an opportunity to spend quality time with each other and to connect with neighbors.

For more information, visit www.walktoschool.org

The Pima County Department of Transportation, Safe Kids Tucson, and the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Air Program are working together to encourage children, parents and guardians to take part in “International Walk to School Day.”

Pima County, Ariz. – On Friday, Sept. 9, 2011 at 9 a.m., the Pima County Department of Transportation and the Regional Transportation Authority will host a dedication ceremony marking the completion of the La Cholla Boulevard Ruthrauff Road to River Road Improvement Project. The ceremony will be at the northwest corner of La Cholla Blvd and Curtis Road.

The program includes local leaders, including Dist. 3 Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson, County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry, Pima County Transportation Director Priscilla Cornelio and the president of the Flowing Wells Coalition, Ellie Towne.

The La Cholla Boulevard Improvement Project was approved in 2006 by Pima County voters as part of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) transportation plan.
The Pima County Department of Transportation, along with Eagle Rock Excavating and the design team of HDR, Engineering Inc., completed this project in July 2011. The cost of construction was $19 million.

The project includes expansion of  the roadway to six lanes, paved shoulders for bicycles, and sidewalks which have been connected to the Rillito River Park Path.
Drainage improvements include installation of a large storm drain from Ruthrauff Road to the Rillito River as well as curbs and storm drains for the roadway.

Also, at the Rillito River, a 360-foot long six-lane bridge was constructed featuring art designed by Vicki Scuri Siteworks.

The project includes intersection improvements at La Cholla/Curtis Road and at La Cholla/Ruthrauff Road, including dual left-turn lanes for southbound traffic on La Cholla Boulevard. And, transit was improved with the construction of five bus pullouts.