TUCSON MODERN STREETCAR SOUTHWEST GAS UTILITY WORK DOWNTOWN

Contractors for Southwest Gas have begun work in the downtown area to move/upgrade underground utility lines in preparation of the upcoming rail placement for the Tucson Modern Streetcar.  

This phase of Southwest Gas work will occur in areas along Broadway and Congress between Fourth Avenue and Granada Avenue.  In order to lessen the impact to the traveling public, some work will be completed overnight between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning.  Regular daytime work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Scott Avenue Travel Restrictions 

February 2, 2012 through February 10, 2012, travel on Scott Avenue between Broadway and Jackson Street will be reduced to one lane from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day.  Flagging personnel will be on site to assist motorists traveling through the work zone. Jackson Street will not be affected by the closure.  Scott Avenue will be re-opened to two-way travel each evening.

IMPROVE YOUR HOME’S ENERGY EFFICIENCY: PLANT LOW-COST SHADE TREES THIS SPRING!

Tucson Clean & Beautiful distributes low-cost desert-adapted trees for

Tucson area residents to plant at their home and in community public

spaces through the Trees for Tucson program. Trees for Tucson is now

accepting applications for Spring 2012 for home shade trees as well as

community project requests on a first-come, first-served basis. While

trees can be planted throughout the year, cool temperatures make the

late winter and springtime seasons ideal times to plant trees.

To qualify for the Home Shade Tree Program, residents must be customers

of Tucson Electric Power Co, and agree to plant the trees within 15 feet

of their home on the west, south or east side of the home. Residences

built in 1979 or earlier with single-pane windows qualify for a maximum

of four trees, and newer homes built in the 1980s or later, or older

homes remodeled with double-pane windows, qualify for up to two trees.

Residents who received trees in the past and still have additional

space for tree planting may now reapply one time per calendar year, per

residence.

A printable application form is available at www.treesfortucson.org or

call (520) 791-3109 to receive a copy by mail or fax. The application

lists a variety of native and desert adapted trees from which applicants

select their preferred type and quantity. Cost: $8.00 each including

delivery, and instructions for tree planting and care.

Low-cost trees are also available through the Community Shade Tree

Program for schools, nonprofit organizations, neighborhood and homeowner

associations, and other community volunteers to shade buildings, common

spaces, neighborhood streets, parks, washes, and other public areas. To

qualify and determine cost and availability for trees, please call (520)

791-3109 to coordinate your project.

The Trees for Tucson program was established in 1989 to educate our

community members on the benefits of planting and properly maintaining

trees at homes and in public spaces. This unique partnership provides

several direct benefits: beautifying and shading our homes, reducing

energy usage and costs, reducing our use of nonrenewable fossil fuels,

minimizing Urban Heat Islands created by man-made surfaces, increasing

wildlife habitat, reducing air and water pollution, reducing stormwater

runoff and erosion, and greatly reducing Carbon Dioxide in our

atmosphere.

Tucson Clean & Beautiful is a nonprofit organization incorporated in

1985 as the flagship for community based environmental volunteer efforts

in the Tucson metro area. Programs include recycling and waste

reduction, urban forestry, land stewardship, at-risk youth landscape

training, and beautification. Visit www.tucsoncleanandbeautiful.org or

call (520) 791-3109 for more information.

Beat Cancer Bootcamp - Mar. 17

As you know I am a community builder, and I recently became involved with
an amazing organization that is a Tucson born non-profit, Beat Cancer Boot
Camp, www.BeatCancerBootCamp.com. They are an empowered and upbeat group of
survivors and allies that hold challenging military-based fitness classes
several times a week – rain or shine. The founder, Anita Kellman, provides
the training as a heartfelt support to those that attend and without any
compensation. They host luncheons, speakers and other assistance to those
navigating cancer and the healthcare challenges it presents. There is no
way to express my gratitude to them for offering a place for me and my
friends among their ranks. I am sending this to you because they hold one
event each year to fundraise and it is a 5k Obstacle Course on March 17,
2012 called the Boot Camp Challenge. It is open and affordable for the
whole community! I am hoping that people will sign up individually or build
a squad, and I am reaching out to you to humbly ask if you will help me
recruit by telling others, sending the press release (below) out to your
networks and joining us with your family at the Challenge. You can run it,
walk it, or climb through it so please come be a part of this positive
Tucson group focused on making warriors of us all! Thank you all you do,
and thank you for being a part of my community! Fondly, Mary Specio-Boyer***
*

WATER FESTIVAL Early-Bird Sign-Up: Exhibitors, Artists, Volunteers...

SUNDAY • MARCH 18 • 10AM - 4PM

Armory Park Center

220 South 5th Avenue • Tucson AZ

YOU'RE INVITED to participate in Tucson Arts Brigade's 3rd Annual

celebration of The Water Festival, an integration of art, science, and

culture to raise awareness, promote stewardship, and foster creative

expression about our water future.

F-35 Hearings to be Held

The U.S. Air Force basing alternatives for an F-35A Pilot Training Center include Boise Air Terminal Air Guard Station, Idaho; Holloman Air Force Base (AFB), New Mexico; Luke AFB, Arizona; and Tucson International Airport Air Guard Station, Arizona.

Overnight construction work continues on eastbound I-10 in Tucson on Sunday

The Arizona Department of Transportation is continuing construction work on the I-10 Ruthrauff Road to Prince Road project.

The left lane on eastbound I-10 between Prince Road and Miracle Mile will be closed nightly from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning from Sunday (Jan. 29) to Tuesday (Jan. 31) for ongoing construction work. 

Other traffic impacts in the project area:

Sabino Canyon/Tanque Verde Traffic Control Changes

On Monday, January 30, 2012, the complete closure of the eastbound curb
lane on Tanque Verde Road and the right most left turn lane on
southbound Sabino Canyon Road will be removed.  

Beginning Monday, January 30, 2012 the right most curb lane on
southbound Sabino Canyon Road will be closed for approximately 8 weeks
to allow crews to remove existing drainage basins and construct new
basins in the extended right-of-way.   Crews will be working 6 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Closures will remain in place 24/7.
There will be some driveway closures, however, business access to the
northwest quadrant of Sabino Canyon Road and Tanque Verde Road will be
maintained at all times.

Please use caution when driving, bicycling or walking in the work area.
 Please obey all traffic control devices and watch for construction
personnel and equipment in the work zone.

This project consists of removing the existing asphalt roadway within
and near the intersection of Sabino Canyon Road and Tanque Verde Road.
A new asphalt roadway will be constructed from north of the intersection
south to Crestline Drive, along with new curbs, sidewalks, curb access
ramps, driveways, streetlights and traffic signals.

The existing SunTran restroom south of the intersection will be
relocated and a new storm drain system with curb inlets will be
constructed within the project limits.  Additionally, new median
islands, landscaping and irrigation, sanitary sewer lines and water
lines will be constructed.

The voter-approved, $2.1 billion RTA plan will be implemented through
2026. Details about the full plan are available at www.RTAmobility.com.
The RTA has a nine-member board with representatives from local, state
and tribal governments. While funded through the RTA, the above projects
will be managed by TDOT.



The Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT) keeps Tucson moving
smoothly and safely. The Department’s nearly 250 employees oversee the
maintenance and reconstruction of nearly 1,900 miles of streets and are
responsible for hundreds of drainage structures, public art pieces,
street lights and signs, and traffic signals in Tucson. TDOT also
operates the City’s transit services, Sun Tran and Sun Van.