The Tucson Modern Streetcar will return to the Tucson Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee’s agenda tomorrow evening.
Last month, planners and project managers for the streetcar visited the BAC to provide information about the plans, route and roadway layout.
The agenda provides the BAC 30 minutes to discuss the streetcar and the BAC could make suggestions for changes or improvements.
Committee members have expressed concern about the dangers the tracks and the width between the tracks on opening car doors pose to cyclists.
Details and directions to the meeting.
The street car presentation last month was very poor. Their bike-count numbers were suspect and the slides of the street layout couldn’t even be deciphered by the presenter. This is not to say that the street car group has not been receptive to bicycle input and they may be scratching their heads as to why all the current fuss is being raised. They really can’t much change the physical aspects of the track. The death of the cyclist on the tracks, though, seems to be giving the BAC pause to have a closer look at what the presence of the track will require of cyclists. Before someone died, everything seemed to be fine. As the street layout has become more widely understood, so have the risk elements been realized. The street car group may be beyond much design change to the system, but certainly could get on board with the BAC in advocating for a significant traffic change along that route – one that would actually have the effect of reducing the risk to the degree(almost) that it has been created. Sort of a pro-active reparation.
I agree with zz, that streetcar presentation was one of the most un-professional ones I’ve ever seen.
One idea: Remove all parking from 4th Avenue, and bikes can ride where cars are now parked! Widen the sidewalks, too! Kylie mentioned this idea–and it’s excellent!
Cars can park in the new parking decks being constructed.