Pima County Bicycle & Pedestrian Program

The goals of the program are to improve safety, facilities, and access for walkers and cyclists throughout Pima County.

This program works in partnership with the Tucson- Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee, Brad P. Gorman Memorial Bikeway Fund, Pima Trails Association, Pima County Department of Environmental Quality, Pima Association of Governments (PAG), City of Tucson, Arizona Department of Transportation, Greater Arizona Bicycling Association, Perimeter Bicycling Association, and other interested groups who are striving to improve walking and cycling conditions in our community.

The goals of the program are grouped in categories known as the Five “E’s”:

Engineering

• Construct and enhance bike lanes and pedestrian facilities as part of new and reconstructed roadways

• Construct bike and pedestrian facilities to improve safety for children walking to and from school.

• Secure additional federal, state, and local funding to construct more off-street paths, pedestrian facilities, bike lanes and numerous other projects.

• Incorporate paved shoulders and bike lanes as part of roadway repaving projects to expand the bikeway network throughout the region.

• Upgrade existing shared-use pathways and complete the planned pathway network, including the Rillito River Linear Park, the Pantano River, and the Santa Cruz River Linear Park.

• Improve bicycle and pedestrian safety through work zones by providing special safety signs and wider travel corridors, or by guiding cyclists and walkers to safer alternate routes.

• Improve land use development practices to include bicycle and pedestrian routes at appropriate intervals throughout developments.

• Develop special pedestrian and bicycle traffic signals and roadway underpasses and overpasses to improve access and safety to key destinations.

Education

• Working with the Brad Gorman Fund, the City of Tucson, PAG, and the Bicycle Advisory Committee, publish a “pocket-size” bicyclist/motorist safety manual and posters with key traffic laws and safety tips for use by cyclists, motorists, and police.

• Work on a “Share the Road” campaign to improve interaction between motorists, truck drivers, bus drivers and bicyclists, and pedestrians using public service announcements and other methods to promote safer travel.

• Manage a regional Safe Routes to Schools program for elementary school children as one of the best methods to improve safety and access for children to get to schools, to increase children’s independence and physical activity, and to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.

• Develop an informative and interactive website to indicate the best routes for bicycling in the region and to provide suggested detours around
construction projects.

• Implement a Middle School Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Program to educate 7th grade students throughout Pima County on safer bicycling and walking practices and to provide bike lane pavement markings and signs near schools to enhance safety.

Enforcement

• Work with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and< the Bicycle Advisory Committee to increase education and enforcement for major traffic infractions caused by drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

• Provide bicycle and pedestrian-specific training for the local police departments and increase communication with bicycle groups throughout the region.

• Strengthen legislation providing for improved rights and protection of bicyclists and pedestrians.

Encouragement

• Support community events that promote walking and
bicycling including the regional BikeFest, El Tour de Tucson, the Tour for Tucson’s Children, Tucson Bicycle Classic, the fall International Walk to School Day, the springtime Walk n' Roll to School Day, and other popular walking and bicycling events.

• Work with promotional events, the PAG Travel Reduction Program, and the Pima County Department< of Environmental Quality to provide incentives for people to take up walking and cycling as an integral part of their everyday lifestyles.

• Implement a regional "Bike Ambassadors" program with local citizens to provide safety outreach, training, and materials to cyclists and to help improve safety for persons with disabilities.

Evaluation and Planning

• Work with PAG, area jurisdictions, and others to update the regional bicycle plan the regional pedestrian plan and deterimine near-term and long-range facility improvements to promote bicycling and walking.

• Coordinate with PAG, citizens, and others to implement bicycle and pedestrian projects and Safe Routes to School projects as part of the PAG Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) 20-year plan.

• Work with PAG, area jurisdictions, citizen groups, local police departments, and others to improve programs for safety and access for pedestrians and cyclists.