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The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) Oracle Road Improvement project, stretching from Tangerine Road south to Calle Concordia, is well under way and is scheduled for completion in winter 2009.
Oro Valley business owners, managers and employees in the improvement area recently participated in two ADOT-sponsored customer relations and communications workshops.
The October 2008 workshops, held at the Oro Valley Town Hall and the Northwest Medical Center Rancho Vistoso, are part of an extensive business outreach program that began in May 2008. More than 94 percent of project area businesses are active in the
business outreach program at some level. The workshops provided businesses the opportunity to meet with ADOT representatives to learn specific details about the project that will impact their businesses, including anticipated project schedules, traffic controls and business access information.
Marie Miyashiro-Collins, a nationally recognized Tucson-based business consultant who developed the successful and innovative Interstate 10 widening business outreach program, discussed proven strategies to help businesses meet their operational needs during road construction projects.
Strategies included how to prepare for construction impacts and manage daily operations during construction, communication tips for employees and customer-service suggestions. Workshop participants also heard from businesses in other roadway construction areas. These owners shared how they successfully implemented the operational and communication strategies discussed at the workshops.
Bonnie Quinn, Tony Johnson and Scott Harper, who each participated in a workshop, said the opportunity offered valuable tips for managing the impacts of construction.
“One of the elements I found most valuable in the workshop was the information on how to communicate with customers about the improvement project,” said Quinn, owner of Down Home Delights, a restaurant located at 10110 N. Oracle Road.
“Our customers are frequently concerned about access to their favorite business establishments, and this information helped me off er positive reassurance.”
“It was very, very constructive,” said Johnson, general manager of California Design Center/Studio C on 11085 N.Oracle Road.
“To see the big picture of the actual project in its entirety, and to know what the outcome of the project will be, was of real value.” Harper, who is the health, safety and environmental/facilities manager of Honeywell Corp., 11100 N. Oracle Road, said hearing about others’ experiences was what he found most valuable. “It was all very good information. It really showed us how to manage these impacts as just a part of our daily operations.”
Looking north, the Interstate 10 widening project between Prince Road and 29th Street continues. The Arizona Department of Transportation reports that the project is 65 percent complete and on time with a scheduled completion date of spring 2010.
Photo courtesy of ADOT
TRICO Electric Cooperative, 8600 W. Tangerine Road, and Jack in the Box, at Ina Road and Interstate 10, have something in common.
Both have well designed landscapes that were recognized Oct. 9 by the Pima Association of Governments’ Regional Council.
The “First Impressions” award is given on behalf of PAG, Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Southern Arizona Leadership Council and Tucson Clean and Beautiful in an effort to recognize businesses that leave a positive first impression on visitors to the region.
“These two businesses in the northwest area of our region have planted trees, saguaros and other vegetation that offer a beautiful desert landscape,” said Dennis Dickerson, coordinator of the regional beautification effort for PAG. “We will continue to look for model businesses throughout the region that set positive examples.”
The regional beautification effort began in January with a litter clean up along Tucson Boulevard, from Tucson International Airport to the Kino Parkway overpass. A second clean up was held in April along Starr Pass Blvd. and Mission Road. A third cleanup was held in Marana on Nov. 14 along Tangerine Road, between I-10 and Dove Mountain Blvd.
More than 340 bags of trash and buff elgrass were removed among the three sites. Additional cleanup events will be scheduled. Other issues being addressed are landscaping and signage improvements and buffelgrass removal.
For more information, please visit www.PAGnet.org and visit the Regional Beautification Efforts link.
Bob Ostberg from Jack in the Box (top) and Wayne Cherni, and Caroline Gardiner (bottom) from TRICO are presented with First Impressions awards by PAG Chair Ramon Valadez.
Ashland Group and Northwest Landscaping were recognized in October for their collaborative adoption of a two-mile segment of Tucson Boulevard from Valencia Road to Irvington Road as part of the Tucson Clean and Beautiful Adopt-a-Street program. Several community officials were on hand during the celebration of the companies’ commitment to help clean a regional corridor. Both companies committed to cleaning their respective roadway segments once each month following a regional cleanup event in January 2008.
Pictured, left to right: Jim Glock, City of Tucson Transportation Department; Dave Hamrick, Tucson Airport Authority; Paula Smith, Northwest Landscaping; Dennis Dickerson, Pima Association of Governments; Shannon Collins and Duff Hearon, Ashland Group; Melinda Jacobs, Aide to Ward 5 Councilmember Steve Leal; and Lance Peterson, Kurt Hough and Chris Honan, City of Tucson Transportation Department, Streets & Traffic Maintenance Division.
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Regional Outlook December 2008
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