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 Safe Routes to School (SRTS) cycle four grant applications will be released in mid-September. The SRTS programs aim to improve the health and well-being of children by encouraging them to walk and bicycle to school and by improving the safety conditions around schools.
Competitive grant funds are available for both infrastructure projects and education programs. Any elementary, middle school or non-profit organization in the region may apply for funding. For more information about the SRTS grant program, contact Ann Chanecka, PAG Transportation Planner, at 792-1093 or achanecka@pagnet.org
Pima Association of Governments is gearing up for the region’s second annual bicycle count which will take place Oct. 27-29. PAG coordinates the annual regional bicycle count to document the number of people currently cycling, monitor how that number is changing over time, help prioritize improvements and find locations needing attention, and identify locations unsafe to cyclists and in need of safety improvements.
We will once again look for volunteers to assist us by taking a designated location to count cyclists. If you are interested in volunteering or have questions about the bicycle count, contact Ann Chanecka, PAG Transportation Planner, at 792-1093 or achanecka@pagnet.org
Pima Association of Governments’ Population Technical Advisory Committee approved the 2005 and 2040 socioeconomic TAZ datasets at its May meeting for use in developing the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan.
These datasets are one of the more important inputs in the PAG travel model, and they took approximately two years to put together. PAG Technical Services staff and PAG-member jurisdiction planning departments provided input and review.
The datasets, methodology and associated maps are available on the PAG Web site at http://www.pagnet.org/tabid/902/Default.aspx
Although their primary use is for the RTP process, they are often downloaded for other infrastructure and capital planning. The datasets contain over 40 socioeconomic variables relating to population, employment, and housing characteristics at a sub-county geography.
When people throw trash in the streets, it can wash away with stormwater flows to our washes during the monsoon season.
 In order to help the public understand the impact of stormwater pollution on our fragile desert washes and how to prevent it, Pima Association of Governments and its Stormwater Management Working Group established the “Clean Water Starts With Me” outreach campaign with billboards, bus cards and brochures.
This is the second year for the “Clean Water Starts With Me” message, which was promoted in July and August with a series of advertisements. The stormwater pollution prevention outreach campaign has been launched on an annual basis since 2003, during every monsoon season.
“The outreach efforts coordinated by PAG and the member jurisdictions have produced widespread positive effects on communities, businesses and the environment,” said Marc Herman of the Pima County Storm Water Program. The campaign provides several tips for businesses and residents such as:
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Fix Your Leaky Vehicle
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Don’t Be a Litter Bug
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Pick Up Where Your Dog Left Off
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Use Carwashes When Washing your Car
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Use and Store Yard Chemicals Safely
 The campaign also helps PAG’s member jurisdictions fulfill their stormwater permit requirements.
“The Town of Marana appreciates that PAG brings all of the jurisdictions together to provide a consistent message throughout the entire community on the importance of stormwater quality in this region.
This program helps us meet our permit obligations to ADEQ as well as provides helpful tips on preventing stormwater pollution to our community,” said Jennifer Christelman, Manager of the Town of Marana Environmental Engineering Division.
Visit www.PAGstorm.com for more information on reducing stormwater pollution or to view the 2009 campaign brochure.
“In Tucson, rainfall occurs in sudden bursts, particularly during the monsoon season and transports oil, grease and trash or other debris to our fragile desert washes,” said Malini Banerjee, Senior Watershed Planner for PAG. “As residents of a desert community, it is our responsibility to protect our washes and keep our waters clean.”
 Pima Association of Governments completed its Live Breathe Clean Air campaign in July. However, everyone can continue to take measures to help keep the region’s air clean.
By driving less or sharing the ride, filling up your vehicle with gas after 5 p.m. or grilling without lighter fluid, people can reduce emissions that harm the ozone.
The campaign was conducted at the direction of PAG’s member jurisdictions in response to changes in ozone standards set by the u.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Currently, the region is in attainment and generally experiences good air quality. The strengthened ozone standards, however, place the Pima County region closer to a level of nonattainment.
A classification of nonattainment could result in several costly consequences for businesses and residents. These might include:
• Stricter regulatory controls to reduce pollutant levels
• Requirements for consumers to use different fuels
• Additional monitoring and paperwork
For more information about the campaign, please visit www.LiveBreatheCleanAir.com.
 Pima Association of Governments has completed an update to the Regional Plan for Bicycling and will submit the plan to the PAG Regional Council this month.
The plan documents how the region has progressed from the first eight miles of bikeways in 1971 to over 700 miles of bikeways (centerline miles).
The plan sets forth actions that the region’s jurisdictions can take over the next 20-plus years to address both existing and evolving needs.
A Plan Advisory Task Force (PATF) and Bicycle Plan Update Project Task Force (BPUPTF) worked with staff to develop the plan and its project list. The PATF and BPUuPTF represented bicycle interests in the region and included participation from members of the Tucson-Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee, staff from PAG-member jurisdictions, local school districts, the University of Arizona, and the Arizona Department of Transportation.
In 2008 and 2009, the BPUPTF developed a list of approximately 250 programs and projects identified to facilitate bicycling as a viable and friendly alternate mode of transportation in our region. Projects were prioritized into 10-, 20-, and 30-year implementation groups. Approximately 700 additional miles of signed bike routes, bicycle boulevards, bike lanes and shared-use paths were identified at an estimated cost of over $450 million.
Many positive developments for bicycling in this region have occurred during the period covered by the last 30-plus years of regional bicycle plans. In 2006 and again in 2008, the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) recognized the Tucson-Pima Eastern Region as a Gold Level “Bicycle Friendly Community,” the first and only such regional designation in the United States.
Bicycling Magazine has ranked the City of Tucson as the 2nd best bicycling city in the United States in 1995, 1999 and, more recently, in 2006. The City of Tucson, Pima County, Oro Valley, and PAG all have full-time staff working on bicycle issues. Also, the Tucson Police Department now dedicates officer work-hours specifically toward the targeted enforcement of bicycle laws, both for motorists and cyclists, in areas of the city with high levels of bicycling. There are also a variety of active, involved citizens, bike clubs and advocate groups working to support and improve cycling in this region.
A growing emphasis on regional coordination and regional solutions has accelerated progress toward meeting the multi-modal transportation needs of our citizens. The Regional Transportation Authority plan and half-cent sales tax passed by voters in 2006 included substantial levels of funding for bicycle projects as well as vital roadway and transit improvements.
As the regional planning agency, PAG has been a leader in bringing together diverse groups, interests and jurisdictions and has initiated major new work efforts to improve decision-making.
Most recently, PAG established an annual regional bicycle count program to collect data on rider numbers and characteristics. PAG also initiated an annual regional bicycle crash analysis that examines types of crashes and their locations to help identify where and what types of improvements may be needed.
Pima Association of Governments will coordinate 2010 Census public outreach for the region and has established a Complete Count Committee. The first official meeting of the CCC will be on Oct. 21 in the main conference room on PAG’s fifth floor.
The CCC will have four subcommittees: Education, Community-Based Organizations, Business and Media.
 The CCC is made up of representatives from PAG-member jurisdictions, community-based organizations, educational facilities, chambers of commerce, the real estate community and the media.
Joyce Finkelstein, a representative of Green Valley and the Green Valley Community Coordinating Council, is chair of the CCC, and June Webb-Vignery, executive director of the Metropolitan Education Commission, is vice chair of the CCC.
Subcommittee chairs include: Louis Albert, Metropolitan Education Commission, Education Subcommittee; Robert Medler, Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Business Subcommittee; Joy Wilcox, Primavera Foundation, Community-Based Organizations Subcommittee; Sam Negri, Pima County, Media Subcommittee
The role of the CCC and its subcommittees is to reach out to hard-to-count populations in Pima County to encourage everyone to fill out and return their census forms, which will be mailed to households in February and March. Hard-to-count populations include the homeless, low-income families and non-English speaking individuals.
The Census is conducted every 10 years to help determine our region’s share of federal dollars, to guide local decision-makers in community planning efforts and to determine apportionment of congressional seats assigned to each state.
The local Census Bureau will establish Questionnaire Assistance Centers, where the 10-question census form will be available and questions can be addressed.
Information collected on the census forms remains confidential.
Census Day is April 1, 2010. For updates and additional information on local census activities, please visit www.PAGnet.org.
 Don Freeman has been promoted to Technical Services Coordinator from Special Projects Manager at Pima Association of Governments. Freeman joined PAG in 2000 after serving as Transportation Director for TMACOG (Toledo Metropolitan Association Council of Governments) in Toledo, Ohio.
Since joining PAG, he has been TIP (Transportation Improvement Program) Programming Manager and Special Projects Manager and has authored several systems to organize and manage data, including the popular traffic count manager software and MainStreet contacts manager.
He has managed or assisted with several regional planning studies including the Southeast Area Arterial Study and Regional Mobility Systems Study.
Currently, he is managing the update to the Standard Specifications for Public Improvements document used by PAG-member jurisdictions when they design & build public infrastructure.
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Regional Outlook September 2009
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