Sahuarita Vice Mayor Lynne Skelton leads the ribbon cutting at the new electric vehicle charging stations at Rancho Sahuarita Marketplace. Sahuarita Council Member Rosanna Gabaldon, Pima County Supervisor Ramon Valadez and Skelton celebrate the event.

Expanding alternative fuel choices in the PAG region Electricity, propane and biodiesel are a few of the options people may consider as an alternative fuel for their vehicles. Pima Association of Governments’ Clean Cities program continues to work with its coalition members to provide various and new fueling options. One of Clean Cities’ most active projects is the deployment of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the greater Tucson region to establish an infrastructure for charging vehicles in public or private venues. Charging units recently were installed for the University of Arizona Facility Management Motorpool, at the Oro Valley Town Hall and at Rancho Sahuarita Marketplace. Industry professionals interacted with the public during grand opening events to share information about emerging options in regional mobility. The Motorpool received one station, the Town of Oro Valley received four stations, and Rancho Sahuarita received two. In all, 150 stations will be installed in the Tucson/southern Arizona region during the next six months. With 16 additional charging stations slated to be installed at Pima County Libraries, over 120 Nissan LEAFs sold in the region to date, and the unofficial launch of the all-electric Ford Focus next year, electric vehicles are charging ahead in Tucson. While electric vehicles have garnered the most media attention lately, the PAG Clean Cities program continues to work diligently to advance other clean fuel options. Objective: To expand eletric-vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the greater Tucson region as part of the EV Project In partnership with ROUSH CleanTech, Ferrellgas and ThyssenKrupp Elevator, the PAG Clean Cities program held a July event demonstrating the versatility of propane autogas and highlighted new propane vehicle technology. As part of this promotion, the Clean Cities program has a Ford F-Series propane van available for use by floral companies, dry cleaning companies, transportation companies, or any fleet looking to lower operating and maintenance costs. Also in July, the Tucson Clean Cities Coalition held a special “Clean Diesel” meeting with guest speakers presenting advances in biodiesel fuel quality and diesel emission reduction technology. Alternative fuels not only help keep our urban and natural environments clean, they also provide cost reductions. Two recent Clean Cities’ success stories featured on PBS Motorweek highlighted the Rio Rico Fire District and its program to help prevent sewer overflows by converting sewer grease to biodiesel used in fire trucks, and Reynolds Logistics and its commitment to electric vehicles and use of biodiesel in its long haul trucks. PAG Clean Cities was proud to be a project partner in these outstanding efforts that are saving the Fire District and the Reynolds’ fleets thousands in fuel costs. If you would like more information about the PAG Clean Cities program, please contact Colleen Crowninshield at ccrowninshield@pagnet.org.

Sun Corridor report cites link between transportation and economic development The Sun Corridor’s Joint Planning Advisory Council (JPAC) met July 19 to learn about AECOM Global Cities Institute’s Final Report on the Sun Corridor. Oro Valley Mayor and PAG Chair Satish Hiremath represented Pima Associa­tion of Governments and participated in a panel discussion with Arizona Department of Transportation Director John Halikowski, Casa Grande Mayor and Central Arizona Association of Governments’ Vice Chair Bob Jackson, and Mesa Mayor Scott Smith who is also Chair of Maricopa Association of Govern­ments’ Transportation Policy Committee. The JPAC formed in December 2009 with membership including the Councils of Governments located in the Sun Corridor and the State of Arizona. Themes generated during the discussion included recognition that transpor­tation and economic development are inextricably linked but that messaging needs to be improved and consistently reiterated to enhance public under­standing. Working in partnership to position Arizona in a global marketplace was critical and, as suggested in the AECOM study, the future economic development of the state will benefit from regions working cooperatively to develop an Arizona inland port and promote trade and investment with Mexico, Canada and other emerging markets. The presentations included an examination of freight and multi-modal op­portunities by consultants from Parsons Brinckerhoff and Zachary Maritime Consulting, a review of the Cluster Study Concept by CAAG Executive Director Brian Tapp and a review of AECOM Global Cities Institute’s Final Report on the Sun Corridor by AECOM Vice President John McNamara. The AECOM report can be found at: http://www.jpacaz.org/pdf/2011-07-19/JPAC_2011-07-19_AECOM-GlobalCities_Sun-Corridor-Future-Corridor-Presentation.pdf JPAC’s vision is to jointly coordinate planning efforts, enhance communi­cation, identify mutually agreed upon interests and cooperatively work together to achieve a successful and economically viable Sun Corridor region. Already one of the fastest growing states, Arizona’s highest projected growth is expected to occur in the Sun Corridor, an evolving “megapolitan” region where the urbanized areas of PAG, CAAG and MAG will combine to reach a population that is expected to exceed 8 million by the year 2030.

Town of Sahuarita Mayor Duane Blumberg

PAG Regional Council Member Profile: Mayor Blumberg Name: Duane Blumberg Title: Mayor Represents: Town of Sahuarita Served in this capacity since: Elected Mayor in June 2011; he joined the Sahuarita Town Council in 2009. Professional background: Blumberg, who has a doctorate in mathematics, spent 35 years at the University of Louisiana, where he was a faculty member, department chairman, Dean of the College of Sciences, and Vice President. As Vice President, he supervised the University’s specialized research and development centers and its research park, and helped to form partnerships between companies and faculty members for the commercialization of university research. Following his academic career, Blumberg was appointed by the Governor as Louisiana’s Deputy Secretary of Economic Development. In this capacity, he served as chief administrative officer of the department, led efforts to strengthen the contributions of the state’s higher education institutions to economic development, and was involved with several major development projects. What’s your No. 1 priority in your current role: Blumberg is particularly interested in the implementation of Sahuarita’s Strategic Plan for Economic Development, which envisions the creation of a diverse and sustainable economy that creates wealth and opportunities for its residents, and generates revenues to provide needed public services and infrastructure.

In spring, the public helped generate 100 scenario maps to be used to develop new alternatives for regional land use.	Imagine Greater Tucson building alternative scenarios Nearly 650 people participated in six Imagine Greater Tucson scenario-building workshops this spring, producing over 100 maps with suggestions from the public on such things as future placement of development, transportation corridors and housing options throughout the region. Imagine Greater Tucson, a regional visioning effort, is now in the process of analyzing the public feedback to present, in early 2012, several alternative scenarios to the region’s development over the coming decades. Maps from each workshop are now accessible online at www.imaginegreatertucson.org under “View the Progress.” More than 100 maps were produced by the public. As Imagine Greater Tucson moves into this next stage, it will be led by Beth Walkup, who was named Interim Director for the organization in mid-July. Walkup will be responsible for maximizing organizational capacity, overseeing and coordinating the daily operations of IGT, and transitioning from the current public outreach phase to the implementation phase. Walkup has over 45 years of experience in nonprofit and business management. Her experience in the region includes: Executive Director of Tucson Children’s Museum, Interim Executive Director of the Food Bank of Southern Arizona, and Interim Executive Director of the Tucson Girls Chorus. She is also a member of the Board for Commerce Bank of Arizona and the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona. During workshops targeted for next January, the public will help provide more input on what they envision for the region to help produce a preferred scenario. The scenario process is built upon a collection of values defined during the first phase of public feedback. Objective: To identify alternative landuse scenarios for public review and feedback to move toward a preferred scenario and regional vision. The nine value areas include: business and the economy; cultural diversity and regional character; governance and leadership; K-12 education; natural resources, environment and outdoor recreation; land use and urban design; transportation and accessibility; the University of Arizona and its role in the region, and well being and safety. Imagine Greater Tucson is preparing to launch a Knowledge Exchange to provide more information and facilitate discussion about the region’s shared values and their relationship to our physical environment. Watch for Imagine Greater Tucson updates on Facebook and Twitter.

PAG updates Title VI plan The federal government requires that Pima Association of Governments maintains a Title VI plan to ensure that its planning and project implementation activities are free of discrimination. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. PAG updated its Title VI plan in August 2011 to include the federal government’s recently updated language for “assurances,” statements which assure the government that there will be no discrimination in PAG program and projects, and to provide a complete overview of how PAG promotes non-discrimination in its activities. PAG’s Title VI plan is available online at http://www.pagnet.org/documents/Transportation/TitleVI-2011-08-01.pdf

Public input during a ThinkTank session helped generate an assessment of our regional water resources

Regional Water: Assessing our options The Regional Water Assessment Task Force is hosting an interactive community meeting on Monday, Sept. 26, to present its recently released ThinkTank Report and to strategize with the attendees about possible steps forward. The report is available for review and comment on the PAG Web site and the meeting will be held at the Tucson Association of Realtors (2445 N. Tucson Blvd.) starting at 5:15 p.m. with presentations beginning at 5:30 p.m. Objective: To help the region shape its efforts to achieve a sustainable water future. The Regional Water Assessment Task Force was convened in summer 2010 and consists of Madeline Kiser, Community Water Coalition; Sharon Megdal, Water Resources Research Center; Mark Stratton, Southern Arizona Water Users Association; Vince Vasquez, Tucson Regional Water Coalition, and Claire Zucker, PAG’s Watershed Planning Manager. The Task Force’s mission is to help the region shape its efforts to achieve a sustainable water future. As an initial step, it held a series of computer network-based ThinkTank sessions to gain input and guidance from stakeholders throughout the Tucson Active Management Area. The 64 participants included elected officials, municipal managers, public and private utility managers, water attorneys, representatives from Central Arizona Project, state and federal agencies, Indian nations, the University of Arizona, and people who represented economic, environmental, agricultural and mining interests. Participants generated nearly 900 ideas, each of which was ranked as high, medium or low importance by the participants themselves. Several regional priorities emerged through the ThinkTank process, based on a single overarching conclusion: “It is essential to ensure the region has a safe, reliable and sufficient water supply to meet the current and future needs of people, the environment and the economy.” The Task Force found that those ideas with the highest level of consensus fell into four general themes: coordination/cooperation, sustainability, supply, and cost/pricing/funding. Based on this information, the Task Force recommended conducting a best management practices evaluation and forming four strategy groups: 1) supply; 2) infrastructure; 3) conservation/demand management and 4) reliability/sustainability/aquifer health. The purpose of these groups would be to bring together people who already are working in these arenas, so that they can work collaboratively on some of our more critical water issues. The goal is to use the ideas generated by the ThinkTank as a jumping off place and to coordinate among the groups in order to minimize duplication of effort and to identify regional solutions.

The “Clean Water Starts With Me” campaign included billboards bus stop, and media advertising.

A new look for PAG’s stormwater outreach campaign PAG’s annual stormwater outreach campaign, “Clean Water Starts With Me,” rolled out a new illustrated look this monsoon season. The campaign design particularly emphasizes rainwater harvesting as a means to prevent stormwater pollution. One illustration shows a property with a “before” and “after” look when someone uses a rainwater harvesting system. Rainwater harvesting not only keeps rainwater on site, but rain gardens proactively purify and remove pollutants from the stormwater. The campaign design also connects with the color and imagery used in the City of Tucson’s middle school outreach materials, using the cloud image seen in the “Only Rain in the Drain” stormdrain markers and matching imagery online at www.PAGstorm.com. This consistency bolsters the message and increases citizen recognition. PAG, in coordination with member municipalities, annually works to raise awareness and teach the public about what we can all do to help keep our stormwater clean. When rains fall on our yards, parking lots and streets, the stormflows pick up pollutants and take them directly to the fragile wash ecosystems in our region. For the first time, PAG used both social media and community-based magazines during this year’s campaign to build on the personal empowerment aspect of the message “Clean Water Starts with Me.” The campaign’s Facebook presence increased by 25 percent in the first month of outreach. Each of our 250 Facebook “friends” receives bi-weekly posts that entertain as well as spread the message. Through our Facebook advertisements, over 1 million impressions of our message have been placed on newsfeeds throughout the region. Local advertisements also reach out to our bilingual Tucsonans (AZ Bilingual) in addition to hitting our urban core (Zocalo, the Tucson Weekly, The Loft Cinema), and our children (Bear Essential News). More information is available at www.PAGstorm.com and facebook.com/PAGstorm

RTA PROJECT UPDATE

	RTA Project Status July 31, 2011 Total Initiated Projects Projects Under Construction/Implementation Transit Projects Implemented Total Number of Projects Completed 546* 41 78 429 RTA Financial Status July 31, 2011 (000s) RTA Excise Tax Collections Funds Committed Funds Expended Fund Balance $ 336,209 $ 598,882 $ 314,720 $ 187,317 * Reflects individual projects vs. project packages

The RTA plan, approved by voters on May 16, 2006, is a 20-year, $2.1 billion multi-modal transportation plan with roadway, transit, safety and environmental and economic vitality elements. For more information about the plan and projects, visit www.RTAmobility.com

RTA conducts value analysis on two projects, identifies $60 million in potential savings RTA conducts value analysis on two projects, identifies $60 million in potential savings The Regional Transportation Authority conducted value analyses on the Grant Road, Oracle to Swan, project in early June and the Valencia Road, Alvernon to Wilmot, project at the end of July and identified millions of dollars in potential savings. The Grant Road project has 11 phases and a current project estimate of $197 million, exceeding the project budget by $25.5 million. The value analysis identified a range of $43 million to $46 million in potential savings. The Valencia Road project has a current project cost estimate of $29.2 million. The value analysis team was tasked with identifying $6.9 million in savings and found $13 million to $15 million in potential savings. The details of the findings will be presented to the RTA Board at its Sept. 22 meeting. In April, a value analysis on Houghton Road identified $47 million in savings on the project, which has a current project cost estimate of $180 million. Each value analysis is conducted by a team that includes the project manager and design engineer from the respective jurisdictions as well as design professionals that provide technical expertise on areas relevant to the individual project. The team reviews the project’s scope of work as shown in the RTA plan and approved by voters in 2006. The final recommendations are considered by the jurisdictions as they complete the project. Recommendations, which focus on saving project lifecycle costs and/or improving the mobility goals of the project, are presented to the Technical Management Policy Subcommittee and then to the Technical Management Committee before moving on to the RTA Board. The value analysis is a new project requirement for all major roadway projects and was one of the 35 policy-related recommendations that were identified and approved as part of a review of RTA projects in the first five-year period of the 20-year RTA plan.

404 ThinkTank feedback

Efforts to address 404 permitting concerns continue Two main recommendations have been developed as an outcome of Regional Transportation Authority-hosted ThinkTank sessions on March 31 and April 5 to address concerns related to 404 permitting in the PAG region. First, permit applicants would benefit from more guidance in preparing 404 permit applications. Second, the permit process would be expedited if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ staff was augmented with more resources. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authorizes 404 permits for activities that are conducted in wetlands or other U.S. waters in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The RTA is responding to the need for additional training resources by proposing a regional 404 permit training outreach program. Training sessions are being developed to give project management staff guidance and tools to help them negotiate the complexities of the permit process. It is expected that this will result in permit applications that require less time and expense to gain approval. This type of training program is in use at the City of Phoenix and has proven to be successful. In addition, the RTA is exploring together with the Pima County Flood Control District the possible funding of a Corps position dedicated to accelerating the review of 404 permits and proactively identifying jurisdictional delineations on RTA roadway projects. The North Central Texas Council of Governments has recently completed a successful demonstration project using the approach. Finally, metrics would be developed and applied to measure the effectiveness of the dedicated Corps staff position and demonstrate a net savings in time and expense on RTA projects. The ThinkTank sessions included representatives of PAG member jurisdictions, the private sector and the Corps. Following the Internet-based group planning sessions, multiple meetings were held with the Corps to collaborate on creating desirable permitting outcomes for PAG member jurisdictions.

Bids to open soon on new RTA projects Several Regional Transportation Authority projects will be open for bidding soon and will be funded using the $150 million in municipal bonds recently issued by the RTA. Projects include: La Cañada Drive, Ina to River La Cholla, Magee to Overton Grant Road/Grant and Oracle Intersection Houghton, Irvington to Valencia Downtown Links Kino and 22nd, grade separated intersection One project that has been recently bid but is not yet under construction is Magee Road, Shannon to Thornydale. RTA roadway projects currently under construction include: Speedway, Camino Seco to Houghton Tanque Verde, Catalina Highway to Houghton La Cañada Drive, Ina to Calle Concordia La Cholla Boulevard, River to Ruthrauff Magee Road, Mona Lisa to La Cañada Kolb Road, Tanque Verde and Sabino Canyon intersection

Ben Olmstead is an artist showing a solution for one of the modern streetcar stops. An open house showcasing public art for the modern streetcar stops was held on Aug. 25.

RTA Modern Streetcar Project Updates The City of Tucson started construction on the Cushing Street Bridge and celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony on July 14. The bridge will connect the 3.9-mile streetcar route, which begins at the east end of the Arizona Health Sciences Center at the University of Arizona and ends in the Mercado District, on the west side of Interstate 10. The bridge has a span of 320 feet and will feature shaded areas for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders. The project contractor is Ashton Co. and construction is expected to be completed in 12 months. An open house showcasing public art that will be displayed as part of the modern streetcar stops and at the streetcar maintenance and storage facility was held Aug. 25. Design of the Modern Streetcar project is nearing completion and construction is expected to begin in late 2011. In addition, construction on 8th Street drainage work gets under way this month and will continue for six months. The MainStreet Business Assistance Program will conduct a workshop Sept. 21 for businesses located along the Modern Streetcar project. “Prepare your Business for the Modern Streetcar Project” will be 8 to 10:30 a.m. at the University Services Annex Building, 220 W. 6th St. RSVP to MainStreet by Sept. 19 by calling 838-4352.

I-10 Ruthrauff Road to Prince Road: ADOT and PAG collaborate for employee travel solution In preparation for the new Interstate 10: Ruthrauff Road to Prince Road widening project, the Arizona Department of Transportation and Pima Association of Governments collaborated to find a travel solution for area employees who walk through what will soon be a closed construction zone to get to work. A free shuttle service will be implemented for the duration of the project to ensure employees who ride the bus to work can get from one side of I-10 to the other during construction. In addition to widening the freeway from three lanes to four lanes in each direction, the $86.8 million, federally funded project includes reconstruction of the Prince Road traffic interchange to pass over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and I-10. To reconstruct the traffic interchange, the I-10 Prince Road underpass and entrance and exit ramps will close in late 2011 and remain closed for 24 months. While drivers may use other nearby I-10 traffic interchanges to access roadways in the project area, bus riders who regularly walk from the bus stop on the east side of the underpass to their places of employment on the west side of I-10 had no viable solution for access. There is no bus service on the west side of I-10 in this area. The shuttle transportation will be a free service for employees. The shuttles will be ADA-accessible with a bike rack and room for at least 12 passengers at a time. The shuttle route will begin at the Sun Tran bus stop on the northwest corner of Prince and Flowing Wells roads. Once passengers board the shuttle at this stop, it will travel down Romero and Ruthrauff roads and pass over the eastbound frontage road on the west side of the interstate. It will then travel down Commerce and Riverpark drives, Miracle Mile and Flowing Wells Road. There will be a total of three stops: the northwest corner of Prince and Flowing Wells roads, Commerce Drive between Business Center and Riverpark drives and the northwest corner of Commerce and Benan Venture drives. The shuttle will run twice an hour on weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. and again from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. On Saturdays, it will run from 7 to 9 a.m. and 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. The shuttle will not run on Sundays or major holidays. Once the schedule is finalized, it will be available online or by contacting ADOT as listed at the end of the article. Additional business outreach, including briefings, workshops and regular e-newsletters, has been and will continue to be conducted through ADOT’s business outreach program. For more information about the project, please visit azdot.gov/tucson10widening or contact Linda Ritter, ADOT Tucson District Senior Community Relations Officer, at (520) 388-4266 or lritter@azdot.gov, or Paki Rico, ADOT Community Relations Officer, at (520) 388-4233 or prico@azdot.gov.

PROGRAM UPDATES

PAG Quarterly Highlights Began conversations with regional stakeholders on development of a regional human services transportation directory and scheduled the first project planning meeting for July 12, 2011. Launched the “Clean Water Starts with Me” campaign, which included conducting two television interviews that were featured in the KOLD Monsoon Special and displaying campaign ads in Sun Tran buses. Held the first Southern Arizona Solar Standards Board outreach events in conjunction with Congresswoman Giffords’ Solar 101 meetings held at libraries around Tucson to promote the SASSB. Modeling staff participated in a Metropolitan Planning Organization/Council of Governments mini-conference on land use modeling. Held a traffic adaptive signal system meeting and demonstration with traffic signal engineers to discuss a potential role for application in the PAG region. Initiated development of the 2013-17 Transportation Improvement Program to identify priority projects for the region and available project funding during that five-year period. Conducted a survey of social services providers in the region to obtain their input on service priorities for the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) funds. The survey was sent to 169 individuals with 67 responding (40% response rate) and the survey results will be used by the PAG’s Social Services Planning Committee this fall to help prioritize SSBG funding for FY 2012-2013.

Action 2020: National Bicycling and Walking Workshop to be held in Tucson Advocacy Advance, a partnership between the League of American Bicyclists and Alliance for Biking & Walking, is facilitating an Action 2020 Workshop in Tucson on Friday, Sept. 16. The workshop will be held 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Tucson Fire Department, 300 S. Fire Central Place. Action 2020 Workshops are designed to ensure advocates, agency staff and elected officials have the knowledge, skills and resources to access untapped or underused federal funding sources at the state, regional and local level to build bicycling and walking infrastructure and programs. “This is a fantastic opportunity for furthering active transportation in the greater Tucson region,” said Ann Chanecka, a senior transportation planner for PAG. The one-day workshop, co-hosted by Pima Association of Governments and Living Streets Alliance, will be facilitated by a team of experienced professionals from around the nation. Also, Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists, will return to Tucson for the workshop and will be joined by Jeffrey Miller, President of the Alliance for Biking & Walking. For further information and to register, visit livingstreetsalliance.org

Green Valley commuter rides bike, sells cars Pat Collier sells cars for a living at Chapman Honda, so you’d think he would drive everywhere he needs to go. Collier, though, is not your typical car salesman. He rides his bike to work almost every day. Yes, his bike, which doesn’t have air conditioning or a stereo or leather seating. Collier started his 3-mile bike commute when he was looking for a way to stay fit within his busy schedule. Pat packs his work clothes in a backpack and showers at work. He’s been doing this since he moved to the Tucson area seven years ago. His ride from Green Valley is fairly safe since he can travel in bike lanes most of the way, but sometimes he needs to drive around trash in the bike lane, or motorists drift into his lane when they are not paying attention. Collier says he is willing to put up with these small aggravations because he saves a lot of money on fuel and auto repairs, and it’s a great stress reliever for his sales job. Collier recommends that a new bike commuter should start with short trips and work up to a longer ride. He also advises everyone to carry tools and extra tubes to be prepared in the case of a mishap or bike failure. And, maybe most importantly, to remember to carry all your clothing items with you, because you may have to do some impromptu shopping if you leave something at home.

Bob Young and Mike Weaver are long time vanpool­ers from the northwest side to Raytheon on Rita Rd.

New interest in vanpooling continues Although gas prices seem to have stabilized over the summer, area commuters are still looking for alternative transportation options to save money on their daily commute. During the past three months, six new vanpools joined the Pima County vanpool fleet. This is a 25 percent increase and brings the total number of operating vanpools to 31. The number of other vanpools in operation include seven to Raytheon Missile Systems, nine to the Indian Hospital in Sells, three to the Tohono O’odham Reservation, six to the Federal Prisons Complex on Wilmot, one to Sargent Aerospace and Defense, one to Ventana Medical Systems in Oro Valley, two to Davis Monthan Air Force Base, two to the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System on South 6th Avenue. The vanpools, other than the ones traveling to the Tohono O’odham Reservation, receive substantial subsidies from their employers making vanpooling a highly affordable way to travel. The 31 vans operating in Pima County remove 287 vehicles from the road, reduce vehicle miles traveled by 280,000 miles each month, and reduce 256,480 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each month. An additional 19 vans travel from Pima County to Ft. Huachuca in Cochise County. These vanpools remove about 191 vehicles from the road, reduce around 76,000 vehicle miles traveled per month, and reduce 69,616 pounds of greenhouse gases. For more information visit www.884ride.org or call 884-RIDE (7433).