Blog Archives
Bike Summit coming to downtown Phoenix on March 18
[Source: City of Phoenix]
The city’s Street Transportation Department will host a free Bicycle Summit from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at Burton Barr Library, 1221 N. Central Ave.
The summit will include discussions on:
- Possible projects: Bicycle Boulevard, City of Phoenix Bicycle Plan 2011
Meetings and events: Bicycle Initiatives Subcommittee, Bicycle to Work 2011, San Tan Wheelie Jam (bicycle festival) - Opportunities to improve conditions for bicyclists: 2011 street overlay, tunnels, bridges, paths, bike lanes, etc.
- Resources: Bicycle Collision Summary, Bicycle Graphic Novel for Children, Maps
- Possible long-term projects: Connections between Parks and Recreation Department trails and on-street bicycle facilities, road diets to add bike lanes, bicycle corrals and racks.
Residents who ride a bicycle for commuting, athletic training or recreation are invited to attend.
For more information about bicycling in Phoenix, visit phoenix.gov/bicycling.
To reserve a seat at the free event, please contact Joseph Perez, Phoenix bicycle coordinator, at 602-534-9529 or joseph.perez@phoenix.gov.
How would you improve 1st Street in downtown Phoenix?
[Source: City of Phoenix] — The first of three stakeholders meetings to discuss the 1st Street Pedestrian Improvements project will be held on Wednesday, February 3 at 4 p.m. at the Irish Cultural Center, 1106 N. Central Ave. (close to Roosevelt Station light rail). Interested persons are encouraged to voice their opinion to the pedestrian improvements plan for 1st Street between Van Buren and Moreland Streets. For more information, contact Gail Brinkmann, City of Phoenix Street Transporation Department, at 602-495-2073.
Phoenix parking meter rate increases starting Jan. 20
[Source: City of Phoenix] — On January 20, the City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department will begin phasing in new rates for all metered parking in the city. The phasing is scheduled to be complete by March 16. Under the rate increase approved by City Council in December, the city’s 2,600 meters will be recalibrated with hourly rates increasing from 60 cents per hour to $1.50 per hour and enforcement changes from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday to 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The increase is the first since 1992 when motorists paid 40 cents an hour.
City orders Phoenix arts district treehouse “landmark” torn down
[Source: Benjamin Leatherman, Phoenix New Times] — The intersection of Fifth and Roosevelt Streets has become one of the hotspots for the downtown Phoenix arts district. And one of the coolest parts of this cluster of galleries, boutiques, and coffee places was the HoodRide treehouse. Built into an olive tree in front of the sidewalk of the bicycle shop/art gallery run by Derrick Pacheco, the two-story construction of wood that was kind of a landmark for the Fifth Street scene. But now the treehouse is a thing of the past, as city of Phoenix officials ordered Pacheco on Thursday to tear down the structure by this afternoon.
John R. Siefert, deputy director of the city’s Street Transportation Division, stated in a letter to HoodRide’s property owner that the structure was in violation of city ordinance 23-32 (which prohibits the “encroachment of trees, shrubs, or bushes”) and ordered it to be torn down within 24 hours. “This structure presents a considerable safety hazard to the public and exposes you to potential liability,” wrote Siefert. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
Hear study results of reverse lanes to downtown Phoenix
The City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department and Arizona State University will present their findings on Reverse Lanes on 7th Ave. and 7th St. study at two public meetings:
- 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27, Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave.
- 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 10, Acacia Library, 750 E. Townley Ave.
The Street Transportation Department studied the reverse lanes to consider the impact that the lanes have on neighborhoods and local businesses. The lanes provide north/south traffic flow and reduce congestion, but limit left turns during peak hours in the morning and afternoon. The department studied crash rates, lane utilization, capacity analyses, cut-through traffic, and operational alternatives. The city contracted with ASU College of Design – Phoenix Urban Research Laboratory to conduct a quality of life analysis of the reverse lanes.
The Seventh Avenue reverse lane, which spans six miles from McDowell Road to Northern Avenue, was implemented in 1979. The Seventh Street reverse lane, which spans seven miles from McDowell Road to Dunlap Avenue, was implemented in 1982. For more information, click here.
