Dec. 2008 OOutlookutlo . 7 No. 4 Route ...€¦ · Arizona, ranked among the top 20 public research universities nationwide, is located in Pima County as well as one of the largest

REGIONALREGIONAL

Dec. 2008

Vol. 7 No. 4

OutlookOutlookwww.PAGnet.org

Route to:

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• Pima County profi le

• Sustainability and Energy Expo update

• Greenhouse gas inventory shows increase in emissions

• Annual Report online

• PAG newsletter online

• Clean Cities’ milestone

• Beat Back Buff elgrass Day

• Employers congratulated for traffi c volume reduction

• Sun Tran maintenance building

• RTA project status

• Grant Road update

• ADOT: Oracle Road projects

• I-10 widening project

• First Impressions Awards: TRICO and Jack in the Box

• Adopt-a-Street: Ashland Group LLC and Northwest Landscaping

Pima Association of Governments | Partnering | Planning | Projecting

2040 Regional Transportation PlanUpdate process begins with public outreach activities, formation of task forcePlanning for the next long-range regional transportation framework kicked off in October

with the fi rst meeting of the 2040 RTP Task Force.

The 2040 Regional Transportation Plan will look ahead 30 years to match anticipated

transportation needs with expected federal, state and regional transportation dollars.

During the next year, the 2040 RTP Task Force will guide development of the plan and will

integrate concepts and themes collected from the public participation process.

As part of the federal requirement for transportation funding, the region’s metropolitan

planning organization (PAG)

is required to update the

long-range plan at least

every four years. The PAG

Regional Council is expected

to give fi nal approval of the

plan in 2009.

The RTP encompasses

long-range, multimodal

projects, plus projects of

both the 20-year Regional

Transportation Authority’s

plan, which is funded by

the voter-approved ½-cent

excise tax, and PAG’s

fi ve-year Transportation

Improvement Program,

which receives federal, state

and regional funds.

Public Outreach

The 2040 RTP process is in

the fi rst phase of public outreach to identify values, needs and project ideas. During this

phase, PAG is conducting stakeholder sessions throughout the region. Participants will

join us for a two-hour session where they will be asked to comment on our transportation

vision and goals for the region (see September 2008 Regional Outlook), evaluate project

ideas and transportation fi nancing alternatives and provide input on specifi c project

improvements for the region and state.

During the fi rst phase of public outreach, PAG also will hold open houses, tentatively

scheduled for January.

Visit www.pagnet.org and look for 2040 RTP under Quick Links. Background materials for

the plan and public participation opportunities are available online.

The 2040 RTP Task Force is made up of a

diverse group of public and private sector

individuals who represent:

• Arizona Department of Transportation

• Bicyclists

• Businesses and economic development

• City of South Tucson

• City of Tucson

• Development

• Elderly

• Disabled

• Environmental interests

• Freight

• Low income individuals

• Minorities

• Neighborhoods

• Pascua Yaqui Tribe

• Pedestrians

• Pima County

• Schools

• Tohono O’odham Nation

• Town of Marana

• Town of Oro Valley

• Town of Sahuarita

• Transit

• Alternative modes

• Tucson Airport Authority

h id if l d d j id D i hi

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

needs and project ideas. During thid d j id D i hi

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Population: 1,003,235 (Source: Arizona

Department of Commerce, 2007)

County size: Pima County consists of 9,189

square miles in south central Arizona ranging

in elevation from 1,200 feet to the 9,185-foot

peak of Mount Lemmon.

Location: Pima County is one of the larger

counties in southern Arizona bordering Mexico.

Community landmarks:

Pima County has many distinctive natural

and cultural landmarks. It lies at an ecological

crossroad where habitats and species from

the neo-tropics meet the Rocky Mountains

and the Sonoran Desert. The diversity in

fl ora, fauna and geology is spectacular. The

area encompasses fi ve impressive mountain

ranges—the Catalina, Rincon, Santa Catalina,

Tucson, and Tortilla Mountains. It contains one

of North America’s longest inhabited areas

- the Santa Cruz River valley. It is rich in pre-

Columbian archeology, history and historic

routes such as the De Anza Trail, as well as the

living cultures of Native American tribes. Just

south of Tucson is the Mission of San Xavier

del Bac, founded in 1697 by Father Kino and

still in use today. Within Pima County are two

cactus forests—Saguaro National Park to the

northeast and Organ Pipe Cactus National

Monument in the southwestern portion. The

San Xavier, Pascua Yaqui and Tohono O’odham

reservations make up a large portion of the

County.

Economy: A variety of activities help drive

Pima County’s economy. Foremost among

these are high-technology activities, the

federal government, tourism, retail trade and

other service operations.

Pima County is the home to a major military

installation, Davis - Monthan Air Force Base,

prominent companies in the high-tech and

aerospace industries and major medical

and research facilities. The University of

Arizona, ranked among the top 20 public

research universities nationwide, is located

in Pima County as well as one of the largest

community colleges in the nation—Pima

Community College. In 2008, The University

of Arizona was one of the largest public

sector employers with 11,806 employees. The

UA is an integral part of the local economy

and receives almost a half billion dollars in

research grants each year.

The remaining large employers represent

a balanced mix of health care, retail trade,

education, government and military entities

with Raytheon Missile Systems being the

County’s largest private employer.

Pima County is committed to responsible

growth. The County’s Sonoran Desert

Conservation Plan is mindful of the factual

correlation between growth and the

consumption of natural resources, giving

high priority to preserving and protecting the

County’s most important natural resources.

Transportation-related highlights:

Pima County is working with the Regional

Transportation Authority (RTA) on its second

anniversary of the $2.1 billion transportation

plan which includes the development of more

than 100 projects. To date, 243 RTA projects

have been approved for funding. Of those, 146

projects are under development, 29 are under

construction, 60 projects are completed and 8

transit services have been implemented. For

all the approved projects, $280.5 million in

RTA funding has been committed.

The 20-year regional transportation plan,

approved by voters on May 16, 2006, includes

road, transit, safety and environmental

and economic vitality projects. Planning

continues for the RTA’s largest road project,

Grant Road, and recently a groundbreaking

event celebrated the start of construction of

a new bus storage and maintenance facility

for Sun Tran buses on a 25-acre site at 3920

Sun Tran Blvd., just north of Prince and east of

Interstate 10.

Working with the Arizona Department of

Transportation (ADOT), Pima County also has

been involved in the three-year Interstate 10

widening project that is halfway done and on

schedule.

i (S A C

PAG Regional Council

Ramon ValadezPAG CHAIRPima County Board of Supervisors

Lynne SkeltonPAG VICE CHAIR Mayor of Sahuarita

Ned Norris Jr.PAG TREASURER CHAIRMAN ofTohono O’odham Nation

Ed HoneaMayor of Marana

Peter YucupicioCHAIRMAN of Pascua Yaqui Tribe

Paul LoomisMayor of Oro Valley

Jennifer EckstromMayor of South Tucson

Robert WalkupMayor of Tucson

S.L. SchorrArizona State Transportation Board Representative

Gary G. HayesEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Pima Association of Governments

Historic

Pima

County

Courthouse

Profi le: Pima County

i C ll I 2008 Th U ii

Tucson

Mountain

Park


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Film director Chris Paine to be a keynote speaker at PAG’s Sustainability and Energy Expo in March

PROGRAM UPDATES

View PAG Annual Report online

The FY2007-08 Annual Report is available on the PAG Web site. Please visit the

Home page at www.PAGnet.org and see the Annual Report link under Quick Links.

PAG newsletter available online If you would like to view this newsletter

online in the future, please visit www.

PAGnet.org and submit your e-mail address

and contact information under the Sign Up

Today! link on the Home page.

Greenhouse gas inventory shows increase in emissions in Tucson, eastern Pima CountyRapid population growth, representing increased energy consumption in the Tucson

metropolitan area from 1990 to 2006, accounts for growth in the region’s greenhouse

gas emissions.

Pima Association of Governments recently developed a regional greenhouse gas

inventory for eastern Pima County and the City of Tucson in response to increasing

concerns of greenhouse gas-induced global warming. County GHG emissions have

increased by 46 percent and City emissions have increased by 34 percent. The report

compares data generated in 1990 to more recent data (2006) to identify trends in

emissions and sources.

The report shows that Pima County and the City of Tucson have similar trends in GHG

emissions, energy use, transportation and waste disposal from 1990 to 2006. Not

surprisingly, the use of coal, natural gas and petroleum fuels are the major sources

of regional GHG emissions. Regional electricity consumption accounts for over 50

percent of total emissions from 1990 to 2006. Residential and commercial energy

consumption and emissions have shown the greatest increase over this time period.

From 1990 to 2006, on-road vehicle travel increased by over 70 percent at both

the County and City levels. As a consequence, GHG emissions from regional

transportation represents approximately one-third of total emissions.

The data collected provide a baseline from which to determine strategies to reduce

greenhouse gas emissions. The inventory clearly shows that making progress in

reducing greenhouse gas emissions to meet GHG reduction goals set by the Western

Climate Initiative, the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement or Arizona Executive

Order 2006-13 will not be easy.

Targets for emission reductions will not readily be achieved as long as people remain

reliant on fuels that generate carbon dioxide. Greenhouse gas emissions are not likely

to be signifi cantly reduced until renewable energy becomes far more commonplace.

This report and associated appendices are posted on PAG’s Web at:

http://www.pagnet.org/documents/Air/GreenHouseGas-2008-10-06-DraftInventory.

pdf and http://www.pagnet.org/documents/Air/GreenHouseGas-2008-10-06-

DraftAppendices.pdf

Chris Paine, writer and director of the acclaimed fi lm, “Who Killed the Electric

Car,” will be a keynote speaker at Pima Association of Governments’ Sustainability

and Energy Expo on March 6-7, 2009 at the Tucson Convention Center.

Paine’s fi lm on the demise of General Motors’ EV-1, all-electric vehicle was

released in 2006 and featured at the Sundance, Tribeca and San Francisco fi lm

festivals and has become a must-see fi lm for anyone interested in future trends

in transportation.

Paine currently is working on a movie sequel to be called “Revenge of the Electric

Car.” He is a supporter of the not-for-profi t organization, Plug-In America.

The two-day Expo, which in 2007 attracted more than 4,000 people, will be

held in Exhibit Hall A at the TCC and will feature a fi lm festival, several panel

discussions with national and regional experts, and a display of alternative

vehicles, including the University of Arizona solar car.

Paine’s presentation will be held at 12:30 p.m. on March 7 in the Mojave room at

the TCC.

Several major sponsors have signed up for the event, including Tucson Electric

Power as a Platinum sponsor and Union Pacifi c and Tucson Newspapers Inc. as

Gold sponsors.

“We are happy to announce these initial sponsors,” said Dennis Dickerson, event

coordinator. “These and other sponsorships will allow us to host a bigger and

better event for southern Arizona. Based on last

year’s attendance and attendance at recent events

nationally we are conservatively estimating

attendance levels of 5,000 to 7,000 people.”

For event details and exhibitor/sponsor information,

please visit www.TucsonAltEnergyExpo.com.Platinum Sponsor


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PROGRAM UPDATES

2009 Beat Back Buff elgrass Day SetBuff elgrass is an invasive plant that is threatening the very existence of the Sonoran desert. You may have seen it

along roadsides or on vacant lots as a scraggly-bushy plant that this time of year is a dried-out, dead-looking plant

that is a golden color. Unfortunately, this plant grows prolifi cally and, when dry, is highly fl ammable, burning at

over 1,000 degrees F. It tends to crowd out native plants and will slowly dominate the desert if not kept in check.

On March 1, more than 200 volunteers gathered at a variety of locations across the region to remove buff elgrass.

On a single day, over 4,000 buff elgrass plants were pulled out of the ground and destroyed. The next regional

buff elgrass volunteer removal event is set for Feb. 7. That Saturday, we hope to attract even more volunteers to

reach a target of over 10,000 plants removed. The event is called “Beat Back Buff elgrass Day.”

Since the fi rst event last year, which helped to highlight the threat posed by buff elgrass, several volunteer groups have been working to remove buff elgrass.

Their work is far from done and a concerted eff ort over a number of years will be required to control the spread of buff elgrass. Already, buff elgrass has spread

to Saguaro National Park and the Catalina Foothills. Beat Back Buff elgrass Day represents an important opportunity to make a diff erence and help to protect

the desert by joining with hundreds of others to change the future of the Sonoran desert. Watch for details at www.buff elgrass.org.

The Tucson Regional Clean Cities Coalition celebrated the U.S. Department of

Energy’s Clean Cities’ 15th anniversary of its public/private partnership program

on Oct. 3 by participating in the National Alternative Fueled Vehicle Day Odyssey.

Odyssey is the largest national one-day event promoting the use of alternative

fuels and energy-effi cient vehicles.

The Tucson Coalition showcased a

range of alternative fuels and vehicles

available on the market today through

four diff erent events held throughout

the day.

The Coalition hosted a booth at 92.9

The Mountain’s Green October event

at La Encantada in the early morning.

This was followed by a presentation

and celebration at PAG’s Environmental

Planning Advisory Council meeting. To

aid in educating youth, the Coalition

led a classroom discussion for Tina Hansleben’s 6th grade class at Amphitheater

Middle School on the diff erent types and sources of fuels. The day concluded

with a 15-vehicle

display at Foothills

Mall to educate the

public on alternative

fuels. Many of the

Clean Cities Coalition

members participated

including Arizona

Biodiesel Board, Clean

Energy, CNG Services

of Arizona, Coyote

Golf Cars, Grecycle,

Mrs. Green Goes

Mainstream, Sun

Tran, Tucson Electric

Bikes and the Tucson

Electric Vehicle Association.

“The Clean Cities partnership and the National AFV Day Odyssey are an

ideal match, since both promote sustainable transportation that supports

our national economy, security and environment,” said Tucson Regional

Clean Cities Manager Colleen Crowninshield.

Since its inception in 1993, the Clean Cities partnership has supported

local decisions to reduce petroleum consumption in transportation.

Although the original coalitions initially focused on alternative fuels and

alternatively fueled vehicles, Clean Cities has since expanded to support

a variety of technologies, including hybrid vehicles, idle reduction, fuel

economy and fuel blends such as B20-biodiesel. In 2007 alone, the

partnership’s 86 coalitions helped put half a million alternatively fueled

vehicles on the road and contributed to the consumption of over one-

quarter of a billion gallons of alternative fuel. The Tucson Regional Clean

Cities Coalition was established in 1999. Since then, coalition members

have displaced over 12.1 million gallons of petroleum.

Although the public recently has decreased its petroleum consumption,

Americans still consume 56,000 gallons of motor-vehicle gasoline per

month. By the end of 2008, the nation’s oil dependence will cost the

country $560 billion.

T

ra

a

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PWalter Diaz of Grecycle demonstrates

how to make biodiesel from vegetable oil

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TMembers of the Tucson Electric Vehicle Association examine a Chevy

S-10 pick-up that has been converted to a plug-in electric vehicle.

Colleen Crowninshield, Clean Cities Program Manager, educates 6th Grade

Students at Amphitheater Middle School on the importance of alternative fuels.

Clean Cities celebrates 15 years of petroleum reduction


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PROGRAM UPDATES

TRP congratulates major employers for reducing traffi c volumes

Highest Alternate Mode Usage

(5000+)Raytheon Missile Systems

The University of Arizona

Pima County

(1000 – 4999)City of Tucson

University Medical Center

IBM

(600 – 999)Freeport McMoRanCopper & Gold, Sierrita Operations

Cross County Automotive Services

Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort

(300 – 599)Afni

Northwest-University Physicians Healthcare- Kino

Northwest Medical Center – Oro Valley

(100 – 299)Beacon Group SW Inc.

Silverbell Mining L.L.C.

Indian Health Service, Sells Service Unit

(<100)Bass & Associates

Computer Sciences Corp

Pima Association of Governments

Pima Association of Governments is recognizing employers in its Travel

Reduction Program (TRP) that have documented outstanding employee

usage of alternate modes or special programs to reduce drive-alone trips to

the worksite.

Employers in the TRP are required by local ordinances to reduce traffi c to

the worksite by educating and encouraging employees with incentives

to leave their car at home – at least one day a week. The TRP is managed

by Pima Association of Governments and assists employers in developing

a Travel Reduction Plan and surveying their employees to measure their

accomplishments.

The TRP survey conducted in 2007 involved 285 worksites with over

121,000 employees and documented that 29 percent of the employees used

an alternate mode (carpool, vanpool, bus, bicycle, walk) or special programs

(compressed work weeks, telework, fi eld work or clean fuel vehicle) to

improve traffi c congestion and maintain air quality.

In one year, employees saved 98.7 million driving miles, 8.89 million gallons

of gasoline, $31.4 million and prevented over 10.26 million pounds of

pollution for the community.

The employers, by size of employment and their categories of achievements,

are listed on the attached page. If you would like information on how to

join the Travel Reduction Program, please contact Rita Hildebrand, TRP Lead,

at 792-1093.

Highest Alternate Mode Use Increase



Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

(1000 – 4999)IBM

City of Tucson

Southern AZ VA Health Care System

(600 – 999)University Physicians Healthcare - River Road

Honeywell Aerospace Tucson – Oracle Road

Cross Country Automotive Services

(300 – 599)Afni Northwest

Wal-Mart – Sahuarita #1311

Sam Levitz Furniture Co. Inc.

(100 – 299)Fry’s Food Store #21 (Grant & 1st Avenue)

National Optical Astronomy Observatory

The Forum at Tucson by Five Star Quality Care Inc.

(<100)Computer Sciences Corp

Safeway Food & Drug #267 (Valencia & Cardinal)

Safeway Food & Drug #234 (Broadway & Camino Seco)

Lowest Vehicle Miles Traveled

(5000+)The University of Arizona

Davis Monthan Air Force Base

Pima County

(1000 – 4999)University Medical Center

Northwest Medical Center

Carondelet Health Network – St. Joseph’s Hospital

(600 – 999)Cross Country Automotive Services

Canyon Ranch Health Resort

Geico Direct

(300 – 599)Wal-Mart-Kolb #1291

Wal-Mart-Valencia #1612

APAC Customer Services Inc.

(100 – 299)Beacon Group SW Inc.

Target – Broadway

Fry’s Food Store #137 (22nd & Kolb)

(<100)Safeway Food & Drug #1874 (Golf Links)

Albertsons/Osco #964 (Broadway & Harrison)

Safeway Food & Drug #234 (Broadway & Camino Seco)

2007 TRP Employer Recognition Highest Vehicle Miles Traveled Decrease



Pima County

(1000 – 4999)IBM

Citi Cards

Arizona State Prison – Tucson Complex

(600 – 999)Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort

Cross County Automotive Services

Geico Direct

(300 – 599)LaPosada at Park Centre Inc.

Wal-Mart – Foothills Mall #2922

Northwest Medical Center – Oro Valley

(100 – 299)TUSD – Booth-Fickett

J.C. Penney Co. Inc. – Tucson Mall

Fry’s Food Store #42 (22nd & Harrison)

(<100)Safeway Food & Drug #1874 (Golf Links)

Computer Sciences

Fry’s Food Store #119 (I-19 & Irvington)


LaCholla/Overton new intersection dedication.

RTA UPDATES

RTA PROJECT STATUSTHROUGH OCTOBER 2008

Total Number of RTA Board Approved Projects ............................. 243

Projects under Development ............. 146

Projects under Construction ................. 29

Transit Projects Implemented ............... 8

Total Number of Projects Completed ... 60

Excise Tax Collections ... $159.2 million

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ok REGIONAL OutlookDecember 2008

Regional Outlook is produced by Pima Association of Governments (PAG) to promote sharing among PAG member jurisdictions and a greater understanding of regionally signifi cant activities, resources and services. PAG invites submissions about items of interest. Please send your submissions to [email protected].

Construction continues on the Sun Tran Maintenance Building at 3920 W. Sun Tran Blvd. This is one of seven

main structures that will make up the 22-acre bus storage and maintenance facility. The project cost is $30

million with $22 million funded by the RTA and $8 million funded by the Federal Transit Administration.

Photo courtesy of TDOT

The Grant Road Citizens Task Force approved a proposed alignment

concept for public review. The comment period closed Nov. 17 and fi nal

recommendations will be presented to the Tucson City Council in early 2009

for further consideration.

The $166.8 million Grant Road project, from Oracle to Swan, is the largest

roadway improvement project in the $2.1 billion Regional Transportation

Authority plan approved by voters in May 2006.

The Grant Road project will widen the road to six lanes and include sidewalks,

bike lanes and landscaping. The project is managed by the City of Tucson

Department of Transportation.

Grant Road currently carries about 40,000 vehicles per day. Pima Association

of Governments predicts traffi c will increase to 60,000-70,000 vehicles per

day in the future, with upwards of 100,000 vehicles traveling through the

major intersections.

The Grant Road Citizens Task Force and the City’s planning team released the

proposed alignment concept during three open houses in October and held a

Grant Road alignment concept completes public review period

30-day public review. Public input was received throughout the 2006, 2007 and

2008 planning phase as well.

The concepts are still available for viewing at www.grantroad.info.

The second portion of the planning for the Grant Road project includes

approval of the alignment concept and engineering of the alignment.

Planning exercises in 2009 will include development of a streetscape, access

and circulation plan, as well as a land use corridor plan.

Funding for right-of-way acquisition becomes available in fi scal year 2010.

Initial road construction is planned to begin in 2013.

Business consulting and assistance is available through the RTA’s MainStreet

business assistance

program. For more

information, call (520)

838-4352 or (520) 270-

2661.

For more information

about the project, please

visit www.grantroad.info

or call the project hotline

at (520) 624-4727.

G t R d li t t


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REGIONAL BRIEFS

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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 specifi c details

about the project that will impact their businesses, including anticipated

project schedules, traffi c 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 off ered valuable tips for managing

ADOT provides business outreach workshops before, during construction project on Oracle

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.”

e reassurance ”

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

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177 N. Church Ave., Suite 405 • Tucson, AZ 85701

(520) 792-1093 phone • (520) 620-6981 fax

www.PAGnet.org

PresortStandard

U.S. PostagePAID

Tucson, AZPermit No. 1138

ADDRESS SERVICE

REQUESTED

PAG Regional Council presents two ‘First Impressions’ awardsTRICO 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 eff ort to recognize businesses that leave a positive fi rst impression on visitors to the region.

“These two businesses in the northwest area of our region have planted trees, saguaros and other vegetation that off er a beautiful

desert landscape,” said Dennis Dickerson, coordinator of the regional beautifi cation eff ort for PAG. “We will continue to look for model

businesses throughout the region that set positive examples.”

The regional beautifi cation eff ort 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 buff elgrass removal.

For more information, please visit www.PAGnet.org and visit the Regional Beautifi cation Eff orts 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.

Tucson Clean and Beautiful Adopt-a-Street programAshland 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

offi cials 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 & Traffi c

Maintenance Division.


Documents

Dec. 2008 OOutlookutlo . 7 No. 4 Route ...€¦ · Arizona, ranked among the top 20 public research universities nationwide, is located in Pima County as well as one of the largest