New signs are up to help visitors navigate the steep hills and winding roads on "A" Mountain.
The signage is among initial goals set out by the city to make the popular area a more attractive and safer destination.
"Everything that we originally set out with the area we've been working on, so weβve been making improvements to the park, weβve been working on signage, weβve been working on repainting some of the speed humps, weβve been working through all those details,β Lane Mandle, a city spokeswoman, said about the first four months of a pilot program.
City officials said they hope the improvements will help attract more visitors to the park.
Martin Orozco, who took his first bicycle ride at the park Friday afternoon, said his visit was enjoyable.
βThe experience Iβve had today was pretty good overall. You get your exercise, pretty good scenery,β Orozco said. βI would say the only thing [that should be added] would be a little bike route or something, because on these walking trails thereβs rocks and a bunch of glass everywhere.β
Orozco said he plans to ride during the vehicle-free Mondays at the park, which will last at least through the duration of the pilot program, which will end in April.
βWhen I get a day off, Iβll definitely consider that,β said Orozco, who is used to riding on trails on Tucsonβs north side.
By programβs end, city officials will have more accurate traffic, bicycle and pedestrians counts, and even crashes, since the changes and will follow up with another survey about the program.
βWe certainly know itβs a beloved recreation area, so my expectation would be that weβve seen some movement in terms of usage as well,β said Mandle.
The report should shine additional details on increased patrols at the park after the launch of the Tucson Police Departmentβs Park Safety Program. At least 10 community service officers patrol the cityβs parks and can facilitate arrests by police officers, if need be.
βWeβve seen them up there and theyβve facilitated several police arrests. Theyβll encounter people who may be too inebriated to drive,β Michael Chihak, a neighborhood resident, said about the park safety officers.
βOne of those park safety rangers told me that in two instances she had found people up there who she thought were too inebriated to drive and she got in touch with the police and they took care of them.β
βWe need that because thereβs still problems up there. Weβre still seeing the littering issues and a little bit of the traffic issues in terms of the speeding, but the police do seem to be paying more attention to it,β said Chihak.
Mandle said city officials will be meeting with residents of βAβ Mountain as they attempt to address their concerns and recommendations, such as continuing the schedule changes.
βThe closure of the gate to motor traffic completely on Mondays and until 11 a.m. every other day of the week has been accomplished and that actually has been a nice thing,β said Chihak.
βIt seems like there are more people up there on Mondays. Iβve seen more. I walked the mountain this past Monday, the whole 2.5-mile loop of it, and there were definitely more people up there walking and biking than what Iβve seen in the past.β
The stakeholder meetings should not only address a permanent schedule change but further work to address the mid- and long-term recommendations, approved in 2019, to improve Sentinel Peak.
Those improvements include adding a speed hump in the neighborhood area leading to the park; possible guardrails in sections of the park; flexible delineators, or the hard-plastic posts that protect bicyclists; and consideration of a 10-foot marked lane to be used as a paved shoulder area for pedestrians.
Down the Road
Motorists should prepare for the two-year closure of the Ruthrauff Road-Interstate 10 interchange as crews work on the $128 million reconstruction project.
Construction crews will work through the weekend to put the following closures in place:
- Ruthrauff/El Camino del Cerro will be closed between Highway Drive/Davis Avenue, east of I-10, and the business entrances west of I-10.
- All ramps to and from I-10 and Ruthrauff/El Camino del Cerro will close, except for the westbound I-10 off-ramp, which will provide access along the frontage road to businesses.
- The eastbound frontage road will be converted to a two-way road south of Sunset Road and northwest of Commerce Drive.
- The westbound frontage road will close north of Prince Road.
By January 2022, motorists will see I-10 widened to four lanes, the widening of Ruthrauff Road/El Camino del Cerro to two lanes and reconstruction of the frontage roads to connect to the new elevated interchange.
The Arizona Department of Transportation says the best alternates to I-10 for those on both sides of the freeway include Orange Grove Road to the north and Prince Road to the south.
Photos: "A" Mountain through the years
Photos: Tucson's 'A' Mountain through the years
"A" Mountain seen behind the Pima County Courthouse on Sept. 21, 1957.Β
"A" Mountain is repainted on Nov. 19, 1986, after ASU students painted it ASU school colors before the ASU-UA football game.
Hang glider Jim Eskildsen at the base of "A" Mountain after making a 100-mile flight from Tempe, Ariz. on March 11, 1978.
Tucson's "A" Mountain on August 17, 1930 looking southwest.
Nicky Allmaras, 18, and Brian Bobb, 27, sit at an overlook on "A" Mountain, Aug. 24, 1996.
Fireworks explode over downtown Tucson during the annual fireworks show on July 4, 1996.Β
"A" Mountain or Sentinel Peak as seen from the air on May 20, 2005.Β
A banner against HB 2281, which bans ethnic studies, covers the blue portion of the A atop "A" Mountain in Tucson, Ariz., Thursday July 29, 2010.Β
The βAβ on A Mountain is lit with flares signaling the start of University of Arizona Homecoming week in Tucson on Oct. 22, 2017.
"A" Mountain's signature letter was painted red and displayed "#RedForEd" in support of statewide teacher walkouts in April 2018 to support more funding for public education.Β
The large "A" at the top of Sentinel Peak was painted the color red as seen on April 30, 2018.
"A" Mountain was brightly lit by members of the Bobcats, a senior honorary club that is housed by the Alumni Association at the University of Arizona, as homecoming activities commenced in November 2014.
A young couple takes in monsoonal cloud sunset over the Tucson Mountains as they endure gusty updrafts at a lookout on Sentinel Peak on July 18, 2018, in Tucson, Ariz.
The views of and around Sentinel Peak, otherwise known as "A" Mountain on Wednesday, April 10, 2013, in Tucson, Ariz. The coloring of the "A" has changed over time, ranging from black to green and the patriotic red, white and blue scheme.
The views of and around Sentinel Peak, otherwise known as "A" Mountain on Friday, April 12, 2013, in Tucson, Ariz. The coloring of the "A" has changed over time, ranging from black to green and the patriotic red, white and blue scheme.Β
The "A" on Sentinel Peak in Tucson, Ariz., decorated with a peace symbol on March 28, 2003. The day before, some city council members and more than 100 participants painted the "A", red, white and blue against Mayor Bob Walkup's objections. People were discovered today painting it all white again when those who painted it yesterday threatened to return with their colors when police closed the mountain.
Taken from west side of the Tucson Community Center looking west on Sept. 16, 1998. Photo by Jim Davis.
The wearing of the green began a wee early on March 16, 1998, as "A" Mountain was coated with a green layer of paint before St Patrick's Day.
The "A" Mountain "A" is sporting green on March 15, 1999 after its annual paint job for St. Patrick's Day.Β
Brichta Gas Station, 141 S. Stone Ave., lower left, with St. Augustine Cathedral and "A" Mountain behind circa 1920. Courtesy Lorraine Aguilar.
The rock-and-concrete that adorns Mountain got a patriotic paint job in September 2001 following the 9-11 attacks. Blue and red were added to the letter's traditional white as a show of support for the United States during a time of crisis. University of Arizona student Sarah Burns came up with the idea, the Home Depot pitched in the paint, and more than 60 volunteers provided the labor.Β
A car passes by the green "A" on Sentinel Peak on April 3, 2008 in Tucson, Ariz.Β
With "A" Mountain in the background, construction personnel work on the structure for a new entrance for the Tucson Convention Center on Jan. 14, 2010.
Tucson's "A" Mountain becomes white again from the top down on March 26, 2003 after an anti-war group painted it black. A-O Painting Inc. painted the A with 60 gallons of white paint, which cost the city $3,750.
Wren Keller scans the skies as he stands in the middle of the "A" on "A" Mountain with his Canon camera and 300 mm lens as he hopes for a view of the space shuttle Endeavour as it flies over the University of Arizona in Tucson Ariz., on its way to the west coast on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012.
Daniel McKenzie of The Paint Kings, sprays about 30 gallons of blue paint to paint the top part of "A" Mountain on Sentinel Peak, Friday, March 26, 2004 in Tucson, AZ, after the City Council decided to keep the "A" patriotic until the Iraq conflict is over. With 30 gallons of blue paint, 20 gallons of white, and 40 gallons of red, the "A" took about two hours to paint.Β
Traffic along "A" Mountain is snarled around the whole peak as spectators hope for a view of the space shuttle Endeavour as it flies over the University of Arizona in Tucson Ariz., on its way to the west coast on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012.
Angela Gonzales, a Gamma Alpha Omega sorority member, re-paints the A on "A" Mountain, Saturday April 27, 2002 in Tucson, Ariz.
Gerardo Torres, left, and Fred Huang, both Omega Delta Phi fraternity members, re-paint the A on "A" Mountain with other fraternity and sorority members on April 27, 2002 in Tucson, Ariz.
Two sororities and one fraternity helped re-paint the A on "A" Mountain on April 27, 2002 in Tucson, Ariz.
Painting the red of the red, white, and blue, Thursday, March 27, 2003, is Steve Castro of Steve Castro Painting, on "A" Mountain in Tucson, Ariz. Castro came out as part of the re-painting of the "A" with listeners of WKRQ, whose morning deejays, John Jay and Rich, organized the event. All of the paint was donated by Dunn-Edwards Paints.
Marty Harkins, left, and Chris Encinas take in the hazy view from "A" Mountain as high winds spread dust around in Tucson, Ariz., Tuesday Oct. 27, 2009.
Pima Community College students Don Hargrove and Jack Schwarzel talking in the ramada on "A" Mountain as they watch the sunset Nov. 21, 1996.
The former Levy's store, now the city hall annex, is on left, with "A" Mountain in the background.Β
Faustino Mendez helps his son Alejandro, 4, hold binoculars as they enjoy the view from "A" Mountain on Nov. 28, 1999.
Fireworks at "A" Mountain on July 4, 1995.
Green paint lies on top of red paint on Sentinel Peak on April 3, 2008 in Tucson, Ariz. Permits to paint the "A" are supposed to include guarantees it will be restored to its previous condition after special events, in this case, St. Patrick's Day.
Six-year-old Amy Cranford, does her part painting blue on the lower portion of the "A" on Sentinel Peak on Sept. 16, 2001. She and her family were among more than 60 volunteers painting the top red and the lower portion blue.
Joe Molina, far left, works on clearing a big rock off a trail on "A" Mountain on April 2, 2010. Long-term plans include a shaded structure at the top, benches, and the improvements to the trail.
Julie Steele, 20, a Theta Nu Xi Sorority member, helps out members of the Omega Delta Phi Fraternity paint the "A" on Sentinel Peak after ASU supporters painted the "A" in their school's colors the weekend of the UA vs ASU football game, Dec. 7, 2002.
Members of the Omega Delta Phi Fraternity paint the "A" on Sentinel Peak after ASU supporters painted the A in their school's colors the weekend of the UA vs ASU football game, Dec. 7, 2002.
People carry the cross during the 39th Annual Procession of Holy Friday up Sentinel Peak on April 6, 2007 in Tucson, Ariz. Parishioners made the walk up the hill while doing the stations of the cross with different people carrying the cross at every stop.
Fireworks during the "A" Mountain July Fourth Fireworks show in Tucson, Ariz., Saturday July 4, 2009.
The Tucson Origins archaeological dig at the base of "A" Mountain on April 13, 2007. Field crew members Stan Granger and Gene Espinosa of Desert Archaeology, Inc., investigate an early agricultural pithouse from 100 or 200 B.C.
Jorge Castillo, 15, fastens part of a banner placed on "A" Mountain by students from Aztlan Academy andΒ CΓ©sar ChΓ‘vez Middle School on Oct. 27, 2006.Β
"A" Mountain on March 26, 2004 in Tucson, Ariz., after the City Council decided to keep the "A" patriotic until the Iraq conflict is over. With 30 gallons of blue paint, 20 gallons of white, and 40 gallons of red, the "A" took about two hours to paint.Β
