Midtown Tucson will soon have another bike boulevard thanks in-part to a $2.57 million federal grant, officials say.
The “Blacklidge Bicycle Boulevard” will be a 4.5-mile east-west route that will connect North Oracle Road to East Columbus Boulevard, according to a news release.
The route will connect five parks and four schools “in neighborhoods that have experienced historic disinvestment,” the release last week said, through a “low-stress route” that pedestrians and bicyclists will be able to use in-tandem.
The money was “won” through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods grant. The 4.5-mile bicycle boulevard is funded in part by Proposition 407 and is part of the city’s “Bicycle Boulevard Master Plan, the release said.
Ward 3 councilman and Vice Mayor Kevin Dahl, whose ward the new bike route will be located, said it will help to connect people through a “safe alternative.”
“Blacklidge Bicycle Boulevard connects so many neighborhoods and residents across Ward 3 who use it as a safe alternative to busy traffic routes,” Dahl said. “As a result of this grant, the city of Tucson will be investing federal dollars to expand this biking network, create traffic calming infrastructure, and add landscaping to help decrease the urban heat effect.”
“The Blacklidge Bicycle Boulevard will ensure Tucsonans of all ages who walk, bike, or roll can travel safely from east-to-west,” Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said in the release. “Connections like this bike boulevard give residents access to employment, parks and a better quality of life, especially in neighborhoods that have experienced historic disinvestment.”
