“Tucson 2013 is at a crossroads. Over the past 120 years or so, we have grown to 1 million people pretty much in sprawl fashion – build, build, build, keep it low, spread it wide, march to the mountains in all four directions…” Read more »

Coming from the suburbs of Phoenix, Tucson was a whole new world to me. I enjoyed learning about the “gems” of Tucson that one only discovers by living here. Driving up to Mount Lemmon and enjoying the art shops and eating my first Sonoran hotdog at BK hotdogs were experiences that only Tucson had to offer me. Going to the various festivals and events that feature the diversity of culture of Tucson opened my eyes to the rich history of our region. By being involved at the University and in the Community, I began to realize how much the region had to offer.

As I began to complete courses at the UA, I began to set roots in Tucson. I fell in love, made a home and got a great job. Once I graduated, I found myself excited to have an “adult” life in Tucson. It has been the opportunities afforded me that have given me a desire to stay here. Though I plan to stay in Tucson for the foreseeable future, I sometimes think about what might someday take me away from the region.

In the last six years, I have invested a lot of time (and money) into my education. Now that I have mastered the skills necessary to create a career in multiple disciplines, I worry that I might not have the opportunity to reach my fullest potential here. While I love the job I have now, I worry down the road that I might not have room to grow or move forward.

I find myself in an interesting position because, while I have a quality education from the reputable University of Arizona, the work prospects available to me are either below my skill set or too high above my skill set. Talking with many of my friends and peers, I see it can be difficult to begin a career in this region because of the small scope of job offers. Many of my fellow graduates have had to leave the region in order to find work that fits their expertise and skills. I often think if I did not have my current job that I love so much, I would have to consider moving to another place to find suitable work.

Recently, I spoke to a group of students at the University of Arizona asking them, “How many of you are planning on leaving the Tucson Region after you graduate?” After seeing the majority of students raise their hands, my heart sank. The University of Arizona and Pima Community College are valuable assets to our community and offer services, resources and talented graduates that can make the region an even more desirable place to live. By offering quality jobs, diverse entertainment and choices for young professionals, we can keep the talent that comes through our colleges and university.

There is no telling what the future holds for me, or the region. My hope is that I can stay here for as long as possible and continue to meet new people and have new experiences. I love living in a place that offers the culture of a large city, but has the feel of a small town.

Article submitted courtesy of Chelsey Belmer

“A Tucson planning group is turning its attention to the metropolitan area’s transportation system now that it has completed work on land-use and population-growth plans…” Read more »

At first glance, Tucson seemed to be a run-down city that was filled with potholes and battered down neighborhoods. There seemed little to do compared with my hometown of San Diego. Nothing beats dipping your feet into the warm sand while smelling the calm relaxing scent of the ocean breeze San Diego has to offer. The bustle of a big city that provides attractions that people from all over the U.S. come to see, such as Sea World or the San Diego Zoo, is something that is hard to beat. And even though the city is spread out, there is always something to do and somewhere such as Balboa Park or Seaport Village. But my curiosity to find more in Tucson drove me to discover new opportunities. One of the best things I have to say about this city is, obviously, the University of Arizona. Even though Tucson may be rough around the edges, on game days everyone comes together in this Wildcat Country to show support for their Wildcats. The support from the community is a beautiful sight to see. You may think that you’re a complete stranger to everyone, but when it comes down to it everyone always has that one thing in common: love for their Wildcats. I hear stories from my hometown friends that stayed to go to school in San Diego and I can tell that I made the right education choice as the opportunities that the University provides seem to be endless. Here at the U of A I am able to get a higher education that is well known, as well as engage in other activities that are accepting of new members such as working at the radio station, and creating various short films at the University’s film organization (U.F.O). I am still in my first year and I have already had the chance to take part in an internship for marketing at Imagine Greater Tucson through the Provost Leadership Academy. Looking back, I have no regrets on my decision to come here; the University is exactly what I wanted in an education and more.

As for the city itself, Tucson still does not come close to San Diego. However, even though I have not been a here that long, I know that there has been a lot of construction occurring and many more projects to come that will help make the city and its surrounding region more appealing to its residents. One of the major projects that I have been interested in is the building of the streetcar. As an out-of-state student, transportation is a key element to a good college choice. The streetcar sounds like it could be very beneficial for exploring Tucson beyond the boundaries of the University area. The only flaws seem to be the distance restriction on the streetcar. Many students live off campus in various parts of the city and the streetcar will not go through their neighborhoods. Also, it seems that the overall project seems to be pushing back further and further, and based on an article in the Daily Wildcat, I learned that the streetcar will not be done until the second quarter of 2014. All in all, I am still very excited for what is to come of this city. With the help and dedication from its citizens, Tucson is looking toward a bright future.

Even with all the improvements I know Tucson will have made by my graduation, it pains me to say that once I finish my undergraduate program here I will most likely leave. Not because of the University or because of the city, but because of future goals that I must obtain elsewhere. Expanding your borders beyond the confinements of any city whether it is San Diego or Tucson, I believe is important to everyone. It leads to new opportunities, new cultures, new environments, and knowledge that become irreplaceable. If I did choose to stay, I know there would be a lot of options for career paths here in Tucson. If anything, I would love to work in business somewhere in Downtown Tucson. Downtown is already a great place to be and is a wonder missed by many people who come to Tucson. With all the future downtown projects drawing new businesses and growing current business, it would be an ideal place to continue my career path. However, I still plan to travel to different cities to experience the opportunities they have to offer. I am sure that eventually I will come back at least to visit, and maybe even proudly call Tucson home.

Article submitted courtesy of Jake Gonzalez

“After years of gathering public input to create a regional growth plan, Imagine Greater Tucson is seeking donations from the public to turn its attention to a transportation plan…” Read more »

“Imagine Greater Tucson is an example of one way Tucsonans have started to create a vision of how the city will integrate in to the Sun Corridor…” Read more »

I announced my decision a week ahead of time so that my staff and business contacts would have some warning that my schedule might go a bit wobbly as I waited for buses and transfers in the weeks ahead. Their reactions were interesting: one person wanted to know if I had gotten a DUI. Others gamely provided warnings about the kind of people I might encounter during my bus trips. Almost everyone predicted I would end up either lost, or broken down on the side of the road waiting hours for a relief bus to pick me up. Overall, my announcement provoked a sense of resignation that I had finally become too eccentric for words, but that as a result I would probably fit in well with the other riders… Because of course, only the truly eccentric or the down-and-out would choose to ride on public transportation in Tucson.

Two weeks into this experiment, I am finding almost all of their expectations and warnings were completely wrong.

I still have a lot to learn, and many more routes to cover before I can give anything like an educated report on what it is truly like to rely on Sun Tran as a primary means of transportation, but I can give some initial observations.

Overall, Sun Tran seems to work pretty well for people who need it for their basic needs. It does go to most core parts of the city and the surrounding areas, and it moves pretty efficiently. In two weeks, I have never had to wait more than five minutes past the scheduled time for a bus, and I have not yet seen any buses broken down on the side of the road. I am sure it happens, but it doesn’t seem to be a regular occurrence. Additionally, every bus I have ridden in the past two weeks has been clean and in good condition.

Each of the drivers I encountered has been professional, and even pleasant. I have been especially impressed with the way drivers work with elders and the disabled passengers. They take time to ensure people have access and if needed, are belted and buckled into the wheelchair restraints that are on each bus.

Sun Tran riders are the same sort of people you see at the mall. A lot of teenagers and university students; a fair amount of elderly and disabled; and a broad assortment of people from across the spectrum of society, although very few professionals. It is true that I have also encountered a few riders with obvious mental disorders or disabilities, but in no case have I felt threatened or ill-at-ease.

The riding experience itself has actually been pleasant. I almost always find a seat (at least eventually) and instead of fighting traffic, I catch up on email, phone calls and texts. My travel time is actually productive! The bus stops have been easy to find, and almost always within at least two blocks of where I have needed to go. And even better, I have not once had to search for a parking place.

But I have not been able to use Sun Tran for everything – the schedules and routes do not really support a professional schedule of meetings, appointments and events that take place across this region. Commuting in from Vail (where I live) I have three times in the morning to catch the bus out, and three times in the evening to catch the bus back home. Last week I needed to attend a Tucson City Council meeting which started at 5:30 in the evening. The last bus to Vail left at 5:40. That was a problem. On another day, I had a lunch event to attend at the Westin La Paloma resort. Getting there and back in time for all the other things on my schedule that day was simply not going to work either.

Another significant issue for me early on was how Sun Tran manages and presents its information. Learning where to find information on routes, changes in stops due to Streetcar construction, and how to make transfers was more by discovery than by plan, and the very first day I actually had to have my wife drive out from Vail to take me home because the bus stop had moved, but there was no sign at the old location to inform me of the change. Sun Tran does have a website (http://suntran.com/) but even there, the information was difficult for me to find some of the details I needed. It was not until I accidentally discovered the excellent “Ride Guide” that each bus carries that I was able to get the information I needed to efficiently navigate the system.

Right now, Sun Tran is working for me – but only takes me so far. I will continue to use it where I can and I will explore the system more fully in the weeks to come to discover more about it. In the meantime, anyone that has NOT ridden on Sun Tran should see if for themselves before they make any decisions or form opinions on it, because the truth is probably much different than they expect. My experience so far has not been anything like people predicted it would be.

Article submitted courtesy of Mike Holmes
Below is a log of Mike’s journey from his Twitter. Follow him at @MHolmesSyzygy.

Listen to the interview

The first phase of a year-long effort to create a plan for how the Tucson metro area should grow is finished.
Imagine Greater Tucson asked residents to weigh in on how the Tucson metro area will accommodate 2 million residents at some point in the future. That figure equals a doubling of the current population, and the idea was to let the people who already live in the area craft the plan for growth.
During the process, 10,000 people commented on what they want to see, through surveys and public meetings, said Mike Holmes, the IGT executive director. Read more »