It is nearly impossible to find a road upon which to ride a bike that isn’t littered with pothole hazards, but the City of Tucson is now “one step closer” to making the public bicycle share program a reality.
Press release highlights;
The Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT) is releasing a preliminary System Planning document that contains maps of both a station phasing plan and proposed station locations for the initial phases.
TDOT contracted with Toole Design Group, a national bicycle and pedestrian planning firm.
There is a local Technical Advisory Committee that oversees the project.”
The proposed station locations for Phases 1 and 2 are primarily in the denser urban core of Tucson.
There are station locations proposed for up to two miles from the Sun Link Streetcar line; bike share will complement the investment in the streetcar.
The phasing plan consists of six areas. Phase 3 is intended to build upon phases 1 and 2. There are three other areas suggested for a future phase: one connecting the Rillito River path, one expanding to the south and southeast of Tucson, and one on the east side of Tucson.
Bike share is a public transportation system, whereby subscribers have access to a network of bicycles through automated, self-service kiosks located throughout the community. The system is accessed through low-cost subscriptions ranging from one-day access to annual membership.
The next phase of the Bicycle Share Feasibility Study and Implementation Plan will focus on the business aspects of a bike share system. A business plan is scheduled to be released this summer.