Broadway Boulevard Corridor
Project Description
The Broadway Boulevard Corridor as defined in the Regional Transportation Plan calls for the widening of the roadway from Euclid Avenue to Country Club Road to an eight-lane, divided roadway with two lanes dedicated for transit; and bike lanes in each direction.
Approach To The Project
The Broadway Corridor is a Gateway Corridor that connects the east side of Tucson to the downtown, along a network of vital activity centers, and bordering a variety of established residential neighborhoods. The urban texture along Broadway is varied and includes residential uses, historic buildings, strip commercial, and neighborhood and regional commercial uses. In addition, the Broadway Corridor is one of busiest east-west transit corridors in terms of daily ridership.
The existing Broadway Corridor Study was conducted in 1987 and recommended a northern alignment for the roadway widening. This information is contained in the 1987 Draft Final Report Broadway Corridor Transportation Study 
. The accompanying Right of Way Plan for Broadway (R-89-005) can be viewed at http://tdotmaps.transview.org/MandR/.
Over the past 20 years several properties were purchased on the north side of Broadway to implement the roadway design. Population growth, traffic patterns and land use, and preservation of historic structures have changed the dynamics at play on Broadway. The new roadway project will begin by reviewing the Broadway Corridor Transportation Study to evaluate its utility today.
The Broadway Corridor Project will consider the following elements as part of the planning and design process:
- Public participation and collaboration with affected neighbors and businesses
- Business outreach
- Traffic flow and mobility
- Safety, connectivity and facilities for bicycle and pedestrians
- Enhancing bus transit capability
- Protection of neighborhoods and historic character
- Sustainability; greening of an urban boulevard; landscape design
- Land use redevelopment opportunities; transit oriented development
- Future light rail planning
- Gateway planning and development
Schedule
The Broadway Corridor Project has four distinct phases for planning, design and construction
- Selection of a study and design team will be completed fall of 2008. By December 2008, the project team will begin data collection, information gathering and preliminary analysis of the 1987 alignment. The City will hold an informational meeting during the data collection phase of the project to familiarize the public with the purpose of the project, review the original the 1987 alignment decisions, and discussing phasing and schedule for Broadway. This first phase will take approximately 1 to 1 ½ years.
- During Phase 2 of the project, the project team will begin evaluating any potential new alignments for the corridor. A Citizens Task Force will be developed to help with the evaluation of the alignments and to assist the team in identifying issues that may be related to different alignment alternatives. The selection of a roadway alignment will occur during this phase. Outreach to businesses and neighborhoods will be extensive and ongoing throughout the project. Phase 2 of the project is estimated to take 1 to 1 ½ years.
- Phase 3 will begin to integrate the information gathered from the project team, and integrate it with concerns expressed from the neighborhoods and begin development of the Corridor Plan. The Corridor Plan will evaluate urban design concepts and roadway design and include everything from bicycle and pedestrian features, to landscape design, the look and density of new development, planning for transit and light rail potential in the future, and potential strategies for preventing cut through traffic, among others. Phase 3 will take 1 to 1 ½ years.
- The final phase of the project, Phase 4 will consist of producing the construction drawings and specifications for the corridor and will include cost estimates for all the roadway improvements. Phase 4 of the project will take approximately 2 years.
Implementation/Construction
Construction for widening Broadway will not begin before 2014.
Cost
The total amount of funds budget for the Broadway Road Widening from Euclid to Country Club is $71,000,000. Funding of approximately $42 million will come from Regional Transportation Authority revenues, and approximately $29 million will come from Pima County Bond Funds.
Project Contacts
Melissa Antol, Project Manager
Planning Division
Tucson Department of Transportation
520-837-6693