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Grant Road Improvement Plan FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)The Grant Road Improvement Team collects questions it has received about the Grant Road Plan and posts them here along with the answers. Watch this page for updates with new questions and answers. QuestionsREGIONAL TRANSPORATION AUTHORITY (RTA) / FUNDINGWho is responsible if every RTA project is not completed on time and on budget? Is other funding applicable such as state, county or federal dollars? Can the RTA Board override local design decisions on the corridor? Does the road have to be widened? PLANNING PROCESSWhy are you studying the ¼ mile area both north and south of Grant Road? What is the City doing along Grant Road? What are "context sensitive solutions"? Who will determine what the project will look like? ROADWAY DESIGNWhat will the new road look like? Won't a new road bring even more traffic and noise to Grant Road? Will there be a grade-separated intersection at the corner of Grant and Campbell? How does the City plan to minimize urban flight over the next 20 years along RTA corridors? Will the widening of Grant Road include a frontage road like Campbell? ALIGNMENTWho decides which end of Grant to start on, or which side of the street to take? Which side of the street will be widened? Looks like the concentration of second hand stores along Grant and Country Club will get hit. What factors do you consider when establishing alignment? How long will the alignment process take? Does the City have to take buildings? ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATIONHow do you connect neighborhoods across Grant Road? What will the project mean for bus service on Grant Road? What provision is there in RTA funding for more bus shelters? Is it practical to use smaller buses for less-traveled routes or off-hours? Do bus pullouts require the acquisition of 8 lanes worth of right-of-way? LAND USE PLANNINGWhat about land use? Density increases and infill? Where is that plan? REAL ESTATEIf the City needs to acquire my home, will I receive fair market value? Will I be given enough time to move? Are there relocation benefits? What if someone wants to develop property along Grant Road right now? How is the Grant Road project affected by Proposition 207? CONSTRUCTIONWhen will the construction begin? What will the city do to help my business survive the construction project? How long will the street be under construction? AnswersREGIONAL TRANSPORATION AUTHORITY (RTA) / FUNDINGHow can we be sure that the Citizen Advisory Committee of the RTA will conduct business in an objective manner? All meetings will be open to the public, and in that forum the actions of the Citizen Advisory Committee may be questioned.
Who is responsible if every RTA project is not completed on time and on budget? The RTA is the funding source for projects that will be managed by each jurisdiction, including the City of Tucson. Project allocations will be adjusted for inflation annually. Costs exceeding the amount provided by the RTA will be the responsibility of the jurisdiction.
Is other funding applicable such as state, county or federal dollars? Other funds may be used in RTA corridors. The City of Tucson receives federal and state funding for transportation improvements; however, most of this is programmed for non-RTA projects. In order to be used, such funds must be programmed into the Pima Association of Governments' (PAG) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The PAG Regional Council adopts the TIP after public hearing. In addition, it is expected that the City will program development impact fees toward RTA projects.
Can the RTA Board override local design decisions on the corridor? Although the RTA Board has final approval of all RTA projects, corridor design decisions are likely to be the purview of the jurisdiction in which the project occurs. The alignment will be selected locally. However, it is likely that in order to change an alignment once one is selected, it will require approval of the RTA Board.
With other municipalities having a single vote on the RTA board, how will Tucson be represented fairly? The RTA plan was prepared as a regional plan and all the major projects are considered regional in scope. In order to maintain regional focus and cooperation, each member of the RTA Board has one vote. A citizens oversight committee also is in place to ensure accountability and integrity of the plan.
Does the road have to be widened? The RTA vote called for the creation of six travel lanes on this section of Grant Road where four exist today. It also called for enhanced multi-modal travel opportunities, which includes sidewalk and transit facilities. It did not prescribe the exact design of the new Grant Road cross-section, which will emerge from the planning process. However, in most cases, it will be necessary to use additional space to achieve the requirements of the RTA plan.
PLANNING PROCESSWhat decision-making authority will the citizens planning committee for Grant Road have? Will it be advisory or will it have "real" authority? The Grant Road Improvement Plan Task Force will act in an advisory capacity, with the final decision resting with the Mayor and Council.
Why are you studying the ¼ mile area both north and south of Grant Road? The Grant Road planning area includes ¼ mile on each side of the roadway. This is so the planning team can take into account the larger context for the roadway and address such things as pedestrian, bicycle and traffic calming improvements, drainage issues, etc.
What is the City doing along Grant Road? The redevelopment of Grant Road between Oracle and Swan is one of the voter-approved roadway improvements under the new Regional Transportation Authority. Basic requirements are the development of six travel lanes and other facilities that will enhance multi-modal travel opportunities and neighborhood connections along the five-mile route. The planning process began in late 2006 and will last through 2009. Construction of the improvements will occur between 2012 and 2019. The entire process will be guided by a citizen task force, and led by a local and national consulting team specializing in "context sensitive solutions" in roadway design.
What are "context sensitive solutions"? Context-sensitive solutions (CSS) are the art and science of developing places (including streets) in harmony with surrounding areas. CSS seeks to balance safety, mobility, community, and environmental goals in all projects. It involves the public as stakeholders early and continuously, uses an interdisciplinary team tailored to project needs, and addresses all modes of travel, including walking. It applies flexibility inherent in design standards and incorporates aesthetics as an integral part of good design.
Who will determine what the project will look like? Many voices will have input into the roadway design, following the Context Sensitive Solutions planning model. The City and national consultants will lead an 18-member citizen task force through a facilitated set of workshops and planning sessions. A technical advisory committee of public officials, each with a specific technical background, will provide input to the task force and consultants. The public will have multiple opportunities over 24 months to discuss the project from initial concept through final design stages. More information about public involvement can be found at www.grantroad.info.
ROADWAY DESIGNWhat will the new road look like? The new roadway will be designed as a community feature combining traffic movement for cars, transit, pedestrians, bikes, and other alternate modes. While six lanes are required under the RTA plan, other design features are open to discussion and planning. This being said, the City generally supports the development of a high quality multi-modal street that encourages walking, transit use, and biking. The streetscape plan will reflect the unique character and "sense of place" of Grant Road as defined by the citizen's task force working closely with the project design team. Examples and prototypes of various thoroughfare and streetscape development options will be on view at public meetings and at www.grantroad.info.
Won't a new road bring even more traffic and noise to Grant Road? Grant Road's current design lacks many of the features found in the most modern street design in Tucson, including state-of-the art noise and traffic control features. Through the Context Sensitive Solutions process, citizens and designers will work together to craft a new design for Grant Road that addresses the peace and privacy needs of residents and the mobility needs of the community as well as the exposure and access needs of businesses. The project team includes national experts in the design of roadways that combine the best features of street, streetscape, and land use to create high quality and harmonious patterns of development. The thoughtful reorganization of Grant Road using the latest proven techniques in traffic management and mitigation to minimize negative impacts of noise and traffic is a major goal of Context Sensitive Solutions and the Grant Road project.
Is it true that in order to achieve 6-lane functionality, Grant Road would need to be widened to 8 lanes? The RTA Plan calls for the widening of Grant Road to 6 vehicle lanes between Oracle and Swan Roads. Also, enhancements to the bicycle, pedestrian and transit functionality of the roadway are important elements of the planning process.
Will there be a grade-separated intersection at the corner of Grant and Campbell? The planning team will not be recommending any grade-separated intersections for Grant Road.
Will there be some sort of buffer added for residents along Grant? Possibly something like the walls added on the Campbell Widening by UMC? This is a question that will be addressed through the planning process. All of the alternatives for buffering in specific locations will be addressed through that process. It is possible that in some locations people will prefer having stores and shops as an active buffer as opposed to a sound wall. In other locations, a greenway or park-like setting might be preferred.
What will specifically be done about keeping excess traffic from clogging residential side streets during construction? The planning process will address traffic impacts on neighborhoods. This will include impacts occurring during and after construction.
How does the City plan to minimize urban flight over the next 20 years along RTA corridors? The City is concerned about this issue, and the planning team includes business assistance and land use planning expertise to work on it. One strategy is for the City to advance purchase properties and then rent them back to residents or businesses until such time they are to be used for corridor project purposes. In addition, a land use plan will be adopted as part of the roadway plan to encourage reinvestment and revitalization following construction.
Will the widening of Grant Road include a frontage road like Campbell? Design preferences such as these will be determined through the planning and alignment process. Cost, width of right-of-way, and public input will be factors in this type of decision.
ALIGNMENTWho decides which end of Grant to start on, or which side of the street to take? Recommendations on alignment and phasing will be made by the citizen task force based on input from the public and technical analysis, with final decision making authority resting with the Mayor and Council.
Which side of the street will be widened? All options for a six-lane thoroughfare will be evaluated. The final selected alignment will be based on a combination of factors that will take into account engineering requirements, real estate values, neighborhood and business preservation and enhancement, infrastructure and quality of life issues. The final alignment will be adopted by the Mayor and City Council in late 2008 or early 2009.
Looks like the concentration of second hand stores along Grant and Country Club will get hit. This will not be known with certainty until the Mayor and Council select an alignment.
What factors do you consider when establishing alignment? The following are considered: public input, acquisition costs, landmarks and public places, historic properties, drainage issues, engineering issues/feasibility, land use and revitalization opportunities, and other factors identified through the public process.
How long will the alignment process take? The alignment process is scheduled to take one full year, however, this may be increased depending upon the complexity of issues discovered through the process. Currently, an alignment recommendation is expected in the winter of 2008-2009.
When will alignment of Grant Road be decided and how much land will be affected from the existing curb line? The alignment study is underway and is expected to be completed in late 2008 or early 2009. The amount of the land required for the new roadway will vary depending upon a number of factors including bicycle, pedestrian, and landscaping amenities, median design and noise mitigation.
Does the City have to take buildings? The typical six-lane thoroughfare requires a cross-section of 120 feet, and 150 feet at intersections. Grant Road is currently contained in a cross-section of 80-90 feet. Therefore, it is inevitable that some buildings will need to be removed to accommodate the wider cross-section.
When will you be able to tell homeowners, business owners and neighborhoods precisely which structures and properties will be taken? This will be known after the Mayor and Council select the alignment in late 2008 or early 2009.
ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATIONIs it possible to design a better pedestrian space in the median that can accommodate a pedestrian and stroller? How will traffic mitigation along Grant Road ensure pedestrian and bicycle safety? Pedestrian, bicycle and transit safety and access are issues being addressed in the planning process. It is the goal of the Grant Road Improvement Plan process to provide fair and equitable treatment for all modes of transportation.
How do you connect neighborhoods across Grant Road? The Grant Road Improvement Plan includes conversations with neighborhoods and review of all existing and in progress neighborhood plans. All of this will be factored into the design of the roadway.
What will the project mean for bus service on Grant Road? Transit service is an integral part of effective multi-modal transportation. The redevelopment of Grant Road provides a good opportunity to upgrade bus transit facilities and prepare for future transit service enhancements.
What provision is there in RTA funding for more bus shelters? Bus shelters are provided through a contract that the City has with a private firm. Once shelter pads are established, the shelters are installed. Such shelter pads are a standard feature of a roadway project. Also, the RTA has funds set aside for bus pullouts, which will include shelter pads.
Is it practical to use smaller buses for less-traveled routes or off-hours? Smaller buses do not result in cost savings for the City. Smaller buses do not get significantly better gas mileage, and the costs for drivers and maintenance are generally the same. Smaller buses are appropriate in areas where larger vehicles cannot navigate.
Do bus pullouts require the acquisition of 8 lanes worth of right-of-way? Not necessarily. Where pullouts are installed along a roadway, the road is widened to accommodate them. In some cases, this could lead to a roadway in the vicinity of a pullout to be wider than in other cases.
If sales tax revenues fall short of the cost of both roads and alternative modes, will buses, bicycle amenities and landscaping be fully funded? All amenities recommended by the task force and adopted by the Mayor and Council will be included in the plan. Sales tax revenue shortfalls will be addressed by accessing other funding sources and by implementing the improvements over time as funding becomes available, not by cutting project features.
LAND USE PLANNINGWhat about land use? Density increases and infill? Where is that plan? How can we encourage transit-oriented development on the RTA roadway corridors? Mixed use (commercial and residential), higher densities, pedestrian orientation, thriving business areas, increased livability in an urban environment?
If a neighborhood association has a neighborhood plan, how much will this influence the planning and implementation of Grant Road widening? All neighborhood plans and area plans along Grant Road will be carefully considered in the planning process. The plans will be used to inform decisions made about future land use, design treatments, landscaping and other factors. However, it must be recognized that the Grant Road plan may be in conflict with underlying neighborhood plans, and if that is the case, the recommendations of the Grant Road plan will prevail.
What does it cost, on average, to conduct environmental clean up on former gas station sites? How many of these sites exist on Grant Road? What other types of businesses will require environmental clean up? This is an issue that will be explored, inventoried and addressed through the planning process.
REAL ESTATEWill appraisals be based on properties in the neighborhood not on Grant Road? Will it be taken into account if property values are diminished because people don't want to buy properties close to an RTA project because of construction? Appraisals are made based upon comparable sales in the general area of a specific property, which would include properties not directly on Grant Road.
If the road will require substantially less than half of the parcel, will partial acquisition occur, or must the entire parcel be taken? This will depend upon the preferences of the owner of the property and recommendations by the appraiser. The City cannot legally use its condemnation authority for more than it needs for public purposes, however, if the owner of the property agrees to full acquisition, the property may provide an opportunity to achieve goals established in the land use planning process.
When will you be acquiring properties on Grant Road? Would homeowners or businesses within the selected alignment need to move immediately after acquisition? Advance acquisition will begin soon after the selection of a roadway alignment, with the availability of funds. It may be possible for the City to acquire the property and then rent it back to previous homeowners or businesses until the time it is needed to begin construction.
Will the City start acquiring properties along Grant Road as soon as a roadway alignment is selected? After an alignment is selected (approximately late 2008 or early 2009) the City will begin acquisition discussions with affected property owners along the roadway. Property acquisitions will begin as RTA funding becomes available.
If the City needs to acquire my home, will I receive fair market value? Yes. It is the City's responsibility to pay fair market value for any private property it acquires. The City follows federal acquisition and relocation guidelines to determine value and compensate property owners. A full independent and impartial appraisal is done that includes an assessment of comparable sales in the area, inspection of the property, and many other factors. The appraiser makes a recommendation on a full or partial acquisition of the property in addition to determining value. A copy of the appraisal report will be submitted to the property owner with the offer.
Will I be given enough time to move? Are there relocation benefits? Discussions with property owners will begin soon after an alignment is determined. Property owners must be given at least 90 days written notice to leave the property from the time an offer on the property is made by the City, however, property owners are typically in discussion with the City many months before an offer is made. In addition to paying the fair market value for the property, the City offers relocation benefits to qualifying properties that include such things as moving expenses and assistance with locating a suitable replacement property.
What if someone wants to develop property along Grant Road right now? Currently, property owners have the right to develop their property fully within existing development regulations based on the current Major Streets and Routes setbacks for Grant Road, which are 60-75 feet from the centerline of the road. Once the new roadway alignment is adopted by the Mayor and Council (approximately late 2008 or early 2009), property owners will know the exact location of the new roadway and new development will need to conform to the setbacks established by the new roadway alignment.
My tenant, who pays me rent, decides that he cannot tolerate the uncertainty associated with the widening of Grant Road and moves. Will I be compensated for this loss of income? No. However, advance acquisition may be considered.
How is the Grant Road project affected by Proposition 207? Proposition 207, approved by Arizona voters in 2006, defines certain limits upon the City's authority to exercise the power of eminent domain. Proposition 207 limits the use of eminent domain to situations where property taken is put to a public use. Transportation improvement projects are considered a public use, and therefore the City continues to have the authority to exercise eminent domain under Proposition 207.
Back to Top CONSTRUCTIONWhen will the construction begin? Construction is scheduled to begin in 2013. Various segments of the roadway will be under construction at different times through 2018. Construction will be staged to minimize disruption on specific segments of the improvement route through the construction period.
What will the city do to help my business survive the construction project? The plan will include a business assistance component that will be reviewed and refined with input from the Task Force and local businesses. The assistance plan will be refined and ready to implement by the end of this planning process and years before actual construction is to begin. It is the intent of the project to minimize disruption to vital businesses along Grant Road and to provide, at the end of the construction process, a high quality environment for local businesses to flourish into the future along with a redeveloped and revitalized Grant Road.
How long will the street be under construction? Construction is anticipated to take up to five years, but will be staged in shorter segments along the five-mile route.
Will I still have access to my home or business? Property acquisition will be required for roadway improvements and some areas will be designated for redevelopment and revitalization. Access to homes and businesses will be maintained through the construction process. Access and mitigation plans will be developed and reviewed with impacted property owners long before construction begins. Specific points of contact such as a construction hotline will be established to provide project information and resolve any issues related to the construction.
How will the city control dust and noise? City Code and construction contracts require the abatement of noise, dust, and other nuisances during construction. Plans will clearly outline abatement measures required by the city and these plans will be shared with property owners and residents prior to construction.
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