Final Report - Pima Association of Governments

Highway Capacity Transit System Plan - Final Report June 2009
Development of Updated HCT System Plan
Avenue in the PAG model and for which operational forecasts are available is Highland Avenue,
which is forecasted to operate at LOS C.)
The easternmost part of the route is forecasted to operate at LOS C or better, which is good
enough that, east of Camino Seco, HCT should be able to operate in mixed traffic with minimal
adverse impact on general‐purpose traffic and with minimal delay due to general‐purpose traffic.
Widening of the bridge over the Pantano Wash is not proposed as it is not likely to be a congested
section of Broadway Boulevard.
Similar to BRT, extension of the streetcar line should not have a significant impact on LOS since
dedicated transit lanes will be available on Broadway Boulevard between downtown and
Country Club Road. Implementation of transit priority signal timing could impact overall traffic
delay. The primary impact will be on 6th Street and on Broadway Boulevard between Country
Club Road and El Con Mall where the streetcar will need to run in general‐purpose travel lanes.
Dedication of a general‐purpose travel lane for transit use is highly unlikely on these roadway
sections and there is insufficient right‐of‐way to add lanes. The proposed route for the streetcar
from downtown to the U of A could utilize 7th Street to eliminate traffic impacts on 6th Street.
6th Avenue/Nogales Highway
The forecasted LOS on 6th Avenue/Nogales Highway is good enough that HCT (BRT or streetcar)
should be able to operate in mixed traffic with minimal adverse impact on general‐purpose traffic
and with minimal delay due to general‐purpose traffic. Implementation of transit priority signal
timing would benefit BRT and streetcar operation.
Heavy traffic demand and projected congestion on Valencia Road will impact BRT travel times,
and conversely, BRT operation will likely impact overall traffic conditions. Neither generalpurpose
lane conversion nor transit preferential treatments appear to be feasible on the Valencia
Road portion of the route. Future evaluation of this route should consider using Bilby Road or
another east‐west route as an alternative to Valencia Road. Use of Campbell Avenue South/Kino
Parkway instead of 6th Avenue/Nogales Highway could be reconsidered if detailed operational
analysis indicates a need, although conversations with City of Tucson staff affirm that 6th
Avenue/Nogales Highway is preferred considering the high transit ridership. Right‐of‐way may
need to be acquired to construct dedicated HCT lanes otherwise.
Campbell Avenue North
The forecasted LOS on Campbell Avenue between Limberlost Road and Grant Road suggests that
streetcar will be delayed by general‐purpose traffic, may have an adverse impact on generalpurpose
traffic, and may not benefit from transit preferential treatments. With the exception of
widening Campbell Avenue to provide a dedicated street‐car right‐of‐way, implementation of
streetcar on this route will be difficult. Using Roger Road or Prince Road instead of Limberlost
Road as a means of avoiding the segments of Campbell Avenue that are more likely to operate at
capacity (i.e., those segments north of Prince Road) can also be considered.
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