Dozens Denied Chance to Comment in Packed City Council Meeting

On July 8 the Tucson City Council voted unanimously to approve "Downtown Links", a new roadway connecting Aviation Parkway (and Davis Montham Air Force Base) to I-10. Neighborhood groups, downtown residents, artists and representatives of local businesses packed the meeting, and though a few claimed that the roadway would bring private investment downtown, dozens were prevented from speaking against the roadway when comment was cut off after only 30 minutes.

As a result of the roadway the Dunbar/Springs neighborhood will be almost completely isolated from the downtown area. Dunbar/Springs has been among the most ecologically forward-thinking neighborhoods in the city, setting the model for Tucsonʻs sustainable city initiative. The neighborhood will be rewarded for its efforts with a highway built through the middle of it. Click here to read a letter from the Dunbar Springs Neighborhood Association opposing the new roadway.

The current Downtown Links alignment was railroaded through after only six weeks of exploring alternatives. The Community Advisory Committee had previously pledged in May to spend three months investigating the full cost of the roadway and alternative routes by which it could be constructed. As of yet it is still unclear whether funding will be available for the amenities promised to neighborhoods in exchange for the road. Downtown Links is not scheduled to be completed until 2021, although construction could begin within three years. Many neighborhood groups have vowed to continue fighting against what they call an ill-conceived project.

For more information visit www.rethinkthelink.com