Cycling west of the Tucson Mountains, a favorite route, is getting even more crazy than usual. And it’s going to get worse. Cyclists are urged to think about alternative rides for the next two years.
ADOT’s two-plus years Ina Road/I-10 project is shifting vehicle traffic without fully estimating the effects. The Regional Transit Authority counts 4,000 cars going each way daily on Picture Rocks Road – always a dangerous route for cyclists. As the major link to Interstate 10 and Tucson the two-lane road is crowded at rush hour and too many drivers try to pass in no-passing zones. Speeding tickets are on the increase on Silverbell and I-10 where normal speeds are reduced.
The Ina Road closure is now shifting traffic to Silverbell Road in an effort to divert drivers to the new Sunset I-10 on-ramp. Silverbell south of Ina quickly becomes a two-lane road. Many drivers are now taking Cortaro to I-10, and without a left turn lane or light at Ina and Cortaro, there are already jam-ups. Cortaro east of the highway is now having road work of its own in the two-lane portion that is slowing things down and adding to road rage.
That all means that many more drivers are using Sandario-Kinney-Gates Pass – a favorite scenic ride for area cyclists — as their route into town. These two-lane roads are already thick with snowbirds and tourists, and so traffic is slow – and when people are trying to get to work or appointments and running late, well, you get the picture. People are not slowing for cyclists, are passing other cars in no-passing zones, etc. It’s going to be a much more dangerous cycling route for the next couple of years. Drivers are also urged to use increased caution, observe speed limits, and allow more time for trips.
People who live and drive west of Tucson are urging cyclists to consider other rides for this period. Increased stress is counter-productive to the inner peace that cycling can bring, but that is what the traditional routes west of the mountains are now producing. Please share this with your cycling friends.