Proposed water-harvesting chicane and angled back-in parking on University Blvd between 9th Avenue and Ash Avenue
Note the proposed angled back-in parking white painted striping, and the water-harvesting traffic-calming chicane (in red) on the NW corner of University Blvd and Ash Ave.
Note (in green) proposed painted chicanes on the SE corner of 9th Ave and University Blvd. Water-harvesting or planted chicanes are not allowed in this area due to underground water lines and a fire hydrant, so we are checking with the city to see if we can do painted chicanes with flexible plastic bollards in these locations instead.
Our two bicycle boulevards intersect at 9th Ave and University Blvd.
After getting more than the required number of signed petitions by neighbors within a one-block radius of the site, and getting a letter of support from our neighborhood association, we got the approval from the City of Tucson in December 2025 to move forward with this project.
The stormwater-harvesting chicane will protect on-street parking, narrow the excessively wide street (along with the vehicles parked in the angled back-in parking), grow much needed shade for public walkway and street with low-water-use native trees and understory plants, and help control flooding.
Angled back-in parking has been found to be much safer for bicyclists (drivers of cars can better see the cyclists when pulling in and out of such parking) and car passengers (especially children – open doors direct kids and other passengers to the walkway, rather than the street).
I got a grant funded by Inflation Reduction Grant funds through the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management that helped pay for the generation of these Auto CAD plans for the water-harvesting traffic-calming chicanes. Staff at Tucson Clean and Beautiful is helping with the generation of these plans.
Next steps:
• Finalize plans
• Seek funding (I have a lead on some potentials)
• Apply for permit
• Construct project
• Neighbors plant and steward the low-water-use native plantings within the chicane with the assistance of the DunbarSpringNeighborhoodForesters
Proposed painted chicanes on the SE corner of 9th Ave and University Blvd
See the image above for the proposed painted chicanes’ locations.
The chicanes will be painted white, then painted in color by a local artist.
Will include ground-level reflectors, and likely include flexible vertical bollards to delineate the chicanes. You can see examples at the intersections of University Blvd and 6th Ave, and 5th Ave and 7th Street.
We cannot do water-harvesting traffic-calming chicanes in these locations due to a fire hydrant and underground water lines. So painting is our only option.
We got approval from the City to move forward with this project, after we got 90% of neighbors living, working, or owning along the street to sign their approval on city-generated petitions, and we got a letter of support from our neighborhood association.
Next steps:
• Finalize plans
• Seek funding (I have a lead on some potentials)
• Apply for permit
• Construct project
Water-harvesting traffic-calming chicanes and angled back-in parking on 4th Street between 9th Avenue and Perry Avenue
Proposed water-harvesting traffic-calming chicanes in red, which will be planted with low-water-use native trees and understory vegetation.
Proposed angled back-in parking parking striping in white.
We got approval from the City to move forward with this project in December 2025, after we got 89% of neighbors living or working along the street to sign their approval on city-generated petitions, and we got a letter of support from our neighborhood association.
Next steps:
• Finalize plans
• Seek funding (I have a lead on some potentials)
• Apply for permit
• Construct project
• Plant and steward the low-water-use native plantings within the chicanes (a number of neighborhood volunteers have already stepped up to do this with the assistance of the DunbarSpringNeighborhoodForesters
We are hoping to be able to complete the project before 4th Street is repaved with 411 funds from the City. If we do so, the city will repaint the parking lines at their expense.
Note: the City was NOT receptive to a traffic-calming speed hump on this block WITHOUT the water-harvesting chicanes due to stormwater flow concerns, but they told me they likely would be receptive WITH the installation of the water-harvesting traffic-calming chicanes, as the chicanes would help with the stormwater management and flow.
The location of a potential speed hump (if approved by all) would be between the two westernmost chicanes on the left hand side of the image above.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns by emailing me a NeighborhoodForesters@gmail.com.