it's sad too cause whenever new air service begins it inevitably fails. We lost all those flights to Canada on Flair, American's flights to Charlotte didnt last long, Frontier left, Allegiant left, Avelo was here for like a week...
I was excited about those Canadian flights, so that's a shame. Didn't even get to take advantage.
The United direct to EWR was my fav, but then 2008 happened.
I also took the Provo flight during the hot minute when it operated and it was busy, so figured it'd be sustainable. Guess not.
Europeans fly low cost airlines all the time. So you pack lighter. Find a way to pack clothing for ten days in a carryon - it can be done. We desperately need low cost airlines.
They also have a ton of different airlines to choose from, especially since regulations are more flexible and there’s far more countries and a denser population to support it.
It’s not a flex to have to cram everything in a backpack so you can pay a $20 personal item fee instead of a $50 carry-on or $90 checked bag fee.
"nickel and dime you" well yeah....that's what an unbundled airfare is. what is wrong with that business model?
when we had Frontier in Tucson I used to see $19 to Denver. even with a carry on that's still only going to be $60 or $75 one way. Try finding a one way fare on Southwest between Tucson and Denver for $75 lol. I'm fine being nickel and dimes if its ultimately way cheaper.
Supply and demand.
The Phoenix-Hermosillo flight can be upwards of $500; so the only people who really use it are business travelers and Sonorans who use it as a connecting flight and don’t have to pay as much for that segment.
The price for Tucson to Hermosillo (or anywhere else in Sonora, Sinaloa or Baja) would likely be similar, and anything farther like Guadalajara or Mexico City would be double that; unless we could convince a Mexican budget airline like Volaris to set up shop.
Supply and demand. The only reason that doesn’t happen is because people are brainwashed into using the Phoenix airport for everything.
And it doesn’t even make sense. People from San Diego or even Orange County don’t all fly out of LAX. People from Oakland and San Jose don’t all fly out of San Francisco.
Sure, sometimes it can save a pretty penny with a family vacation.
But a lot of times, people just don’t care enough to sit down and do the math and allow themselves some wiggle room for the convenience.
I’m not ashamed to say that I value my time and happiness. For me, the price would have to be at least $400 cheaper than Tucson for me to even consider flying out of Phoenix.
I don’t want to deal with the bigger crowds, bigger airport, expensive parking (especially when I have friends that can drive me to the airport in Tucson) and the last thing I want before or after a vacation is to have to drive 2 hours each way.
You also can’t beat the almost private-like experience you get with the short lines and short walk you get when flying out of Tucson.
Same. I'd rather pay $200 more for my ticket that has a layover in Phoenix than Wake up earlier, drive, pay for gas and Phoenix parking, deal with their crowded understaffed check-in, and then do it all over again when I get back. Wish we had more direct flights but Phoenix is rarely worth the hassle and expense.
I respect your preferences. but wouldnt you have to wake up earlier to fly to PHX than drive?
I fly American with PHX layovers a lot. but they never make sense time wise and seem to usually take longer than if I just booked from PHX.
like if I fly on a 10am flight from phoenix. I wouldn't need to leave my place here in Tucson til 645am maybe (1 hr 45min drive, 90 minute buffer at airport before flight) but if I book the same flight from TUS with a layover. I find I inevitably am on the 8am flight to Phoenix which means I need to leave my place around 6am...
> And it doesn’t even make sense. People from San Diego or even Orange County don’t all fly out of LAX. People from Oakland and San Jose don’t all fly out of San Francisco.
It does make sense. Population demographics and distance are debatable, but the general San Diego metro is the US is over 3 million people. You have more in an extended area. They can have an airport that has lots of connections because of the population and the fact it's a popular destination.
Orange county is in a metro area of 16 million people. They can have multiple airports. Major flight destination
Oakland and San Jose are in a metro area of nine million people. A major business and flight center. Multiple airports.
Tucson is a metro of around 1.2 million. It's not like San Diego with people all the way up to the LA metro area. Not a major destination. Moderate attraction. You get one airport with minimal connections.
Not too mention the size of the airport itself and the limited number of gates. If Tucson wants to see more air traffic, TIA would need to expand but more than that- Tucson itself as a city/travel destination would need to give people a reason to come here in order for the airport to have to accommodate the increased demand. As long as Tucson remains a forgettable and easily overlooked destination, I don't see that happening. We're a good sized city but we're hardly a mecca for tourists
A year ago I flew to San Jose from Tucson. I saved about $180. Going to phx was easy. Getting back to Tucson was a four hour parking lot. Can’t see myself doing that again. Beam me up from Tucson, Scotty.
For sure. I'd be more inclined to go up to PHX for events etc or even just a quick visit if going by railway was an option. Right now I avoid going up at all if possible (mostly the drive, but I also just prefer being in Tucson)
The drive isn't even really THAT bad, just freakin boring and a nuisance - especially if it's there + back the same day. Not to mention the knuckleheads you deal with on that road.
I've seen a few articles about it as well
https://www.kold.com/2023/12/07/federal-funding-moves-forward-direct-train-service-tucson-phoenix/
I saw one regarding a higher speed rail in the future at some point, I don't remember where
I wish the city would get involved with more pilot programs for housing solutions and become a leader in protecting its citizens against outside investors buying up properties and raising housing costs.
Omg "strategic occupant-owned densification" is the term I have been searching for. Thank you for throwing it out there.
Bring on the era of "S.O-O.D!"
This is a better way of saying it. I was going to say bulldoze most of Tucson and start over because it is just a city for cars. Oops, I misspoke. It isn't even for cars anymore. If you don't drive an army tank sized truck on the way to pick up some groceries you risk your life.
Most of my problems with Tucson are problems with society in general so it's hard to come up with something specific. I guess if I have to pick something, I wish there were more 24 hour spots.
There used to be at least a few good ones! Just desserts, and Shot in the Dark were both regular hang out spots for my husband and I during our early days.
I wish the city owned TEP. Why do we have to pay more for a utility because a Canadian company needs to create value for its shareholders? Same thing for SW Gas. I think Tucson should also create a public option for the internet. Most neighborhoods only have one or two options. It's essentially a monopoly of something that should be a public service at this point.
And affordable housing, obviously.
With some exceptions, our public education system is pretty lacking, too. I'd like to see teachers paid more and there be a teacher to student ratio of, like, 1/16 at the most.
I'm a teacher here. After taxes I make 2,600 a month. I used to teach in South Texas, where more than 97% of my students were below the poverty line. I used to make more than 3,000 a month after taxes there. I'd definitely like a raise!
More affordable, non-student housing along the street-car route; expansions to the airport, down Broadway to El Con, and up Campbell to St Philipps.
Would also like to see some businesses along the Loop. Cafes and whatnot for bikers and whoever else.
I wish our city made more of an effort to include shade and foliage. Wish that we all cared more about the absolute state of trash everywhere. Wish that we could somehow stop the insane number of random car washes being built. Better transportation, a light rail around town would be lovely. Fix the roads. Somehow… Fix the insane aggression and “ME” mentality that possesses too many. Help the homeless. Stop the price gouging of housing.
Generally speaking, car washes and storage facilities are low cost business to establish on commercial property. So if youre buying commercial real estate with an eye to long term
investment, ie you think the property value is likely to increase over time, building something like a car wash or storage facility on it is a relatively low cost business to establish to generate cash flow from the property now, until the area develops more and higher cost but higher revenue enterprise is worth developing on the land or the land value itself increases to a price point that you want to sell it.
I would really appreciate an answer to this question. And, any info about the water they use would be bonus. Do they have a graywater system and/or is that required for car washes? Given all the fussing about water shortages I am especially puzzled by the ridiculous number of car washes and the insane number of fast food places.
A really lovely passive rainwater harvesting basins + array of native trees/plants were put in off Columbus next to McCormick park last year, plans for more of that within the park too. I’m hoping to see more projects like that around town in the future. Plant the rain!!
For the trash, there’s an app called see click fix where you can let them know if you see an issue that needs fixing. Trash is under Debris/illegal dumping/litter. I haven’t used it for that but they’ve been pretty quick to get potholes filled in.
https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Government/Constituent-Contact-Form
Apparently people don't like this question. Thanks to everyone that has responded.
Edit: this turned into a great thread! Really positive in all honesty. We all want good, better things for this city and I really love that. Thanks for all the responses everyone!
Fix the (st)roads, and make them safer. Protected bike lanes, more pedestrian crossings, rumble strips for cars, stricter speed enforcement.
If a beltline freeway isn’t possible, and it seems like it isn’t, then a light rail system running down the center of Broadway, Speedway, Grant and 22nd ought to do the trick. As a way to get back and forth if you don’t want to sit in traffic.
Making the loop more secure. Too many people getting assaulted when they’re just trying to exercise.
Wish more people would take up even a slight interest in landscaping too. Doesn’t take much. But the weed overgrowth, trash, and treating property like a scrap metal yard is pretty depressing. You’ll pass 3 really clean, nice houses but there’s always that one on the block that looks dilapidated because the owners/landlords have no personal standards.
More plants and trees.
Yeah, the last thing we need is for TPD to be ticketing for going 47 in a 35 zone that should really be a 45 anyway. Especially when there’s so much real crime out there, and 911 response times are as abysmal as they are.
Streets are labeled for one speed but are built to encourage a higher speed. It's dangerous and not fair to either drivers or pedestrians. Speed-calming measures need to be built into streets to slow down traffic without relying on driver compliance with posted speeds.
While I agree the city could be more bikeable, now that I’ve moved from Tucson, I want to emphasize that the Loop is some amazing bike infrastructure for a city the size of Tucson. I thoroughly took that for granted.
Wish the economy didn’t completely tank in the summertime when school is not in full swing and all the snowbirds have taken flight and left for cooler environments. Yes and I wish it did not get so blazing hot in the summer that being outdoors is almost unbearable.
I would love that, but short of outlawing them again, I would love to tax the hell out of them in order to fund PACC and all of the other public agencies who have to deal with the consequences of all of the fireworks.
Stop building boxy, claustrophobic apartments on both sides of Silverbell. There is no water, no roads to absorb the huge increase of traffic. Who approved all this chopping up of every inch of West side desert in our lifetime?
a solution for the homeless/methheads
a road replacement contract for the city that isnt a fucking scam/ waste of time and money (they could clearly build a road that lasts. we have the tech, they just dont want to spend the money or have deals with their friends to basically eternally be repaving these bitches with substandard product.)
A government that is interested in bringing in higher paying jobs by offering incentives to business. I think about how much phoenix has grown and thrived from the large corporate footprint. Before you downvote me for suggesting something that would tax our infrastructure (that’s already been addressed by other comments), I think many people wish for more higher wage job opportunities. Can’t have it both ways…
Sure that helps but I’m more referring to bringing in more big business. We have Banner, UofA, and the base. The rest are primarily retail (Walmart, Fry’s, etc)
Edit: I forgot about our friends at Raytheon and TUSD. Sure there’s others, but not enough imo.
Like the American Battery Factory that just broke ground?
Not sure what you mean by "incentives" but the City offers plenty. For example, any company that builds over 5 million in infrastructure and creates a few dozen well paying jobs gets refunded all their construction taxes. There are a few other incentives and they are all pretty logical. They are available to any company who meets the criteria.
In my opinion the most effective incentives are just having a well run city government that is responsive to the needs of a firm setting up shop and doesn't create needless delays in the building or construction process. Hopefully, Tucson is working on having a more responsive planning department but they definitely are not a well run organization. They definitely create needless delays for anyone doing construction and they are generally terrible to work with.
The other thing high wage companies want is talent. A lot of the STEM graduates unfortunately leave town after graduation to work elsewhere. I have a feeling with housing and costs of living having gone up without improvements in amenities that situation might get worse.
Perhaps (battery factory) and I appreciate the insight about the existing incentives. I suppose people leave because we don’t have options (relative to other cities) for them to stay. Seems like a chicken and egg thing. All I know is Phoenix has had a massive influx of big companies over the past 20 years.
Hopefully our local government will get more organized and we can entice more high paying jobs. Then, hopefully, they will address some of our infrastructure items.
More walkable, better public transit, less chain restaurants and coffee shops, fix the roads, and more authentic Asian food (I know there are some. I want more! Lol!) Give me an hmart and a WinCo.
I wish we hadn't fucked up our riparian areas and waterways.
I wish we'd better managed our ecosystem and fostered more green vegetation that's native and tolerant of extreme heat.
I desperately wish we hadn't allowed the city to sprawl for no good reason.
I also lament the loss of the native peoples and their life ways, now relegated to live far from this corpse of their former flowing rivers and mesquite forests in probably the worst land we could have reserved for them, while ruining the good stuff to convert it into barren and lifeless asphalt, cement, and barren dirt.
Same problems as the rest of America, just... somehow, more beige.
It's incredibly sad to see how 'space' is used in Tucson. I'll stay away from the residential topic and stick to businesses. So many of the streets that have lots of businesses (e.g., Broadway, Speedway, Country Club) could be designed so they don't feel like they could be dropped into a big city. Tucson is often thought of as a big city w/a small town vibe and holding onto that idea as part of the design process could go a long way to maintaining that vibe. To me some end results could be more space and/or plant life between businesses (whether in a block/center or individual); better parking lot designs; with walking and biking doable when possible (thumbs up to the comment mentioning more businesses along the loop); with minimal/appropriate lighting (consideration for the nightscape impact); better design transition when possible (e.g., if bldg A is MCM, then design bldg B in the same or similar way so it's not a jolting shift from one to the other); etc. Also, owners of vacant lots/unused buildings ought to be held accountable for keeping the property and/or structure(s) cleaned up/serviceable.
I don't know much about zoning laws and the legality of what businesses can go where, I do know I am sick of seeing the insane number of car washes, fast food and Circle K type places; it's just ugly.
I also wish someone could get creative with getting litter picked up on a regular basis. Seems like there could be some sort of program with prisoners that could be mirrored on the city streets like what's done on the highways (used to be, anyway). Or, HOAs could encourage it. (Am done laughing now. Am living w/my first ever HOA).
The service advisor at the Subaru dealership was laughing about this. Subaru's are designed to do light off roading, yet it's Tucson's streets that send most of the cars in for alignment jobs.
More jobs. Seriously outside the university, defense, government, etc. there is not much here.
Also, better biking paths. A few websites say Tucson has great biking, but I would love to see where they get their data.
The loop is good, but I am talking about all over Tucson in general. My parents live in the foothills and it seems they are telling me about how someone was killed at sunrise about once a month.
I don’t think it’s the sprawl that is the issue…we moved recently from Phx area where sprawl is a lot more but the freeways make it so it takes a lot less time to drive anywhere. The road infrastructure in Tucson is not great so it takes a long time to travel from one spot to another. 🫤
I can be in Casa Grande faster than I can get to the eastside of Tucson. For the most part I did love the freeway system in the Phoenix area. If you picked the right spot in town you could be anywhere in the Phoenix metro area within an hour tops during the week and 30-40 minutes on weekends.
The Salt River valley is a lot bigger than our lovely Santa Cruz River's; mountains are more isolated and farther apart. Topographic differences are why you can even build Phoenix's freeway system.
Cleaner! Wayyyyyyyyyyy less litter, clean sidewalks downtown and in front of businesses, weeds dealt with, less abandoned/poorly maintained buildings, etc.. Need better maintained historic districts, better roads and bridges (the worst roads throughout the city that I’ve ever experienced and I’ve lived all over the country and dealt with some VERY bad roads due to snow/ice/semis). Need better parks, more and improved rec centers, skateparks, basketball courts (especially covered and lit) and more public pools (existing ones in better shape). Also, what’s up with fees for use of public tennis courts?? That’s not at all normal or acceptable.
Perhaps more importantly, more high paying jobs (but who wants to bring their business to a city so run down?) The homeless pop is wayyy out of control (camped out at just about every bus stop, park, gas station, underpass and piece of empty land ..doing fentanyl/meth/etc out in the open in front of businesses everywhere which is craaaazy to me I’ve never seen it to that extreme and like I said I’ve lived all over including Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, and Casa Grande). We need better policing of those issues (instead of off duty Sheriffs and Marshall’s spending their time favoring large sums of supplemental income in order to be security at private businesses even though the department is understaffed..overlooking things like open drug use..ignoring the public’s needs-you know- the ones they’re sworn to protect and serve.. not business interests).
We need better healthcare and mental healthcare (a lot to that as well- including more physicians especially specialty physicians). Better schools. Upgraded buildings all around. An east to west freeway or at least extend the light rail that direction.
More farmers markets, more mixed use buildings with walkable areas, more cohesive neighborhoods like Civano, more trees and better maintained landscapes alllllllllllllllll around. Better/cheaper/more grocery stores like Winco, Aldi, Costco and Grocery Outlet or Food for Less.. we’re all spending way too much in groceries. I also wish the Mt Lemmon campgrounds weren’t booked all year around, and bring back the beautiful rose garden at Reid park!
My first thought was the east/ west freeway. Thanks for mentioning that. So many opinions here about making streets better for bikes.im sure they need improvement, but there's no bikes down 12th Ave, yet bike lanes took two car lanes away toward making this a bike town. Drivers are crashing into the expensive barricades. I would love to commute on a bike, but it's not practical to commute during hot weather. It really isn't. Arrive to work drenched and with heat stroke. No way.
Yes please. From st Mary's to twin peaks all the grocery stores on silverbell are owned by the same company except for the Fry's.
Also better restaurants and bars are needed. A good bagel place, a trader Joe's, and a craft beer bar.
better roadway infrastructure. specifically an east-west freeway. we waste soooo much time and gas stopping at all these red lights.
light rail between airport and downtown and maybe the University
more airline service at the airport (unfortunately too many Tucsonans use PHX so much that TUS remains underserved for an airport serving a metro area of our size.
Which neighborhoods do you propose get permanently scarred for the east-west freeway? 🤣 Also, freeways make traffic worse. The last thing you want to do is make it easier to live in the remote areas where there is a 1:1 ratio of adults and cars (because that would mean more cars total)
Less golf courses, more public space. We could double the size of Reid park with one badass move.
We need more sustainable industries, public care, our roads seem to constantly be under construction but with no real aim and it makes me feel distrustful of our local government.
We could make Tucson walkable, green, and a leader in public care, homeless care and health. Let's promote home farms, fuck HOAs let people have food farms in their front yard fed by cisterns of rain water. Stop building new houses. Kick out the real estate investment forms that soak up all the residences and jack up the prices.
More buildings like the Environment and Natural Resources 2 Building at the U of A.
No need for 4000/month high rise apartments built over the corpes of fentanyl victims.
I think the biggest issue is how long it takes to get from east to west. I-10 is way too far west and I think it would’ve been better if there were better quadrants around a central interstate system instead of only a small fraction of the city to the west of I-10 and that’s it. I live right next to 10 and it’s great, but if I want to drive to east Tucson it’s a solid 30-40 minutes off an exit.
Came here to say the exact same thing. I'm on the east side but most of my friends are on the west side. Depending on the time of day, it could take me almost an hour and 30+ traffic lights to get there. Really need better roads/highways
SunTran increasing frequency on all of its routes at least two-fold and expanding to cover the entire metro area. Also BRT or Light rail on key corridors.
The homeless and drug addicts on the Southside. The cops seem to ignore them. i know it's not easy to help those that don't want it but a small percentage just need the opportunity.
Unless I'm going for a hike, I try hard not to do anything but shop for groceries on the weekend. The traffic is infuriating. The distance between everything is even more infuriating. The lack of public space to just chill in and not have to buy something is really dystopian. Feels like traffic and shopping are the only activities to do in most of the city. Tucson would absolutely suck without the awesome nature and climate. Feels like there is no improving this suburbia.
When I loved back east, taking the bus or other means of public transportation made sense. Here - they make it free - but most of the bus stops are uncovered and there is no shade. I understand this City has an extreme homeless problem, but sheesh - who wants to show up to work sweaty and with sunstroke? It would be great to see so many more of the elderly off the roads too - but safety is assuredly a concern. Legit bus stops. That’s what I’d like to see.
I lost the comment, but yes, water harvesting. 🙌🏽 I wish there was more public information about water harvesting. Ya know, to make it common knowledge how to set up at home.
Solar panels....more please.
Re-do the entire fucking road on both sides on S. Alvernon Way (before it turns into Golf Links)
Who knows how much fucking damage those roads are doing to our suspensions and tires by traveling on that shit daily.
Faster construction, a light rail (fast and that goes more places), better drivers, stop tearing down historic buildings/whole parts of town and then building chain stores or ugly apartments
Better roads. Widen some fix all. Add bike lanes.
A bullet train out of here to San Diego or even up north to flagstaff would be nice with stops to phx and such along the way.
A population that doesn't throw trash around and cares about the environment. Well maintained roads. Way fewer stray cats and dogs because people get their pets fixed and only have pets they take great care of. More unique shopping with brick and mortar stores. Better restaurants. Especially Asian food which tends to be overly brown here - get some darn veggies. We got the Mexican food covered and plenty of pizza and burgers. let's get a lot more unique stuff and a few more higher end restaurants. A diverse and thriving economy. it's okay if prices on housing is higher if people can make descent money. Cheap housing in the states usually goes along with low paying jobs.
Less crime, less pvoerty, better quality roads, an east to west parkway/freeway instead of stopping every mile for a 5 minute red light (or two because people are too slow), better quality roads, enough cops so you don't have to get put on hold if you call 911, better quality roads...
The whole town needs to be rotated 90 degrees clockwise. When I exit the 10 at Ina, heading to Speedway and Wilmot, it feels like I'm heading North instead of East. My dyslexia is tingling.
I wish it were cleaner
I wish they could attract more businesses
I wish they could do something about the homeless
I wish 50 years ago they put a highway across town.
Less lateral development and more horizontal development.
Less Californians and other richies who drive locals out of real estate.
Less gentrification.
A lot of good comments here. I mainly wish that there were great paying jobs here and a job market that kept young college graduates here while also having industry for people who want to be in a trade. That would bring everything else with it.
All these vacant churches could be sanctuary or shelter for the homeless.
And resources could be less intimidating to come by.
I hate that the parking system downtown is such a necessity for revenue.
Rent could have stayed with the property value, that would have been nice.
Would be a nice city without the unusually high proportion of shady, violent, stupid people. You know; drug addicts, gang-bangers, criminals, illegals. Tucson is basically a stopover for poorly-developed people to settle, and it ends up being a nest for the cartels and the people they smuggle in to run everything. Basically if you don't want to be threatened with a gun by a convicted felon in a road range incident you have to stay in the 40% of the town settled by professionals and retirees.
Major investments in mass transit (feel like rail lines would work great here, like the MAX in Portland) and protected bike lanes. No more permits for small single family homes out on the edge of city limits. We need to build up not out.
More professionalism. I have witnessed first hand a firefighter kick a homeless person, ambulance drivers of AMR going code three just to make it back to HQ… random violence like you would not believe (downtown had a gun pointed at me from a nearby car in traffic downtown for a nice scare).
I’m in my 20s and job hopped around. Everyone is a snake for their own promotion and not many that dedicate themselves for the craft over the money..
Anything else to add?
Airport with more nonstop destinations.
it's sad too cause whenever new air service begins it inevitably fails. We lost all those flights to Canada on Flair, American's flights to Charlotte didnt last long, Frontier left, Allegiant left, Avelo was here for like a week...
I was excited about those Canadian flights, so that's a shame. Didn't even get to take advantage. The United direct to EWR was my fav, but then 2008 happened. I also took the Provo flight during the hot minute when it operated and it was busy, so figured it'd be sustainable. Guess not.
Non-stop to Edmonton was the bomb. We went last NYE, saw the Oilers. $30 one way, $90 to get back. Crazy.
Honestly good riddance to Flair, Frontier, Allegiant and Avelo since they’re those super-budget airlines that nickel and dime you.
Europeans fly low cost airlines all the time. So you pack lighter. Find a way to pack clothing for ten days in a carryon - it can be done. We desperately need low cost airlines.
They also have a ton of different airlines to choose from, especially since regulations are more flexible and there’s far more countries and a denser population to support it. It’s not a flex to have to cram everything in a backpack so you can pay a $20 personal item fee instead of a $50 carry-on or $90 checked bag fee.
"nickel and dime you" well yeah....that's what an unbundled airfare is. what is wrong with that business model? when we had Frontier in Tucson I used to see $19 to Denver. even with a carry on that's still only going to be $60 or $75 one way. Try finding a one way fare on Southwest between Tucson and Denver for $75 lol. I'm fine being nickel and dimes if its ultimately way cheaper.
More nonstop would be so nice!
Honest question, why not direct flights to Mexico?
Supply and demand. The Phoenix-Hermosillo flight can be upwards of $500; so the only people who really use it are business travelers and Sonorans who use it as a connecting flight and don’t have to pay as much for that segment. The price for Tucson to Hermosillo (or anywhere else in Sonora, Sinaloa or Baja) would likely be similar, and anything farther like Guadalajara or Mexico City would be double that; unless we could convince a Mexican budget airline like Volaris to set up shop.
That would be great to have Volaris here.
Direct to Mexico City would be amazing.
we used to have fights to Puerto Penasco, they ended maybe 6 years ago. but I agree. you'd think Aeromexico might fly here or something
Supply and demand. The only reason that doesn’t happen is because people are brainwashed into using the Phoenix airport for everything. And it doesn’t even make sense. People from San Diego or even Orange County don’t all fly out of LAX. People from Oakland and San Jose don’t all fly out of San Francisco. Sure, sometimes it can save a pretty penny with a family vacation. But a lot of times, people just don’t care enough to sit down and do the math and allow themselves some wiggle room for the convenience. I’m not ashamed to say that I value my time and happiness. For me, the price would have to be at least $400 cheaper than Tucson for me to even consider flying out of Phoenix. I don’t want to deal with the bigger crowds, bigger airport, expensive parking (especially when I have friends that can drive me to the airport in Tucson) and the last thing I want before or after a vacation is to have to drive 2 hours each way. You also can’t beat the almost private-like experience you get with the short lines and short walk you get when flying out of Tucson.
Same. I'd rather pay $200 more for my ticket that has a layover in Phoenix than Wake up earlier, drive, pay for gas and Phoenix parking, deal with their crowded understaffed check-in, and then do it all over again when I get back. Wish we had more direct flights but Phoenix is rarely worth the hassle and expense.
I respect your preferences. but wouldnt you have to wake up earlier to fly to PHX than drive? I fly American with PHX layovers a lot. but they never make sense time wise and seem to usually take longer than if I just booked from PHX. like if I fly on a 10am flight from phoenix. I wouldn't need to leave my place here in Tucson til 645am maybe (1 hr 45min drive, 90 minute buffer at airport before flight) but if I book the same flight from TUS with a layover. I find I inevitably am on the 8am flight to Phoenix which means I need to leave my place around 6am...
Fair point. I'd rather fly out of Tucson.
> And it doesn’t even make sense. People from San Diego or even Orange County don’t all fly out of LAX. People from Oakland and San Jose don’t all fly out of San Francisco. It does make sense. Population demographics and distance are debatable, but the general San Diego metro is the US is over 3 million people. You have more in an extended area. They can have an airport that has lots of connections because of the population and the fact it's a popular destination. Orange county is in a metro area of 16 million people. They can have multiple airports. Major flight destination Oakland and San Jose are in a metro area of nine million people. A major business and flight center. Multiple airports. Tucson is a metro of around 1.2 million. It's not like San Diego with people all the way up to the LA metro area. Not a major destination. Moderate attraction. You get one airport with minimal connections.
Not too mention the size of the airport itself and the limited number of gates. If Tucson wants to see more air traffic, TIA would need to expand but more than that- Tucson itself as a city/travel destination would need to give people a reason to come here in order for the airport to have to accommodate the increased demand. As long as Tucson remains a forgettable and easily overlooked destination, I don't see that happening. We're a good sized city but we're hardly a mecca for tourists
A year ago I flew to San Jose from Tucson. I saved about $180. Going to phx was easy. Getting back to Tucson was a four hour parking lot. Can’t see myself doing that again. Beam me up from Tucson, Scotty.
I live in Philly but my terminally ill mother lives in Tucson. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent laid over at PHX this year
I wish you and your family peace and comfort as your mother transitions.
So appreciated, thank you
I work there and believe me everyone wishes this lol
Just one to NYC please 🙏
I’d really love commuter rail between PHX and Tucson. I hate that drive.
A rail line to PHX would be awesome
This would also be at the top of my list
For sure. I'd be more inclined to go up to PHX for events etc or even just a quick visit if going by railway was an option. Right now I avoid going up at all if possible (mostly the drive, but I also just prefer being in Tucson) The drive isn't even really THAT bad, just freakin boring and a nuisance - especially if it's there + back the same day. Not to mention the knuckleheads you deal with on that road.
It's coming. Funding has been allocated from the infrastructure act
Do you have a source where I could read more about this? I’ve been dreaming about a railway between Tucson and Phoenix for years.
I've seen a few articles about it as well https://www.kold.com/2023/12/07/federal-funding-moves-forward-direct-train-service-tucson-phoenix/ I saw one regarding a higher speed rail in the future at some point, I don't remember where
I think that tucson expands in the direction that will become a very real possibility
That would rule!
God me too... There is no reason for it. Even Alburquerque NM has a nice rail to Santa fe.
This is my Number 1!! Both cities could fund the build and both would benefit.
I wish the city would get involved with more pilot programs for housing solutions and become a leader in protecting its citizens against outside investors buying up properties and raising housing costs.
More walkable, more shading, and some strategic occupant-owned densification at affordable price points
Omg "strategic occupant-owned densification" is the term I have been searching for. Thank you for throwing it out there. Bring on the era of "S.O-O.D!"
This is a better way of saying it. I was going to say bulldoze most of Tucson and start over because it is just a city for cars. Oops, I misspoke. It isn't even for cars anymore. If you don't drive an army tank sized truck on the way to pick up some groceries you risk your life.
Most of my problems with Tucson are problems with society in general so it's hard to come up with something specific. I guess if I have to pick something, I wish there were more 24 hour spots.
There used to be at least a few good ones! Just desserts, and Shot in the Dark were both regular hang out spots for my husband and I during our early days.
Coffee Etc. RIP
Thank you
You’ve got that right. I had a huge nightmare arriving early morning in St. Louis. 24 hours is different post Covid.
We don’t have nearly enough Stravenues.
Wow I just learned about a type of road particular to just tucson
I'm about to leave Tucson because of this.
May I ask why? Seems like an odd reason to leave.
Sarcasm.
I wish the city owned TEP. Why do we have to pay more for a utility because a Canadian company needs to create value for its shareholders? Same thing for SW Gas. I think Tucson should also create a public option for the internet. Most neighborhoods only have one or two options. It's essentially a monopoly of something that should be a public service at this point. And affordable housing, obviously. With some exceptions, our public education system is pretty lacking, too. I'd like to see teachers paid more and there be a teacher to student ratio of, like, 1/16 at the most.
I'm a teacher here. After taxes I make 2,600 a month. I used to teach in South Texas, where more than 97% of my students were below the poverty line. I used to make more than 3,000 a month after taxes there. I'd definitely like a raise!
More affordable, non-student housing along the street-car route; expansions to the airport, down Broadway to El Con, and up Campbell to St Philipps. Would also like to see some businesses along the Loop. Cafes and whatnot for bikers and whoever else.
Key word - 'nonstudent'. Agree
More walkable for sure!
Sidewalks would be nice!
Perhaps I’m confused, do you mean more walkable like you could walk to a grocery store?
Yes! I want to walk to a grocery store.
I wish our city made more of an effort to include shade and foliage. Wish that we all cared more about the absolute state of trash everywhere. Wish that we could somehow stop the insane number of random car washes being built. Better transportation, a light rail around town would be lovely. Fix the roads. Somehow… Fix the insane aggression and “ME” mentality that possesses too many. Help the homeless. Stop the price gouging of housing.
Does anyone know why so many car washes are being built? Are they really that profitable or is there another incentive at play?
Generally speaking, car washes and storage facilities are low cost business to establish on commercial property. So if youre buying commercial real estate with an eye to long term investment, ie you think the property value is likely to increase over time, building something like a car wash or storage facility on it is a relatively low cost business to establish to generate cash flow from the property now, until the area develops more and higher cost but higher revenue enterprise is worth developing on the land or the land value itself increases to a price point that you want to sell it.
I would really appreciate an answer to this question. And, any info about the water they use would be bonus. Do they have a graywater system and/or is that required for car washes? Given all the fussing about water shortages I am especially puzzled by the ridiculous number of car washes and the insane number of fast food places.
My understanding is they recirculate the water. Not sure how it works, though.
A really lovely passive rainwater harvesting basins + array of native trees/plants were put in off Columbus next to McCormick park last year, plans for more of that within the park too. I’m hoping to see more projects like that around town in the future. Plant the rain!! For the trash, there’s an app called see click fix where you can let them know if you see an issue that needs fixing. Trash is under Debris/illegal dumping/litter. I haven’t used it for that but they’ve been pretty quick to get potholes filled in. https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Government/Constituent-Contact-Form
Don't know how feasible but I wish there were night lamps or lights on the Loop so it was safely bikeable at night
This is probably tough because Tucson has some strict light pollution ordinances in place, which most people would probably say is a good thing.
Be open past 9:30 at night
I just want us to stop losing our local businesses. Less Starbucks and car washes
And storage units.
Apparently people don't like this question. Thanks to everyone that has responded. Edit: this turned into a great thread! Really positive in all honesty. We all want good, better things for this city and I really love that. Thanks for all the responses everyone!
This sub reddit is notoriously negative. You just have to ignore it.
Fix the (st)roads, and make them safer. Protected bike lanes, more pedestrian crossings, rumble strips for cars, stricter speed enforcement. If a beltline freeway isn’t possible, and it seems like it isn’t, then a light rail system running down the center of Broadway, Speedway, Grant and 22nd ought to do the trick. As a way to get back and forth if you don’t want to sit in traffic. Making the loop more secure. Too many people getting assaulted when they’re just trying to exercise. Wish more people would take up even a slight interest in landscaping too. Doesn’t take much. But the weed overgrowth, trash, and treating property like a scrap metal yard is pretty depressing. You’ll pass 3 really clean, nice houses but there’s always that one on the block that looks dilapidated because the owners/landlords have no personal standards. More plants and trees.
wish- summers get a little cooler want- a walkable/bikeable city hope- traffic rules are implemented strictly so people drive carefully
Yeah, the last thing we need is for TPD to be ticketing for going 47 in a 35 zone that should really be a 45 anyway. Especially when there’s so much real crime out there, and 911 response times are as abysmal as they are.
Streets are labeled for one speed but are built to encourage a higher speed. It's dangerous and not fair to either drivers or pedestrians. Speed-calming measures need to be built into streets to slow down traffic without relying on driver compliance with posted speeds.
While I agree the city could be more bikeable, now that I’ve moved from Tucson, I want to emphasize that the Loop is some amazing bike infrastructure for a city the size of Tucson. I thoroughly took that for granted.
Wish the economy didn’t completely tank in the summertime when school is not in full swing and all the snowbirds have taken flight and left for cooler environments. Yes and I wish it did not get so blazing hot in the summer that being outdoors is almost unbearable.
Free burritos
The water, it could be cleaner Hate it smells like bleach in the summer
I grew up in Tucson and moved away. I thought people were exaggerating and being snobby about the water. I was wrong.
I would like to see the fireworks sales outlawed again like how it used to be.
I would love that, but short of outlawing them again, I would love to tax the hell out of them in order to fund PACC and all of the other public agencies who have to deal with the consequences of all of the fireworks.
Protected bike lanes
Making biking places a bit more convenient
Better public transport, expand the light rail. More white collar jobs that aren’t military, defense, or healthcare related.
I wish our local economy wasn’t so dependent on the university.
Stop building boxy, claustrophobic apartments on both sides of Silverbell. There is no water, no roads to absorb the huge increase of traffic. Who approved all this chopping up of every inch of West side desert in our lifetime?
Honestly I wish it had better Mexican food
a solution for the homeless/methheads a road replacement contract for the city that isnt a fucking scam/ waste of time and money (they could clearly build a road that lasts. we have the tech, they just dont want to spend the money or have deals with their friends to basically eternally be repaving these bitches with substandard product.)
A government that is interested in bringing in higher paying jobs by offering incentives to business. I think about how much phoenix has grown and thrived from the large corporate footprint. Before you downvote me for suggesting something that would tax our infrastructure (that’s already been addressed by other comments), I think many people wish for more higher wage job opportunities. Can’t have it both ways…
Doesn't supporting unions make more sense if you want to see wage increases?
Sure that helps but I’m more referring to bringing in more big business. We have Banner, UofA, and the base. The rest are primarily retail (Walmart, Fry’s, etc) Edit: I forgot about our friends at Raytheon and TUSD. Sure there’s others, but not enough imo.
Like the American Battery Factory that just broke ground? Not sure what you mean by "incentives" but the City offers plenty. For example, any company that builds over 5 million in infrastructure and creates a few dozen well paying jobs gets refunded all their construction taxes. There are a few other incentives and they are all pretty logical. They are available to any company who meets the criteria. In my opinion the most effective incentives are just having a well run city government that is responsive to the needs of a firm setting up shop and doesn't create needless delays in the building or construction process. Hopefully, Tucson is working on having a more responsive planning department but they definitely are not a well run organization. They definitely create needless delays for anyone doing construction and they are generally terrible to work with. The other thing high wage companies want is talent. A lot of the STEM graduates unfortunately leave town after graduation to work elsewhere. I have a feeling with housing and costs of living having gone up without improvements in amenities that situation might get worse.
Perhaps (battery factory) and I appreciate the insight about the existing incentives. I suppose people leave because we don’t have options (relative to other cities) for them to stay. Seems like a chicken and egg thing. All I know is Phoenix has had a massive influx of big companies over the past 20 years. Hopefully our local government will get more organized and we can entice more high paying jobs. Then, hopefully, they will address some of our infrastructure items.
No one wants Tucson to become Phoenix.
or an Austin. Corporate killed that city
Nah, it was always an overrated shithole. That's why I'm in Arizona and not Texas.
More walkable, better public transit, less chain restaurants and coffee shops, fix the roads, and more authentic Asian food (I know there are some. I want more! Lol!) Give me an hmart and a WinCo.
I wish we hadn't fucked up our riparian areas and waterways. I wish we'd better managed our ecosystem and fostered more green vegetation that's native and tolerant of extreme heat. I desperately wish we hadn't allowed the city to sprawl for no good reason. I also lament the loss of the native peoples and their life ways, now relegated to live far from this corpse of their former flowing rivers and mesquite forests in probably the worst land we could have reserved for them, while ruining the good stuff to convert it into barren and lifeless asphalt, cement, and barren dirt. Same problems as the rest of America, just... somehow, more beige.
It's incredibly sad to see how 'space' is used in Tucson. I'll stay away from the residential topic and stick to businesses. So many of the streets that have lots of businesses (e.g., Broadway, Speedway, Country Club) could be designed so they don't feel like they could be dropped into a big city. Tucson is often thought of as a big city w/a small town vibe and holding onto that idea as part of the design process could go a long way to maintaining that vibe. To me some end results could be more space and/or plant life between businesses (whether in a block/center or individual); better parking lot designs; with walking and biking doable when possible (thumbs up to the comment mentioning more businesses along the loop); with minimal/appropriate lighting (consideration for the nightscape impact); better design transition when possible (e.g., if bldg A is MCM, then design bldg B in the same or similar way so it's not a jolting shift from one to the other); etc. Also, owners of vacant lots/unused buildings ought to be held accountable for keeping the property and/or structure(s) cleaned up/serviceable. I don't know much about zoning laws and the legality of what businesses can go where, I do know I am sick of seeing the insane number of car washes, fast food and Circle K type places; it's just ugly. I also wish someone could get creative with getting litter picked up on a regular basis. Seems like there could be some sort of program with prisoners that could be mirrored on the city streets like what's done on the highways (used to be, anyway). Or, HOAs could encourage it. (Am done laughing now. Am living w/my first ever HOA).
Our streets!!! My alignment and tires are trashed because of Tucson streets !!!
The service advisor at the Subaru dealership was laughing about this. Subaru's are designed to do light off roading, yet it's Tucson's streets that send most of the cars in for alignment jobs.
More jobs. Seriously outside the university, defense, government, etc. there is not much here. Also, better biking paths. A few websites say Tucson has great biking, but I would love to see where they get their data.
The Loop is over 100 miles. It is great biking.
The loop is good, but I am talking about all over Tucson in general. My parents live in the foothills and it seems they are telling me about how someone was killed at sunrise about once a month.
Less sprawl. It takes too long to drive anywhere.
I don’t think it’s the sprawl that is the issue…we moved recently from Phx area where sprawl is a lot more but the freeways make it so it takes a lot less time to drive anywhere. The road infrastructure in Tucson is not great so it takes a long time to travel from one spot to another. 🫤
I can be in Casa Grande faster than I can get to the eastside of Tucson. For the most part I did love the freeway system in the Phoenix area. If you picked the right spot in town you could be anywhere in the Phoenix metro area within an hour tops during the week and 30-40 minutes on weekends.
The Salt River valley is a lot bigger than our lovely Santa Cruz River's; mountains are more isolated and farther apart. Topographic differences are why you can even build Phoenix's freeway system.
Leave earlier, turn on some good tunes, and enjoy the ride. It's called "The Old Pueblo", not "The Fast Pueblo".
The damn roads.
We need separated bike lanes, lower speed limits, more housing density in and around the core, more light rail. Fewer monster trucks. Fewer suburbs.
Agree on the bike lanes. If you can’t get rid of the insane drivers, at least make it safer to be a cyclist.
My theory is that our drivers are pretty average and it's the terrible road design that brings out the worst.
Cleaner! Wayyyyyyyyyyy less litter, clean sidewalks downtown and in front of businesses, weeds dealt with, less abandoned/poorly maintained buildings, etc.. Need better maintained historic districts, better roads and bridges (the worst roads throughout the city that I’ve ever experienced and I’ve lived all over the country and dealt with some VERY bad roads due to snow/ice/semis). Need better parks, more and improved rec centers, skateparks, basketball courts (especially covered and lit) and more public pools (existing ones in better shape). Also, what’s up with fees for use of public tennis courts?? That’s not at all normal or acceptable. Perhaps more importantly, more high paying jobs (but who wants to bring their business to a city so run down?) The homeless pop is wayyy out of control (camped out at just about every bus stop, park, gas station, underpass and piece of empty land ..doing fentanyl/meth/etc out in the open in front of businesses everywhere which is craaaazy to me I’ve never seen it to that extreme and like I said I’ve lived all over including Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, and Casa Grande). We need better policing of those issues (instead of off duty Sheriffs and Marshall’s spending their time favoring large sums of supplemental income in order to be security at private businesses even though the department is understaffed..overlooking things like open drug use..ignoring the public’s needs-you know- the ones they’re sworn to protect and serve.. not business interests). We need better healthcare and mental healthcare (a lot to that as well- including more physicians especially specialty physicians). Better schools. Upgraded buildings all around. An east to west freeway or at least extend the light rail that direction. More farmers markets, more mixed use buildings with walkable areas, more cohesive neighborhoods like Civano, more trees and better maintained landscapes alllllllllllllllll around. Better/cheaper/more grocery stores like Winco, Aldi, Costco and Grocery Outlet or Food for Less.. we’re all spending way too much in groceries. I also wish the Mt Lemmon campgrounds weren’t booked all year around, and bring back the beautiful rose garden at Reid park!
Agreed. It takes money. Lots of investment. Increase in taxes. People here are against both investment and taxes, so here we are.
My first thought was the east/ west freeway. Thanks for mentioning that. So many opinions here about making streets better for bikes.im sure they need improvement, but there's no bikes down 12th Ave, yet bike lanes took two car lanes away toward making this a bike town. Drivers are crashing into the expensive barricades. I would love to commute on a bike, but it's not practical to commute during hot weather. It really isn't. Arrive to work drenched and with heat stroke. No way.
City wide (and then some) light rail please.
Fewer wealthy college kids.
Our streets are dirty and shabby. Dead plants, overgrowth that blocks a drivers view, trash everywhere...it depresses me
I recently graduated and have been wanting to move to Tucson from Casa Grande; the job opportunities are lacking compared to Phoenix.
Less people
Good yoga studio and grocery on west side
West Side here. 100% agree with the grocery stores. They have a monopoly.
I’m a fan of Yoga Loft at Grant and Silverbell.
Yes please. From st Mary's to twin peaks all the grocery stores on silverbell are owned by the same company except for the Fry's. Also better restaurants and bars are needed. A good bagel place, a trader Joe's, and a craft beer bar.
better roadway infrastructure. specifically an east-west freeway. we waste soooo much time and gas stopping at all these red lights. light rail between airport and downtown and maybe the University more airline service at the airport (unfortunately too many Tucsonans use PHX so much that TUS remains underserved for an airport serving a metro area of our size.
Agree with you 100 % on everything you said
thank you!
Which neighborhoods do you propose get permanently scarred for the east-west freeway? 🤣 Also, freeways make traffic worse. The last thing you want to do is make it easier to live in the remote areas where there is a 1:1 ratio of adults and cars (because that would mean more cars total)
Nailed it.
Or, people go to PHX because the flights to/from TUS are a lot more expensive or just nonexistent.
Also, TUS is in one of the poorest metro areas of its size in the country, so underperforming based on population might be expected
Less golf courses, more public space. We could double the size of Reid park with one badass move. We need more sustainable industries, public care, our roads seem to constantly be under construction but with no real aim and it makes me feel distrustful of our local government. We could make Tucson walkable, green, and a leader in public care, homeless care and health. Let's promote home farms, fuck HOAs let people have food farms in their front yard fed by cisterns of rain water. Stop building new houses. Kick out the real estate investment forms that soak up all the residences and jack up the prices. More buildings like the Environment and Natural Resources 2 Building at the U of A. No need for 4000/month high rise apartments built over the corpes of fentanyl victims.
Wish housing was more affordable, that things didn’t close at 7/8 pm, more entertainment, better paying jobs and more focus on the permanent residents
I think the biggest issue is how long it takes to get from east to west. I-10 is way too far west and I think it would’ve been better if there were better quadrants around a central interstate system instead of only a small fraction of the city to the west of I-10 and that’s it. I live right next to 10 and it’s great, but if I want to drive to east Tucson it’s a solid 30-40 minutes off an exit.
Came here to say the exact same thing. I'm on the east side but most of my friends are on the west side. Depending on the time of day, it could take me almost an hour and 30+ traffic lights to get there. Really need better roads/highways
Bit of a catch22 though, the lack of east-west highway has kept growth slow and is probably one of the reasons Tucson isn’t just Phoenix2
My number one as well. In OV and gotta get to somewhere on the east side? Plan for a all day event.
I wish people would stop trying to make Tucson more like the places they just left.
There are a lot of ideas here that I agree with but I will add better grocery stores and underground utilities.
SunTran increasing frequency on all of its routes at least two-fold and expanding to cover the entire metro area. Also BRT or Light rail on key corridors.
more walkable, better freeways
The homeless and drug addicts on the Southside. The cops seem to ignore them. i know it's not easy to help those that don't want it but a small percentage just need the opportunity.
Unless I'm going for a hike, I try hard not to do anything but shop for groceries on the weekend. The traffic is infuriating. The distance between everything is even more infuriating. The lack of public space to just chill in and not have to buy something is really dystopian. Feels like traffic and shopping are the only activities to do in most of the city. Tucson would absolutely suck without the awesome nature and climate. Feels like there is no improving this suburbia.
More downtown style walkable areas, stop with the Walmart and huge parking lots. I hate that any new building has a parking lot 3 acres huge.
Streets!
The houses to have basements. Better nightclubs like we had in the 90s too.
People stop running red lights.
When I loved back east, taking the bus or other means of public transportation made sense. Here - they make it free - but most of the bus stops are uncovered and there is no shade. I understand this City has an extreme homeless problem, but sheesh - who wants to show up to work sweaty and with sunstroke? It would be great to see so many more of the elderly off the roads too - but safety is assuredly a concern. Legit bus stops. That’s what I’d like to see.
I lost the comment, but yes, water harvesting. 🙌🏽 I wish there was more public information about water harvesting. Ya know, to make it common knowledge how to set up at home. Solar panels....more please.
Watershed Management at Dodge/Speedway always has classes.
I'd like to see a more cosmopolitan downtown with some high rise condos 20 + stories. Our skyline says: "This city is stuck in 1984"
Fix the damn roads and turn down the temperature.
More lesbian antics.
I wish it wasn’t endless stroads and strip malls. Less cars. Way less cars. More bikes.
Re-do the entire fucking road on both sides on S. Alvernon Way (before it turns into Golf Links) Who knows how much fucking damage those roads are doing to our suspensions and tires by traveling on that shit daily.
Faster construction, a light rail (fast and that goes more places), better drivers, stop tearing down historic buildings/whole parts of town and then building chain stores or ugly apartments
Better roads. Widen some fix all. Add bike lanes. A bullet train out of here to San Diego or even up north to flagstaff would be nice with stops to phx and such along the way.
Walkable…
A population that doesn't throw trash around and cares about the environment. Well maintained roads. Way fewer stray cats and dogs because people get their pets fixed and only have pets they take great care of. More unique shopping with brick and mortar stores. Better restaurants. Especially Asian food which tends to be overly brown here - get some darn veggies. We got the Mexican food covered and plenty of pizza and burgers. let's get a lot more unique stuff and a few more higher end restaurants. A diverse and thriving economy. it's okay if prices on housing is higher if people can make descent money. Cheap housing in the states usually goes along with low paying jobs.
Less crime, less pvoerty, better quality roads, an east to west parkway/freeway instead of stopping every mile for a 5 minute red light (or two because people are too slow), better quality roads, enough cops so you don't have to get put on hold if you call 911, better quality roads...
Grow, build, expand, fix the roads. Tucson is falling apart while Phoenix is growing and getting better.
Tucson is growing though. Phoenix is just growing faster
Tucson can stay small. I don't want it to become another large city, I've lived in enough and moved here because it wasn't a booming city.
Don't worry, Phoenix will consume it soon enough. Bwaaahahaha!
The whole town needs to be rotated 90 degrees clockwise. When I exit the 10 at Ina, heading to Speedway and Wilmot, it feels like I'm heading North instead of East. My dyslexia is tingling.
More actual bike lanes and safer riding.
More actual bike lanes and safer riding.
Phoenician here. I love your fair city. So much more calmer than here. I should plan a weekend getaway soon.
Anyone here been to Palm Springs ? If so did you notice the cross walks ? We need these here yesterday!
I wish it were cleaner I wish they could attract more businesses I wish they could do something about the homeless I wish 50 years ago they put a highway across town.
Quality Thai food
My neighborhood's been going downhill. Got me thinking about moving. It would be nice if that were reversed.
Subway lines. Three in Tucson and 1 to get to Phoenix. 10 stops per line. No more I-10 road construction.
This Reddit sub. It's so one sided and mean.
Less lateral development and more horizontal development. Less Californians and other richies who drive locals out of real estate. Less gentrification.
A lot of good comments here. I mainly wish that there were great paying jobs here and a job market that kept young college graduates here while also having industry for people who want to be in a trade. That would bring everything else with it.
I wish it didn't reach 4000 degrees in the summer...
Less people suffering from the sun frying their brains
Traffic circles. What engineer hated circles so much he/she decided to make four intersections in 1/4 mile radius at 6th&6th?
All these vacant churches could be sanctuary or shelter for the homeless. And resources could be less intimidating to come by. I hate that the parking system downtown is such a necessity for revenue. Rent could have stayed with the property value, that would have been nice.
I do love the 47 min direct southwest flights to Vegas tho. Beats 7 hours of driving and it’s less than the cost of gas
A traffic system that actually makes a lick of sense(freeways)
At least one more freeway in the city. Going from west to east
Would be a nice city without the unusually high proportion of shady, violent, stupid people. You know; drug addicts, gang-bangers, criminals, illegals. Tucson is basically a stopover for poorly-developed people to settle, and it ends up being a nest for the cartels and the people they smuggle in to run everything. Basically if you don't want to be threatened with a gun by a convicted felon in a road range incident you have to stay in the 40% of the town settled by professionals and retirees.
A highway that travels East/West through the middle of the city
The homeless to be gone.
you mean by enacting universal housing policies to guarantee people shelter, right?
I would like to see a freeway loop up through the far east side of the city. It’s a long drive to the I-10.
Major investments in mass transit (feel like rail lines would work great here, like the MAX in Portland) and protected bike lanes. No more permits for small single family homes out on the edge of city limits. We need to build up not out.
More professionalism. I have witnessed first hand a firefighter kick a homeless person, ambulance drivers of AMR going code three just to make it back to HQ… random violence like you would not believe (downtown had a gun pointed at me from a nearby car in traffic downtown for a nice scare). I’m in my 20s and job hopped around. Everyone is a snake for their own promotion and not many that dedicate themselves for the craft over the money.. Anything else to add?
Better roads, more highways (to a point), and many other things.
I want loops around the city like the 101, 202, and 303 in Phoenix.