A closer look at the Sonoran Parkway

Residents in District 2 live amongst some of the most beautiful Sonoran Desert in the city of Phoenix. The pristine Preserve located in the northeast portion of our city exists because Phoenix residents placed such a high priority on the preserve that they approved a sales tax in 1999 to purchase the 20,000-acres of land we now call the Sonoran Preserve.

As you may know, the Sonoran Parkway will run through the preserve; the parkway will be designed to have minimal impact on the preserve and will include trails and protected wildlife crossings. A common misconception about the parkway is that it will be a new freeway built by the Arizona Department of Transportation. Nothing could be further from the truth. I want residents to understand that the parkway is designed to be a city street (three lanes in each direction) that will provide a scenic drive for residents traveling through the preserve. The parkway will help provide access to motorists and cyclists to preserve trails and other recreational amenities. It will not be another SR 51 or I-10, but will be a lushly landscaped arterial street with a large center median.

In the mid-1980s the city commissioned a transportation study that recommended two east-west arterial streets in northeast Phoenix in the area we now recognize as the preserve. Several years later, in an effort to minimize the impact on the future preserve, one arterial street was removed from the plan and the remaining arterial street was designated as the Sonoran Parkway.

As this area continues to grow, it becomes vital to provide area residents with alternative transportation routes. The goal is to keep traffic from cutting through the neighborhoods and from overburdening the current traffic infrastructure. The parkway will help to provide area residents with a route to I-17 that doesn't require them to drive all the way to Carefree Highway or the Loop 101.

While the parkway will not become a reality for quite some time, I want everyone to know that it has been our priority with this project to balance the transportation needs of the area while maintaining the integrity of the preserve. Our city staff has taken great care to address the aesthetic and environmental concerns as well as the protection of our wildlife and the preservation of our recreational enjoyment in designing the Sonoran Parkway.

Don't hesitate to call my office if you have any questions about this or any other issue concerning District 2. You are also invited to join me at my monthly Issues & Info breakfasts and learn about topics that impact your neighborhood and family. Take the opportunity to ask questions about issues that are important to you. The next one is 7 a.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at Jillian's in the Desert Ridge. Please call my office for more details. I hope to see you there.

Phoenix City Councilwoman Peggy Neely represents District 2, which encompasses most of northeast Phoenix. She can be reached at 602- 262-7445 or via e-mail at council.district.2@phoenix.gov.