The pandemic has highlighted the need for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s transportation officials to explore important transit system improvements that keep riders safe.
Officials will look for ways to prevent unnecessary close interaction between people with a $600,000 grant from the Federal Transportation Administration’s “Public Transportation COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant Program.â€
The money will go toward exposure mitigation, contactless payment and other measures used to strengthen riders’ confidence in using the transit system during and after the pandemic.
The ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Department of Transportation and Mobility is partnering with Sun Tran to “upgrade fare boxes to accept all touchless payment forms, install automatic wheelchair securement stations for non-ambulatory passengers, and design contactless services to promote rider confidence,†the department said.
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Transit vehicles are being cleaned every day to prevent exposure to the virus. Cleaners are using fogging machines to apply an industrial-grade disinfectant to the vehicles.
“Every night we disinfect all handrails, all grab bars, all poles, all pull cords, all press tapes on the vehicles. We do that in the Sun Tran, the Sun Link and Sun Van,†a Sun Tran statement said.
Drivers have disinfecting wipes and sanitizer to keep work areas clean, especially regularly touched areas such as the steering wheel and control area.
All fares for Sun Tran, Sun Link and Sun Van services have been waived to support riders during the pandemic. Passengers still must obtain a SunGO Card or a ticket.
“It’s obviously a larger issue with the system we operate, where people are entering into a vehicle (bus, street car, paratransit van), it was imperative that we reduce as much interaction as possible,†said Rhett Crowninshield, the department of transportation and mobility’s transit administrator.
Crowninshield said the changes have helped get riders back to using the transit system.
“Riders were initially concerned about getting the virus by sharing close quarters with other riders,†said Crowninshield. “Given the hard work of our team, in terms of cleaning the vehicles, keeping bus stops clean, keeping transit centers clean, these fears subsided to a large degree.
And more plans are already in motion to create a more “robust†system for passengers, according to Crowninshield.
“From a contactless point of view, while we have implemented programs via the PassPort and GoÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ apps, allowing for contactless payment, we needed a more robust system, and this grant will allow for significant movement in the process,†he said.
The systems currently allow a rider to use those phone apps following payment to scan a QR code that is read on the bus or Sun Link street car.
However, one of the biggest challenges with the contactless payments when fares are reinstated will be getting riders to recognize these improved processes over using cash, thus reducing the number of close interactions while riding transit.
“Many of our riders still like to pay with cash, and some don’t have cell phones, or may not have smart phones,†Crowninshield said.
The first point transit officials will try to make is to inform riders with marketing materials inside buses and other transit vehicles.
The Douglas Spring Trail is a 16.6-mile out and back hike into Saguaro National Park East and the Rincon Mountains. The trailhead is at the eastern end of Speedway and open to access 24 hours a day. Elevation gain is about 3,700 feet. Difficulty varies, but is generally moderate. Video by Kelly Presnell / ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ 2020
Those who don’t want to stop using cash will still be able to use cash.
“We don’t want to refuse them service by pushing them into an app on their phone,†said Crowninshield. “We look at trying to make it as easy as possible for the riders so it’s not complex.â€
An improvement that is set in stone is improving the experience for riders using wheelchairs.
The grant will help install new equipment in vehicles to allow riders to be strapped in without needing help from the driver.
Sun Van, established in 1987 for paratransit, provides more than 500,000 passenger trips annually, the company’s website said.
“It helps with speed of boarding, No. 1.
“No. 2, it provides the rider with another level of independence. They don’t feel like they’re having to be taken care of, and that’s a big thing to a lot of our riders,†Crowninshield said.
Down the Road
Overnight delays incoming at I-10, Houghton Road: Overnight delays are expected each weeknight this week as crews continue work on the Interstate 10/ Houghton Road interchange.
Crews will reroute one direction of I-10 over the entrance and exit ramps due to bridge work. The other direction of I-10 will be reduced to a single lane. Motorists should expect 15-minute delays near the ramps.
Crews will work from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
Overnight closures for I-19 in Nogales: Motorists should prepare for full overnight closures this week as crews continue work on northbound Interstate 19 and the off ramp at Mariposa Road, or ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ 189.
Northbound I-19 between ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ 189 and Grand Avenue will be closed overnight Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Each closure is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. and end by 6 a.m. the following morning.
Drivers who need to travel north toward ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ can use the I-19 frontage road or Grand Avenue.
Photos: Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ streetcar through the years
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Old Pueblo Trackworks workers look over the newly installed 720 foot section of track near University and 4th Ave. on May 30, 2012.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Construction crews begin work on tearing up asphalt for streetcar construction on East Broadway Boulevard between South Scott and South ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Avenues in 2013.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Congress Street was closed off to vehicular traffic between Toole Ave. and Stone Ave. in 2012.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Comstock Company workers part of a crew that are putting up headspans that hold the trolly car wire that the trolly is going to run on here at the intersection of University and Park Ave. in 2013.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Keith Drennen with Railworks checks out the switch section of tracks they are installing to connect the old 4th Ave. tracks with the new tracks that will run west of I-10 here near Hotel Congress in 2013.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Tracks for the modern streetcar are laid out along North Forth Avenue looking south in 2012.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Looking towards the west, construction of the streetcar in downtown ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ continues on East Congress Street as many businesses suffer from its affects with fewer customers in the area on April 20, 2012. The work stretches from East Toole Avenue to North Stone Avenue along East Congress Street.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Granite construction workers working on the rails as they are pouring cement here downtown on Broadway between 6th Ave. and Scott in 2013.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Ray Ballard of Progressive Hardscapes wipes down the mosaic tile artwork installed at one of the streetcar stops on North Fourth Avenue between Sixth and Seventh Streets in 2013. Mary Lucking, the artist, says the inspiration is a psychedelic cactus to match the colorful and playful nature of North Fourth Avenue.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

After grouting, workers from Railworks Track Systems clean up along the modern streetcar on the Cushing Street Bridge near downtown ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ in 2013.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

PVB Fabrications workers putting up one of the streetcar station stops here at 4th avenue and 9th street March 26, 2013.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Old Pueblo Trackworks workers Eduardo Trejo lifts a section of flangeway filler as part of the new 270 foot section of street car track near University and 4th Ave. on May 30, 2012. The first 720 feet of track for the modern streetcar project.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Old Pueblo Trackworks workers take measurements on the new 720 foot section of track near University and 4th Ave., May 30, 2012, for the modern streetcar project.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Donny Sondej, lower right, of Railworks Track Systems, makes sure the switches on the track stays aligned as the streetcar is towed along Eighth Street towards North Fourth Avenue in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. Workers from Sun Link and Railworks Track Systems performed some tests on the modern streetcar along North Fourth Avenue and on the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ campus in 2013.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

The modern streetcar is housed inside the Sun Link Operations and Maintenance facility in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. Workers from Sun Link and Railworks Track Systems performed some tests on the modern streetcar along North Fourth Avenue and on the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ campus on Tuesday night. Photo taken Tuesday September 10, 2013 .
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s Modern Streetcar undergoes testing on North Fourth Avenue, just south of East Sixth Street on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

The Sun Link streetcar heads west on Congress St. past the old Chicago Music Store just west of 6th Ave. in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, AZ. on March 30, 2017. The parking area on the south side here is one of two that accounted for about one third of all Sun Link Blockages in 2016.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

As the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Modern Streetcar rumbles across the Luis G. Gutierrez Bridge, water flows bank to bank along the Santa Cruz River after a morning monsoon storm on July 15, 2014.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, center, and city councilman Richard Fimbres have a laugh as they start of board the streetcar as dignitaries and city officials take a ride to the western-most section of the line to dedicate the stop for US Rep. Raul Grijalva in 2014.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

The streetcar travels along University Boulevard and Park Avenue in the Main Gate area of the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ after dignitaries and city officials took a ride on a streetcar to dedicate a stop for US Rep. Raul Grijalva. The photo was taken on Monday, July 21, 2014.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Lane Mandle, public information specialist with the city managers office, looks out the window while hanging on to the hand rail in the Sun Link Streetcar on Thursday, July 24, 2014.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Streetcar operator Rolando Balance radios back to the Operations and Maintenance Facility before he takes media and guests on an evening ride on the streetcar route on Thursday, July 24, 2014, in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Streetcar operator Rolando Balance departs a Sun Link streetcar stop on North Fourth Avenue after he took media and guests on an evening ride on the streetcar route on Thursday, July 24, 2014, in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Lane Mandle, public information specialist with the city managers office, hangs on to the hand rail in the Sun Link Streetcar on Thursday, July 24, 2014.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Passengers stream across University as two trains make the stop at Tyndall at the same time on the first day of operation for the modern streetcar in the Main Gate Square, Friday, July 25, 2014.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

A pedestrian crosses East Broadway Boulevard at Sixth Avenue on this second anniversary of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s modern streetcar on July 25, 2016.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

The scene on North Fourth Avenue on Friday, March 15, 2013, near downtown ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Jim Harms, a bike safety instructor with the Pima County Bike and Pedestrian Program, left, moves in to help a student who got her tires caught in the tracks as she was attempting to cross on University Blvd. near Tyndall Ave. in 2012.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Under a vast web of wires and cables, a pair of streetcars pass each other on North Fourth Avenue on their second anniversary in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on July 25, 2016.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

The Sun Link Streetcar was filled to the brim on Saturday July 28, 2018 in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. The Streetcar had free rides sponsored by Rio Nuevo and Main Gate Square, as well as live performances on board in celebration of the fourth anniversary of its installation.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

The Modern Streetcar passes through North Fourth Avenue underpass in 2014.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

People enjoy the nightlife of North Fourth Avenue and downtown by way of Sun Link streetcar as it turns onto East Congress Street from Fourth Avenue on July 26, 2014, in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

People enjoy the nightlife of North Fourth Avenue and downtown by way of Sun Link streetcar on July 26, 2014, in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. With several stops in the entertainment districts, the Sun Link streetcar presents a new way to enjoy dozens of restaurants, bars and clubs.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

People enjoy the nightlife of North Fourth Avenue and downtown by way of Sun Link streetcar as it picks up passengers on North Fourth Avenue in 2014.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

This bicyclist, umbrella in hand to shade himself on a sunny day, crosses the Sun Link streetcar tracks at the intersection of North Park Avenue and East University Boulevard near the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ in 2015.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Workers from Sun Link maintenance clear out water from an area along Congress Street at Linda Ave. to restore modern streetcar service as a monsoon storm passed over ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on Tuesday August 9, 2016.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

A crowd of students, employees leaving work and folks looking for Bear Down Thursday entertainment shuffle on and off the SunLink Streetcar along East University Boulevard at North Tyndall Avenue in 2014.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Bicyclists traveling along East University Boulevard and North Fourth Avenue may have trouble with the tight squeeze between parked cars and the streetcar in 2014.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

A man gets some cover from the heavy rain at a modern streetcar stop at Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street on September 28, 2016.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

Members of Palo Verde Class of '66 study the map on the SunLink ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ streetcar. About 60 people, in town for their 50th reunion, took the streetcar from Mercado de San Agustin to Maynards Market & Kitchen in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ in 2016.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ students form a moving rope line to escort the streetcar through the crowds on University Blvd prior to the homecoming bonfire and pep rally on the West side of Old Main in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ in 2015.
Sun Link ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Streetcar

The streetcar passes over the Cushing Street bridge along the Santa Cruz River west of Interstate 10 on Sept. 7, 2017.