After more than a decade of debating banning cars on downtown streets for pedestrian safety, the city of Tucson will close a portion of East Congress Street to cars on Halloween night.
Congress Street between North Scott and North Toole avenues will close to vehicles from 5 p.m. Oct. 31 until 3 a.m. Nov. 1.
The pilot program will give the city a chance to evaluate foot traffic and public safety, the Downtown Tucson Partnership said in a news release.
Downtown Tucson's East Congress Street — between North Scott and North Toole avenues — will be closed to cars this Halloween night.
Last Halloween, about 24,000 people visited downtown Tucson during the evening, according to the city’s analysts.
With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, officials anticipate a busy weekend downtown and the pilot will provide an opportunity to observe how pedestrians, vehicles and transit interact and help determine next steps, including the possibility of a future daytime pedestrian program.
People are also reading…
"Walkable communities happen when places are designed for people to move, gather and connect," said Ward 6 council member Miranda Schubert, who represents the downtown area. "I'm excited about what we'll learn at night and how those lessons could help us explore a daytime pilot and keep building a downtown that welcomes people walking, biking and riding transit."
Restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and cultural spaces in and around the pilot area will remain open and accessible during the closure.
Downtown safety has become a priority for city officials after a shooting at bar this summer left nine people wounded.
The idea of closing Congress Street to cars has been discussed for years.
In 2014, then-mayor Jonathan Rothschild brought up the idea of closing Congress Street to vehicles as the streetcar was rolling into the city.
This map provided by Downtown Tucson Partnership shows downtown Tucson streets that will be affected by the Halloween night closure of a portion of Congress Street.
"It can be so much nicer for not a lot more money," he told the Star at the time.
But the idea stalled.
Now that the Downtown Links project is complete, which provides alternative routes for traffic around downtown rather than through it, the experiment is back on track.
"This pilot has been years in the making," said Crystal Moore, president and CEO of the Downtown Tucson Partnership. "With Downtown Links complete and our transportation and public safety partners aligned, we can finally put years of planning into practice."
Visit downtowntucson.org for more information.
For sale: Tucson Convention Center naming rights
