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Potential Oak Creek Canyon Transportation Shuttle Service

sedonacitySedona AZ (May 13, 2013) – The Red Rock Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest in partnership with the City of Sedona and the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (NAIPTA) are currently investigating strategies to provide public transportation to trailheads, recreation sites and visitor centers on Arizona State Highway 179 north from the Forest Service Visitor Center and on Arizona State Highway 89A in Oak Creek Canyon.

The partnership has retained a consulting company to lead the technical project with two stated purposes; to reduce recreation-related vehicle congestion in the 179/89A corridor and to increase visitor access to recreation opportunities.

The project team will be holding its first (of two) community discussion meetings on Tuesday, May 21, 2013, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Sedona City Council Chambers, 102 Roadrunner Drive, Sedona, Arizona 86336.

Oak Creek Canyon is a deep gorge with sheer rock walls traversed by twelve miles of AZ 89A from Sedona to Flagstaff

Oak Creek Canyon is a deep gorge with sheer rock walls traversed by twelve miles of AZ 89A from Sedona to Flagstaff

The first community discussion meeting will review findings from a parking inventory, comments and input from community members and leaders, and examples of shuttle services in national parks and national forests elsewhere in the U.S. Discussion will center on community transportation priorities for the study area and public input will be sought, feedback that will help project planners define alternatives in the project corridor.

A second community discussion meeting will occur in late summer and will seek feedback on the specific proposed alternatives.

Proponents of the project say an estimated 3 million people visit the Sedona area annually, most during the peak spring and fall seasons using two roadways, State Route 89A and Highway 179, that provide access to Sedona and the surrounding Coconino National Forest. Despite the State’s recent improvements along Arizona State Highway 179 and its intersection with Arizona State Route 89A in the uptown area of Sedona, bumper-to-bumper traffic is still common during peak seasons for the nearly 95 percent of visitors that arrive by vehicle.

Inadequate parking at trailheads and recreation sites is being cited as one cause for this project with proponents arguing that, as popular sites become full, people begin to park on the roadside or in undesignated spots sometimes causing damage to the landscape and creating safety issues.

This community discussion meeting is an opportunity to share interests, ideas and concerns about congestion along AZ State Route 89A and AZ State Highway 179. Members of the public interested in the topic are asked to attend. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.

Persons interested in attending but unable to do so may provide comments to Paul Supawanich, Associate Project Planner, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates via e-mail at psupawanich@nelsonnygaard.com, or by postal mail at 116 New Montgomery Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, California 94105. Please retain copies.

The SedonaEye.com news site will post all comments including letters sent to the project consultants if provided with copies to the Letters From the Readers column emailed to Editor@SedonaEye.com.

If you have questions concerning special needs or to request language or sign language interpretation, contact (928) 527-3413, dial 711 from a TTY for relay service, or email sedechter@fs.fed.us by May 16, 2013.

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2 Comments

  1. Mark says:

    sounds like the Delphi is back in town

  2. Paul says:

    i was thinking that too

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