The City of Tucson is considering a pilot program that would temporarily close a stretch of Congress Street to vehicle traffic during major downtown events, a proposal officials say is aimed at improving pedestrian safety while testing a new approach to managing traffic in the city center.
If approved, the pilot could begin as early as Halloween and would close Congress Street from the Fourth Avenue underpass to at least the intersection with Sixth Avenue during select high-attendance events.
City transportation officials say the proposal has become feasible following the completion of the Downtown Links roadway project, which created an alternative route connecting Interstate 10 with downtown Tucson and reducing the need for through traffic on Congress Street…