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Road Q
Question: "They're putting up a new signal at Grant and First with the larger print style, similar to what they were doing with Speedway/Columbus. There's an error, however. Both the First Avenue signs say 'E. First Ave.' whereas, of course, it should be 'N. First Ave.' I'm not really sure who to contact about this, but I hope that someone gets notified and that the error gets fixed before the signal assembly is actually finished," Colin Gremillion wrote.
Answer: The Tucson Department of Transportation has ordered new signs for the intersection, appropriately labeled North instead of East, said Michael Graham, spokesman for the Tucson Department of Transportation. The intersection improvement at North First Avenue and East Grant Road includes a new traffic signal, new conduit and poles. It is scheduled to be completed in July or August, and the new signs should be installed by the time the project is completed, Graham said.

Tucson Region

Road Runner: Multiple monikers for streets a challenge

By Andrea Kelly
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 06.23.2008
"Drive west on Broadway and turn left to go south on Park Avenue," I told my mom when she was in town recently.
It's embarrassing when the Road Runner gives bad directions.
What I meant was, drive west on Broadway and turn left on Euclid Avenue, which turns into Park Avenue, but I just wasn't thinking about exactly where the street name changed from Euclid to Park.
I'm sure I'm not the only person who's said one street name when they meant another, in our town riddled with streets that change names all over the place. First Avenue, which becomes Euclid Avenue, which becomes Park Avenue as you go south, is just one example.
There's also the Sixth Street to St. Mary's to Anklam conversion, and the Ina to Skyline to Sunrise shift.
To name some more:
● Oracle Road/Main Avenue/Granada Avenue
● Fort Lowell Road/Camp Lowell Drive
● Grande Avenue/Mission Road
● Gates Pass Road/Speedway
● 22nd Street/Starr Pass Boulevard
● 29th Street/Silverlake Road
● Campbell Avenue/Kino Parkway/Campbell Avenue
● La Cañada Drive/Flowing Wells Road
● Ruthrauff Road/El Camino del Cerro
● Silverbell Road/Twin Peaks Road
Shall we get into roads that change names as they curve, like Wilmot, which turns into Tanque Verde, Cortaro Farms into Magee or Grant, which becomes Kolb?
It seems to me this area has a lot of streets that change names, but I've never done a tally of other communities, so I can't say for sure.
I checked in with Arizona Historical Society historian Jim Turner, whom I call when I'm in need of local transportation history, but he wasn't sure about all these name changes.
The Pima County Development Services addressing section, which handles street naming and numbering, wasn't able to answer questions before deadline.
It's not all bad. Maybe it's just another local quirk to appreciate, or a harkening back to the patchwork way the area has grown, at times at warp speed and other times one wildcat subdivision at a time.
Just remember not to name the wrong street when giving directions, and you'll be fine.
● Road Runner answers road-related questions in this column on Mondays. Find Road Runner plus traffic cams and other transportation news at azstarnet.com/transportation. Send your questions via e-mail to roadrunner@azstarnet.com or to P.O. Box 26807, Tucson, AZ 85726. Please include your first and last name. ● Find traffic updates and other transportation news on the Gridlocked blog, at go.azstarnet.com/gridlocked.
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