Runners and cyclists will have more space to train on The Loop thanks to new path width standards from Pima County.
The new standard is 12 to16 feet wide for paved paths, and 8 to 10 feet wide for soft paths. The former standard was 12 feet for paved paths and 8 feet for soft paths.
On March 6, the Board of Supervisors amended the Regional Trail System Master Plan to include the new standard.
“The Loop is a popular place for bicycling, dog-walking, running, and horseback riding,” said Steve Anderson, Planning Division Manager for Natural Resources, Parks, and Recreation. “Wider paths increase the enjoyment everyone on The Loop. Wider paths make it easier to maneuver around other users when necessary.”
He emphasized that in some places, The Loop will remain narrow where the County does not have a wide easement. New sections of The Loop will be built to the new standard.
The Loop path encompasses both banks of four major river systems or waterways. Pima County residents and visitors can enjoy biking, walking, or running along the Rillito River, the Santa Cruz River, the Pantano Wash, the Julian Wash and the Harrison Greenway. The Loop also has path extensions along tributary washes or extensions. These include the Tanque Verde Wash and the Cañada del Oro Wash.
More than one third of the metropolitan population lives within a half mile of the Loop or Loop extended paths.
Pima County’s partners in The Loop are: City of Tucson, Town of Marana, Town of Oro Valley, City of South Tucson, Regional Transportation Authority, and the Arizona Department of Transportation.
For more information about The Loop, visit: www.pima.gov/TheLoop.
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