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Sedona council reviews SIM priorities and pushes staff on Uptown parking timetable
Summary
City staff outlined Sedona in Motion (SIM) updates and FY27 transportation priorities, emphasizing adaptive traffic systems and shared‑use paths while council pressed to pin down timing for the parking management system and residency permit program tied to the Uptown garage opening.
Sedona officials spent the bulk of a Jan. 14 special meeting reviewing the Transportation Master Plan (Sedona in Motion) and the city’s FY27 capital priorities, with staff urging a technology‑first approach to congestion and council pressing for clearer delivery dates for Uptown parking projects.
“The transportation master plan started in 02/2016… It was published in 2018,” Kurt Harris, the city’s public works director, told the council during a high‑level SIM update outlining short‑, mid‑ and long‑term strategies. Harris said recent work emphasizes safety and mobility by using intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and adaptive signals rather than widening lanes.
Councilors repeatedly asked whether projects not foreseen in the original plan had been added; Harris and Deputy City Manager Barbara Whitehorn said staff have adapted the plan to leverage new technologies such as adaptive metering and digital parking wayfinding. Harris noted the Y roundabout adaptive signals and other ITS investments can substitute for earlier, larger roadway proposals once installed.
Parking dominated the discussion. Staff reported a FY27 allocation for a parking management system and a residential permit parking (RPP) program but acknowledged timing has slipped. Amber Wagner, the transit administrator, told council that parking management is moving into an implementation phase tied to the garage: staff aim for system deployment around the garage opening but cited recent video/camera work that delayed earlier pilot expectations.
Several councilors pressed that the council had expected pilots and at least partial system implementation before the garage opened. “We wanted to be piloting it well ahead of garage opening,” Councillor Dunn said. Staff replied they had to be meticulous on camera systems and are forming a 10‑member parking work group to oversee rollout and community outreach; the work group kickoff is scheduled for the week of Jan. 20.
The presentation covered multiple SIM corridors and projects — State Route 179 coordination with ADOT, Forest Road connections, the Ranger‑Brewer roundabout and shared‑use path linkages — and emphasized grant competitiveness for regional projects. Harris urged continued coordination with ADOT and regional partners to secure matching funds and encroachment approvals.
What’s next: staff will return with more detailed schedules and cost estimates at the Jan. 27 follow‑up meeting, including a more defined implementation timeline for the Uptown parking management system and the resident permit program.
