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Oro Valley launches Trails Connect stakeholder series; staff to publish draft after March survey
Summary
Oro Valley planners hosted the first Trails Connect stakeholder meeting to gather public input; residents praised the trail network but raised concerns about signage, access points, funding and e-bike rules. The survey closes March 17 and a 30% draft is expected for an April 23 check-in.
Baravela, the town’s planning manager, opened Oro Valley’s first Trails Connect stakeholder meeting on March 1 and said the project’s goal is to “listen and learn” from trail users as the town develops a master plan. The outreach phase is underway; staff reported nearly 600 web survey responses so far and asked residents to complete the survey by March 17.
The meeting’s agenda and three core objectives were to provide a project overview, clarify the stakeholder role and outline the process and next steps. Baravela said staff will use community input and technical mapping to produce a 30% draft, which will be discussed at a public check-in on April 23. “This trails plan absolutely needs to be specific to meet the values and needs in the Oro Valley community,” Baravela said.
Participants praised existing facilities and local connections. Matt, a member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, said he walks the Vistoso preserve daily and highlighted the multiuse loop as a community asset. Maureen and others noted that bike lanes and paths provide real utility for trips to grocery stores and the farmer’s market. Nat Gordon, president of the Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists (SDMB), noted Honeybee Canyon and other regional trails draw visitors from outside Oro Valley.
Several residents asked the town to improve wayfinding and trailhead facilities. Rosa described multiple informal entry points on the Vistoso Trails and said the town should identify legal access points and install signage to reduce unsafe attempts to access the loop. Gail Mateer, president of Preserve Vistoso, said parts of the nature preserve are in poor condition and that more revegetation and maintenance will be needed; she added that more detail on how improvements will be funded would be “very illuminating.”
Staff said the town lacks permanent counters and has used aggregated Strava data as a starting point to estimate use patterns; presenters emphasized Strava does not capture all users. Staff also invited residents to review civil drawings and participate in technical coordination before construction work begins on sections that could affect trail continuity.
No votes or formal policy decisions were taken. Baravela closed by reiterating the survey deadline (March 17) and said staff will publish results quickly and present a 30% draft at the next outreach check-in on April 23. Residents were invited to contact staff via obtrailsconnect.com for follow-ups and technical meetings.
