Lighting the Way: Safety Enhancements at Papago's Curry Tunnel

The Clean Up Papago team is excited to share a milestone achievement, one that reflects our dedication to user safety within Papago Park and Preserve. After two years of persistent advocacy, and collaborative discussions with the City of Tempe, we are thrilled to announce that the Curry Tunnel, referred to as the "horse tunnel", is being retrofitted with tamper-resistant lighting fixtures.

These lights will deliver approximately 10 foot candles of illumination, significantly enhancing visibility and safety for our trail users traversing the tunnel. The low-profile light fixtures are being custom-made, designed to resist tampering, with all electrical runs installed using security bits.

This achievement stems from a series of cross-functional meetings with various city departments, including our city Mayor, Human Services, Tempe PD, Transportation, and Parks Services. These discussions primarily focused on improving the safety of our Papago Preserve, and one of the key takeaways was the crucial need for proper lighting in the horse tunnel under Curry Road.

We are proud to see our recommendations actualized, and grateful to the City of Tempe and PLG LLC for their proactive response. We believe these upgrades, which have been long overdue, will not only prevent accidents but also contribute to an enhanced trail experience for our park and preserve users.

This significant step towards ensuring trail user safety stands as a testament to the power of community advocacy, reinforcing that every voice matters in shaping the future of our Preserve.

We appreciate your support as we continue to work for the betterment of Papago Park and Preserve. Let’s keep the lights of progress burning bright!