By Steve Segner, Sedona Resident & Concerned Citizen
Sedona, AZ –Sedona may be a small town—home to about 9,600 full- and part-time residents—but we operate on a big-city budget. Our visitors spend over $1 billion annually, and nearly 80% of the city’s expenditures come from tourism sales and bed taxes. Whether we love it or not, those visitor dollars are what keep our roads paved, our parks green, and our services, like our robust police department, running.
For those locals who have ever complained about Sedona’s traffic, there’s good news—our city is actively addressing this issue. Traffic during spring break, holiday weekends, and our great fall weather periods will always be an inconvenience to residents (and visitors, too). Still, with the city’s commitment to address remediation and improve traffic management, the future looks brighter and less hectic.
The “Sedona in Motion” plan is a reality. It’s happening, and it’s already making a difference. Let’s highlight the latest milestone: the new “Forest Road Connector”. I want to express my gratitude to the City of Sedona for this project.
After years of navigating the same well-worn paths for my morning hikes, I’ve discovered a new favorite walk/hike route. Rain or shine, I walk 3 to 5 miles a day from my hotel, and I was frankly tired of the uphill trek from Schnebly Hill to Marg’s Draw. However, the Forest Road connector, now this is a challenge.
That’s a whole different experience. It’s a marvel of engineering—perhaps the only road in America with hairpin curves that would intimidate a Formula One driver. Walking from 89A to the top requires serious training (or youthful knees), but once you reach the summit— out of breath—you’re rewarded with breathtaking views of east Sedona and Oak Creek. And carved into the hillside, like something from a Bond film, stands the future home of Sedona’s most debated project: the “city parking structure”.
Let’s be clear—this isn’t just a “parking garage.” It’s a transportation hub designed to blend into the landscape and preserve the views for homeowners above. When it opens, it will be the centerpiece of a forward-thinking system: “Park, Walk, and Ride Sedona”.
Imagine this: You drive into town, park in a city lot, and use an app on your phone to find open parking spaces in city lots (but not on neighborhood streets), locate charging stations for electric vehicles, and hop on a shuttle that takes you to trailheads, restaurants, or shops at Tlaquepaque and Hillside.
Residents and guests can even be picked up at their home or hotel and taken out to dinner—no parking stress, no traffic jams, and you’ll be returned later, all without needing to move your car. Some of these services are already in place. “Sedona Shuttle Connect”, the city’s on-demand transit service (SedonaShuttle.com), which is currently operating from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday to Sunday. and covers most of Sedona. Cost to use the Shuttle Connect: $2 for everyone, but seniors pay just $1.
Best of all, this system is funded by the half-cent sales tax increase put in place years ago to help fund the SIM “Sedona in Motion” 10-year traffic and transportation master plan. The irony? Most of this 1/2% sales tax increase is paid by our visitors. And keep in mind, for overnight lodging guests, including those staying in Airbnb “mini-hotels”, are paying 7% in sales and bed tax. That alone provides tens of $ millions in funding for everything the city does. Thank you, tourists!
So, the next time you find yourself stuck at the “Y,” think about where we are headed: a Sedona where cars can be parked once, and the rest of your experience flows on foot, by shuttle, or by bike. The Forest Road Connector isn’t just a convenient shortcut; it symbolizes Sedona’s forward movement—practical and smart—while preserving what makes this place so special. This is just one example of the city’s “forward vision,” which is making Sedona a better and more enjoyable place to live, work and visit. Learn more about the Sedona in Motion plan,HERE.
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6 Comments
Great piece Mr Segner. Only thing I question is-
“like our robust police department running”??? From what I’ve seen and heard the department is under staffed so badly they only have 1-2 patrols on the Mid shift. That is not adequate enough personnel to respond to two separate major incidents or even one large one such as a Domestic Disturbance and Bar fight occurring simultaneously. Or a multi vehicle fatality traffic accident. It might work for a period of time but eventually shite’ll hit the fan and there won’t be enough officers to deal with the situation before them. Perhaps I’m wrong on the matter of how many officers we currently have. I do know this was an issue not long ago and if it still is, it’s not a good thing that I can tell ya. Our neighborhoods barely get patrolled because the patrols are either tied up dealing with traffic accidents or complaints about serial murderers turning around in people’s neighbor’s driveways 😜 or they are focused on 89A traffic, DUI’s and hoping for the next big narcotics or trafficking bust. All great but our neighborhoods need patrolling as well. All part of Community Policing yada yada yada.
I think all police department I have a hard time finding or training officers. I think part of that typically is dona is housing. It’s a very expensive town at the settlement and even Cottonwood. There’s a waiting list now for apartments. I don’t think it’s a matter of money or management The unfortunate thing is I used is going to be hiring thousands of officers, they won’t be a high-quality that municipal police force need. I now I can drive down from the canyon on a Saturday and actually get to work without a 45 minute delay.
Understand your view on enhanced traffic flow. Doesn’t have anything to do with Sedona PD unless there is an accident or other reason for a road closure so much as it does widened roads, well timed traffic lights, good signage and alternative routes.
I wouldn’t be a cop in today’s very divided heavily armed country of people who believe the earth is flat or the current President is really the poor victim of hundreds of “witch hunt” lawsuits filed against him at all levels of government for crimes he either confessed too and later denied or crimes he committed and there is video evidence of it and he still denies it until he’s blue in the face rather than his trademark Orange face because he knows to do otherwise will cost him everything he cares about- $$$$
There are plenty of good qualified officer types out there but pay and housing as you rightly state are significant factors especially for those with families. Workforce “affordable housing” helps elevate that in most municipalities. Some even require their officers and all elected officials to reside within city limits. This can’t be done here as there is no such housing because our public servants who cannot afford a mansion here aren’t worthy of such things according to the anti affordable housing and anti homeless hysteria generated by MAGA loyalists who fear looking into their own mirrors.
While Sedona is not a particularly dangerous place for a cop to work, there are plenty of serious criminals flowing through here on a near daily basis. Hence the large scale drug busts the occasional traffic stop yields, our missing citizens who just somehow seemed to vanish out on the trails and backroads around us and of course the potential for violent offenders like the recent arrest of the God loving priest killer to come through seeking victims for any number of absurd reasons.
So yes Sedona and every town and city in America deserve highly trained highly disciplined officers who are willing to “Protect and Serve” rather than the opposite which happens all too frequently.
You are what is wrong with Sedona. People like you make living here a nightmare. It’s ridiculous that good citizens of Sedona that have been born and raised here… (Not some California nimwit as yourself) Have to crawl around aggressive bad attitude hippies selling crystals all day and thinking that solves all of the worlds problems. We do need a bigger police department. And we need officers that won’t get mad if you “misgender” them. Sedona deserves!!! A good police department. That will look after the locals when tourist season becomes a living nightmare and people forget how to drive and hurt someone. Honestly use your common sense the world doesn’t revolve around politics or maga loyalists or Bidens sniffers… People like you blame everything on politics. Stop it. If you don’t want a bigger police department go back to California and protest over there.
Who is a hippy mate? Definitely not I! Nobody said anything negative about the Sedona PD on here so no idea where you concocted that from Joe Christmas but you are dead wrong on everything you say here. In fact you claim Sedona is nothing but hippies and crystal freaks but in reality it is loaded with misinformed MAGA idiots who blame Biden for everything wrong with the country as if he has always been president and wrote our laws and constitution. You have nothing and are nothing except a MAGA sycophant brainwashed to the hilt!
Steve,
there are plenty of qualified candidates out there but our laws and training requirements usually prevent hiring them. Every day MP’s and SP’s are honorably discharged from the military and can easily be trained to adapt to civilian law enforcement jobs. Unfortunately it’s not that easy. Most departments require an additional academy paid for by the applicant before being eligible for hire. Some require various Police Science and Criminology degrees. Some upper echelon positions like Chief or Deputy Chief may be filled by someone with a City Planning degree but zero law enforcement experience. Sheriff Departments usually require deputies to work in their counties correctional facility(s) for years prior to allowing them out on patrol. When I left the military there was a Federal hiring freeze so I was unable to land a job with the Agency I’d hoped for. I did land a dream job anyway where I got to use my military training and skills to their fullest. It was short lived but an experience of a lifetime. Perhaps if our country returns to some form of normalcy the value of those ex MP’s and SP’s will become more apparent. Sedona isn’t much different than a military base. It’s semi secluded and a definite Paton Place so those veterans would fit right in if given the chance.