Sedona, AZ — Sedona may be a small town—home to about 8,000 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 comes 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.
Steve Segner shines Spotlight on Sedona
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, our great fall weather periods will always be an inconvenience to residents (and visitors too) but with the city’s commitment of address remediation and improve traffic management, the futue 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”. Personally, 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 Road 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. and covers most of Sedona. 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. In additon, the sales and bed tax, which is 7% for overnight lodging provides tens of millions in funding for everything the city does.
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.
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.
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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.