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Tempe honored for clean air, water


Tempe is a pretty clean place.

In the past week, the city has received multiple awards for its clean air and water management.

Tempe in Motion, Tempe's transit department, received the Golden Spoke Award and a Livable Communities Award from the Maricopa Association of Governments last week.

"It's essential to provide on-street paths so bicycles can travel everywhere cars can," said Eric Iwersen, transportation planner at the city of Tempe.

The city was commended for continuing to build new bike paths, and coordinating events such as the annual Tour de Tempe, a 12-mile bike ride through parks, neighborhoods and downtown Tempe, which usually draws in more than 1,000 bicyclists.

Mayor Neil Giuliano said he was pleased with the city's awards.

"A lot of University faculty, staff and students ride bikes as a primary source of transportation," Giuliano said. "And we want to encourage that."

In the next few weeks, the transportation department will seek City Council approval for construction of a bike path along Rio Salado Parkway.

Tempe has already constructed more than 150 miles of bikeways, and added three more bicycle/pedestrian paths last year, including a Spence Avenue multi-use path, which connects to the ASU campus.

According to the city, bicycle commuters make up more than 5 percent of residents or about 8,000 people, many of them University students.

Tempe was also nationally recognized for its efficient water management on Oct. 22.

The City of Tempe's water agency, along with the City of Scottsdale's water agency and 14 others, received a national Gold Award from the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies for its efficient water management.

"We received the recognition because we were able to deal with an increasing level of demand, while maintaining the same level of quality," said Tempe water utilities manager Tom Gallier.

Reach the reporter at meagan.pollnow@asu.edu.


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