From Allstate America’s research, Tucson, Arizona is the 39th safest city (out of 200) to drive in. The national average for car accidents is 1 in 10 years, and Tucson has the average of 1 in 11 years. Sioux Falls, the #1 city to drive in, has the car accident average of 1 in 14.

This is definitely good news for our city, especially with the number of bikers and motorcyclists here. With all the dirt thrown onto our nation’s real estate by the media, I’m personally happy that most mentions of Tucson are positive.

Right on the heels of being one of USA’s most bicycle-friendly cities and having one of the country’s top communities to “live and launch,” Tucson has netted another big accomplishment.

On May 1 the American Lung Association issued its annual report card on air pollution, ranking cities on their air quality. Tucson (and its air) sparkled, and placed #6 in the country for its clean air!

While one in 10 people in the U.S. live in areas with unhealthful levels of three types of pollution (ozone, short-term and year-round particle pollution), Tucsonans live in one of the top ten cities in terms of air laden with the least amount of particle pollution (and this means fresh air with the least amount of ash, soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols.) The #1 cleanest city was Cheyenne, Wyoming. Phoenix was the 19^th most polluted city in terms of ozone, and topping the list of most polluted cities in terms of year round particle pollution was Los Angeles.

The American Lung Association also reported that two of every five people—42 percent—in the U.S. live in counties that have unhealthful levels of either ozone or particle pollution. Poor air quality puts people at risk for decreased lung function and a variety of respiratory infections or illness…Tucsonans can feel protected from this thanks to our city’s clean air ranking!

To learn more about the study go to the American Lung Association website and read about The State of the Air: 2008.

So, what are you doing tonight? Need a suggestion? There are many great happenings in the Old Pueblo this week, but these three are must-attend events if you are looking for a mix of the arts and cultural wonder that is so unique to our Tucson lifestyle:

• On Saturday, April 26, from 11am – 6pm at the downtown Main Library Plaza, you can enjoy the free,3rd annual Tucson Madonnari Chalk Art Festival. This mix of cultural events and entertainment attracts thousands who enjoy watching professional artists and apprentices create chalk art masterpieces at Downtown Tucson’s main library plaza. There also will be Mexican folk ballads, a bell choir, a salsa and meringue orchestra as well as family fun and face painters. Don’t forget a barbecue and a dessert bistro with Italian espresso, gelato and fine pastries. Plan on attending this beautiful display of chalk art.
• Since 1983, the La Frontera Tucson International Mariachi Conference has been a week-long showcase for a magnificent arts and cultural experience. Whether you attend the Espectacular Concert in the Tucson Convention Center, the Mariachi Mass at St. Augustine’s Cathedral, or the food fiesta at Reid Park, this is a wonderful Tucson tradition. Events run from April 24 through April 26 this week. Some events are free, some with minimal fees. This traditional Tucson party features fabulous music, mariachi and folklórico acts come from all over the Southwest, as well as delicious Mexican foods and crafts.
• The 2008 Arizona International Film Festival is on around town, with over 80 films representing 15 countries featured in what is billed as Arizona’s longest running and largest Film Festival. You need to check the official website for the venues still showing films from the festival this week, or join in on workshops or discussion about Southwest independent film making in Tucson.

It’s springtime and attentions are turning to home buying….and to Tucson! The proof is in the Wall Street Journal as well as in the numbers. While our neighbors further north continue to have problems with price cuts and risk, the Tucson scene has many bright lights. Let’s focus on just a few of them:

• In the Wall Street Journal’s regular “Your Money Matters” feature, Tucson was among several cities highlighted. Yesterday’s Journal featured a look at homes around the country listed at $400,000, and Tucson made the cut.
• Despite a market that is still tough in many areas, March showed improvement over February for 2008 in several areas. Based on information from the Tucson Multiple Listing Services, Inc. for the recent one-month period, March showed strong home sales, with a significant increase over February. And sales will probably stay strong in April, too!
• Just in time for summer, US Airways announced that it will ramp up its summer schedule with a new transcontinental route beginning on June 3, from its Charlotte hub to Tucson, Ariz. Our Tucson International Airport, which celebrates its 60^th year in 2008, continues to set records, with passenger traffic at Tucson International Airport exceeding projections for 2007.
• Did you know Tucson has tasty tap water? An April 14 article in Forbes about “best cities for clean drinking water,” mentions Tucson as a city with “lowest amount of bacteria in its drinking water…”
• And that leads us to a timely feature in today’s Arizona Daily Star. As you know, the first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. And today, across the country, cities and individuals are honoring this very special event, intended as way to focus public support for environmental issues. The Star gives us several examples of how Tucson is excelling in environmental conservation: It reports on how solar energy purchases are rising. It also notes how Tucson and more than 400 other cities have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within city limits to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.

Tucsonans are taking action. We all have so many reasons to be proud of our city. Stay tuned to TREDaily.com to learn more!

Wildflowers, beautiful weather, downtown festivals and…ah, yes….baseball. It’s what I love about this time of year and part of the reason why residents, businesses and tourists enjoy such a great quality of life here in Tucson.

This past month, Tucson had a double-play of spring training adventures – from the more modern experience watching the Chicago White Sox train at Tucson Electric Park (TEP), to a stepping-back-into history happening at Hi Corbett Field with the Colorado Rockies.

Baseball is a great American pastime and it’s a 60-year tradition here in Tucson.

This year, TEP is home to the Sidewinders, the Diamondback’s AAA affiliate. The season opener is this week. Why not take in opening game, enjoy the vistas and eat a Sonoran hot dog while you’re at it? You also can count on great mini air shows, as touch-and-go training usually is underway at nearby Davis Monthan Air Force Base.

You may have heard buzz about spring training’s future in Tucson and news today sounds like there is interesting progress. Today the business community is rallying behind a plan to create a Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority. The authority still needs to be approved by the Legislature, but the Pima County Board of Supervisors vote got the plan to first base this morning. The newspapers also reported an idea to build a new stadium in Marana for the Colorado Rockies.

This all could be a real boon for Tucson, economically and prestige-wise. With Florida teams (and residents) flying out of the panhandle into Arizona, it’s realistic that one or more additional major-league teams might even relocate to Tucson! And that would be a home run, attracting more tourism as well as relocating fans, young professionals and snowbirds.

So let the baseball fever continue. And get tickets for the exciting Sidewinder season opener on Thursday or go to season’s Fireworks Friday at TEP! There’s plenty of baseball action to enjoy!