Two neighboring Pima County towns have decided that competing for cyclists makes less sense than recruiting them together, approving a regional bicycling partnership that lets their town managers collaborate without returning to their councils for every decision.

The Marana and Oro Valley town councils approved the agreement earlier this year, allowing the towns to collaborate on joint branding, marketing and merchandising.

Developed by both towns' economic development staffs, it authorizes the managers to determine scope of work, expenses, promotional strategies and key performance indicators.

The town councils also agreed to provide up to $10,000 each and split all costs evenly, which aligns with previous shared initiatives.

"We don't look at Marana as a competitor; we look at them as a partner in this," Oro Valley Community and Economic Development Director Paul Melcher said at the Feb. 4 town council meeting. "We have remarkably different assets, but we have a lot of assets in common that we'll be able to leverage."

While the towns have different assets, they hope the partnership will bring more tourism to the area through miles of smooth pavement, bike-friendly infrastructure and scenic Sonoran Desert landscapes, along with mild winters that attract visiting cyclists and professional training teams when much of the country is in colder conditions.

Melcher and Discover Marana Tourism and Marketing Manager Stefanie Boe believe the partnership can help make the region a known cycling destination. In 2024, both towns received the Governor's Tourism Award for Best Tourism Partnership from the Arizona Office of Tourism.

This isn't new territory either: since 2012, the towns have collaborated on major outdoor and cycling initiatives, including the Project Echelon Gran Fondo, the Tucson Bicycle Classic, which Oro Valley has hosted for four years and invited Marana to co-host in 2024, and the Marana-Oro Valley Experience (M.O.V.E.) Across 2 Ranges Hiking Challenge.

"The other thing we want to do is utilize this as a framework for future initiatives," Melcher said.

Biking is just the beginning. The towns plan to expand their collaboration to include golf, birding, running events and holiday celebrations, with sports tournaments in soccer, aquatics and other field sports also under discussion.

Both towns say this is just the first step in what they hope will be a lasting regional partnership.

"I feel like we are stronger together, and so we are very transparent with each other about what we are working on," Boe said. "At the end of the day, it's about regional strength, and both communities believe in that."

Tyler Wright is a journalism student at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern.

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