Downtown Tucson will host the grand opening ceremony for the Sun Link Modern Streetcar on Friday, July 25, 2014. The ceremony will begin at approximately 9 a.m. at the intersection of Congress Street and Fifth Avenue, and is the beginning of multiple, weekend-long celebrations all along the Streetcar route. The main grand opening ceremony will conclude around 10 a.m. and free streetcar service through the weekend will begin at that time. Below is the vehicular travel restrictions associated with this event.

THERE'S PLENTY OF PARKING ALONG THE NEARLY FOUR-MILE SUN LINK TUCSON STREETCAR CORRIDOR - Tucsonans are excited to ride the Sun Link Tucson Streetcar when passenger service begins Friday. Rides will be free for the first three days, and the City of Tucson expects many citizens to get on board.  Even though you can expect some congestion along the route, there are plenty of places to park...about 11,000 spaces in all. Sun Link has a map of garages and surface lot parking along the route.

On Monday, July 21, 2014 the City of Tucson and the Regional Transportation Authority will hold a news conference to formally recognize the efforts made by the city’s federal partners in making the Sun Link Streetcar a reality. The news conference will be hosted by Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and the federal representatives scheduled to attend are Representative Raúl M. Grijalva, Representative Ron Barber and Representative Earl Blumenauer.

The news conference will begin at 9 a.m. at the Sun Link Operations and Maintenance Facility at 290 E. 8th Street.

MONSOON THUNDERSTORMS PROMPT MORE 9-1-1 CALLS THAN USUAL - The summer thunderstorm season can be a very dangerous time, and much of that danger results in hundreds of 9-1-1 calls from people needing help. Tucson News Now recently went behind the scenes to see what it's like at Tucson's 9-1-1 dispatch center at Park and Ajo.

HOW TO BICYCLE IN THE STREETCAR ZONE - With Sun Link Tucson Streetcar service starting a week from today (July 25), bicyclists will need to be extra attentive when riding near the tracks. New markings - including green bike boxes, bike dots, and shared-lane markings - will help guide cyclists where they need to be to stay safe and more visible. The City of Tucson produced a video that describes the safest ways to ride.

WEBSITE LISTS ITS TOP TEN ART GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS IN TUCSON - TheCultureTrip.com says Tucson is home to history and culture, but its contemporary art scene is not lagging behind. The website - which covers many countries and cites around the world - names ten galleries, such as Etherton Gallery, Madaras Gallery, Solar Culture, DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, The Museum of Contemporary Art, and others.

CITY OF TUCSON HOLDS WORKSHOPS ON LICENSE AND SALES TAX REPORTING - Learn your rights and responsibilities for Transaction Privilege (sales) Taxation by attending a Tax and License Workshop sponsored by the City of Tucson Finance Department. Questions will be answered, and written materials will be available. Samples of sales tax records, worksheets, and monthly returns will be explained. You should bring a calculator and a pencil. A workshop for contracting questions will be held next Tuesday (July 22), from 10:30 a.m. until noon, at the Wilmot Branch Library, 530 N. Wilmot Road. A retail workshop will be held July 29 at the same time and place.

JOB OPPORTUNITY: UTILITY TECHNICIAN APPRENTICE - Tucson Water is seeking multiple applicants to help monitor and maintain the components of a water system serving more than 700,000 people. Some of the duties include investigating and locating repair sites, collecting appropriate data, testing water quality as situations demand, installing or repairing system components, initiating or terminating service, and resolving water service problems. Advancement opportunities are available after a 12-month probation period.

SUN VAN RECEIVES 42 NEW VEHICLES - The City of Tucson and Sun Van - the City’s award-winning paratransit service - are introducing 42 new Sun Van vehicles. The vehicles include minivans and sedans to improve system efficiency when full-sized vehicles are not necessary. Once all of the new vehicles are received by the end of next month, they will replace 2009 diesel-fueled vehicles in Sun Van’s fleet, decreasing the average age of the fleet from 4.10 years to 2.47 years. The vehicles were purchased with funding from the Federal Transit Administration and the City of Tucson. Read the news release.

HOW TO PARK IN THE STREETCAR ZONE - With Sun Link Tucson Streetcar service starting a week from tomorrow, July 25, it's important you park properly near the tracks. Adjacent parking requires you to have your vehicle completely in the marked white lines of the parking space. A mis-parked vehicle can block a streetcar and cost you a lot of money in fines and towing fees. Watch a video on proper parking along the streetcar route.

TUCSON POLICE EXPLORERS IN COLORADO FOR TRAINING - Seven Tucson Police Explorers, two TPD officers and a civilian advisor are in Gunnison, Colorado attending the 2014 Annual Law Enforcement Explorer Post Advisors Association of Colorado (LEEPAAC). Over the course of this week, the Explorers are networking with agencies from around the western United States in an effort to solve law enforcement- based scenarios. The Explorers are learning to adapt and improvise to solve problems using collective tactics from all of the agencies involved. The Explorer volunteer program is for young people between the ages of 14 and 20 with a strong interest in learning about law enforcement. Follow Explorer training at LEEPAC on TPD's Facebook page.

REDUCE CLUTTER AND GO PAPERLESS WITH CITY E-BILLING - Go paperless with your Utility Services Statement. Set up an eBill account to pay your bill, get notification of your billing statement, view water usage, and read Tucson Water's newsletter.

MOVIES IN THE PARK SERIES CONTINUES AT REID PARK - Looking for some family-friendly entertainment on Friday nights over the summer? Movies in the Park, a Tucson summer staple since 2003, returns tomorrow at Reid Park with a free showing of "How to Train Your Dragon." Residents are invited to bring blankets and chairs to enjoy a free movie every other Friday at the Demeester Performing Arts Pavilion, 900 S. Randolph Way. The events begin at 5:30 p.m. with live music, jumping castles, balloon animals, and arts and crafts exhibits from nonprofits. Popcorn, soda, and food truck vendors also will be available for an additional charge. The Movies in the Park program is hosted by Cox Communications and the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance. Read more from Tucson News Now.