In March, Pima County voters approved Props 418 and 419, which included funding for the Regional Transportation Authority’s new $2.67 billion regional transportation plan. Transit services and active transportation infrastructure are key parts of the 20-year plan. What does the passage of the new RTA plan and funding mean for the residents of Pima County who make transit and active transportation part of their commutes?
Transit funding in the new RTA plan (RTA Next) makes up 27% of the budget, committing $726 million over 20 years for transit. In addition, another $228 million is committed in non-RTA funds, providing nearly $1 billion to the region’s transit system.
“While not everyone relies on transit, a reliable transit system is critical to maintaining a vibrant community and economy, whether it is by helping someone reach a doctor’s appointment or by supporting new services, such as restaurants, along fixed transit routes,” said RTA Mobility Manager Preston McLaughlin. “A reliable system improves the quality of life for those who live on or near the transit route.”
The new RTA plan will provide funds to continue expanded evening and weekend Sun Tran and Sun Van services. Sun Shuttle general public bus and dial-a-ride services, Sun Shuttle paratransit/ADA dial-a-ride services, and Sun Express services will continue to be funded as well.
The plan also will fund transit route and frequency expansions, as well as high-capacity transit and continued streetcar operations. Added safety and security improvements within the system for riders and drivers also will be funded.
The new RTA funding commitment will ensure that riders can depend on a continuation of transit and paratransit services for transit riders to access jobs, classes, medical facilities, grocery stores, or entertainment events to maintain independence and reach essential services. As the region’s population ages, the need to access transit services may increase as individual needs change, whether that requires a single trip or an ongoing reliance on transit.
There are 31 new roadway corridor projects in the new plan and another seven roadway projects carried over from the 2006 voter-approved RTA plan. All 38 projects have bicycle, pedestrian, safety and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant features built in.
Additionally, $254.6 million is approved for safety and active transportation projects around the region. The plan includes $10 million in the new plan to complete bikeway improvements from the 2006 plan. Three of those projects, the Second Street University of Arizona bike improvements, the Naranja multi-use path, and La Villita and El Toro multi-use paths, either have construction underway or are on schedule to be completed in 2026. Seven other projects are anticipated to have construction begin this calendar year.
Learn more about how the RTA supports transit and active transportation at rtamobility.com
