The passage of Props 418 and 419, the new Regional Transportation Authority plan (RTA Next), ensures continuation of funding for additional evening, weekend and express bus services provided by Sun Tran, continued Sun Link streetcar operations, and continued Sun Shuttle and Sun Shuttle Dial-a-Ride, paratransit services.
Over the past 20 years, the RTA has contributed more than $530 million from RTA tax revenues to fund expanded transit services, including Sun Tran, Sun Shuttle, and paratransit services.
During a recent presentation to the RTA Board, Pima Association of Governments’ Public Transportation Management Analyst Thomas Robertson gave a breakdown of the impact 20-years of RTA support has had on local transit.
“That is 41.6 million times the people of Pima County have been able to get to their doctors’ appointments, have been able to get to work, go to the movies, do whatever they need to do to live their lives,” Robertson explained, citing the number of passenger trips RTA funding has supported.
Sun Shuttle Dial-a-Ride provides door-to-door paratransit service to persons with disabilities living outside Tucson city limits or to City of Tucson residents needing to reach destinations outside city limits. While the RTA Sun Shuttle system operates 12 neighborhood circulator routes across the region with connections to Sun Tran’s regional bus system. Sun Shuttle service is available for people of all ages and needs.
The RTA recently changed contractors, partnering with MTM Transit to operate the Sun Shuttle fixed-route and public dial-a-ride services. Even prior to the change in operators, the RTA increased efforts to improve on-time efficiency. Last year 88.38% of Dial-A-Ride services were on time, while 91.62% of fixed-route services were on time.
“In the last year, we have significantly improved our on-time performance and over the next 20 years with the passage of RTA Next, we are both committed and privileged to be getting the people of Pima County where they need to go on time,” Robertson said.
Transit Services Highlights
- 2 million RTA-funded Sun Shuttle/Sun Van trips
- 2 million ADA trips
- 4 million Sun Shuttle bus trips
- 20 million RTA-funded Sun Tran expanded evening and weekend bus trips
- 600,000 RTA-funded Sun Tran trips taken outside Tucson city limits
- 1 million RTA-funded Sun Express trips
- 12 million Sun Link trips
Learn more about the RTA’s role in transit services: https://rtamobility.com/services/transit/
