If you have a burning question about a project in the proposed $2.67 billion regional transportation plan voters will consider next March, you can get your questions answered at one of the Regional Transportation Authority’s RTA Next Q&A sessions discussing the proposed RTA Next plan.
The Q&A sessions will be held through early February with both in-person and virtual sessions scheduled.
The public can hear a presentation on the proposed 20-year transportation plan, and the impact of proposed RTA investments across the region over the next 20 years. The plan would be funded through a half-cent sales tax, which would replace the existing RTA tax resulting in no tax increase.
More about RTA Next:
- Features 31 new roadway corridor improvements to enhance the region’s mobility, connectivity and network reliability
- Includes funding to improve safety at intersections, and for bicyclists and pedestrians
- Includes funding to fix pavement on regional corridors that need it most
- Helps the region retain more than double the funding ($125 million annually) that it receives to complement regionally dedicated federal and state funding ($54 million annually) sources.
- Provides more than $30 million annually for essential transit services such as dial-a-ride/paratransit
- Help create and support more than 48,000 additional jobs over 20 years in the greater Tucson region and more than $3.7 billion in economic benefits
The RTA Next plan was developed over years of public meetings and debate, input from residents, and public surveys to address transportation needs across the entire Tucson metro region.
Upcoming Q&A sessions include:
- Jan. 7 – Virtual Sessions (2)
- Jan. 13 – Tucson
- 5:30 to 7 p.m.
- El Pueblo Activity Center, Building 9
- 101 W Irvington Road, Tucson
- Transit Service: Routes 12,16, 23, 26, 27, 29, 421X, 430, 440, and 486
- Jan. 14 – South Tucson
- 5:30 to 7 p.m.
- South Tucson City Hall
- 1601 S 6th Ave, Tucson
- Transit Service: Routes 16, 421X
- Jan. 21 – Tucson
- 5 to 6:30 p.m.
- El Rio Neighborhood Center
- 1390 W. Speedway Blvd., Tucson
- Transit Service: Routes 5, 22
- Jan. 27 – Tucson
- 5:30 to 7 p.m.
- Tucson Association of Realtors
- 2445 N. Tucson Blvd., Tucson
- Transit Service: Route 9
- Feb. 3 – Virtual Sessions (2)
The proposed plan will provide funding for improvements to the region’s transportation network across all forms of mobility.
Funding breakdown of the plan:
- $1.2 billion (+741M in non-RTA funding) – Roadway (Multimodal) Corridors
- 31 corridor improvement projects including 4 freeway interchanges, roadway lane capacity enhancements, bus pullouts, bike lanes, pedestrian facilities, drainage improvements
- $257 million (+237M in non-RTA funding) – Roadway project modifications/completion
- 7 projects from the 2006 Regional Transportation Authority plan have revised scope descriptions or funding needs that require voter approval
- $254.6 million – Safety, ADA and Active Transportation
- Intersection enhancement and modernization: Traffic signal technology upgrades, bikeways, sidewalks, greenways
- $177.6 million – Pavement Rehabilitation
- Curb-to-curb rehabilitation of regional roadway corridors
- $50 million – Environmental
- Wildlife linkages to reduce vehicle-animal collisions in highly traveled natural wildlife habitat areas
- $726 million (+228M in non-RTA funding) – Transit Expansions
- Expanded services: Weekend and evening bus service, increased bus frequency, paratransit/dial-a-ride, neighborhood shuttles to main bus system, express service to employment centers; high-capacity transit development, streetcar operations, safety and security of the regional transit system
If you are unable to attend a Q&A session, the following links will give you more details about the RTA Next plan:
