Open houses give the public a chance to learn and share thoughts on planned transportation spending

Residents of Pima County can soon learn how regional transportation funding for roadways, transit, safety, highway interchanges, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and more will be allocated for the next five years.

Pima Association of Governments (PAG), the greater Tucson region’s federally designated metropolitan planning organization, has scheduled three open house presentations on its draft Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for FY 2025–FY 2029.

“These presentations offer the community a unique opportunity to learn about where transportation funding will be spent over the next five years, the sources of funding and requirements of how the funds may be used,” said PAG Director of Strategic Planning Jamie Brown.

The TIP is similar to a capital improvement plan, which details planned spending for anticipated transportation projects and programs. This includes available federal, state and local funding, including voter-approved Regional Transportation Authority sales tax revenues, for transportation improvement projects completed by all PAG member jurisdictions within the greater Tucson region.

PAG members include the cities of South Tucson and Tucson, the towns of Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita, Pima County, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Tohono O’odham Nation and Arizona Department of Transportation.

“This process provides the public a chance to ask questions of regional representatives and provide their input on the transportation priorities outlined in the draft TIP project list,” Brown said.

The Regional Transportation Authority, which also must identify projects and funding in the TIP, can help leverage federal and state resources by serving as match funding to enhance or expand transportation improvements in the region. RTA funding for its 20-year plan comes from a voter-approved half-cent excise or sales tax collected within Pima County. This funding also can be applied to projects that are not eligible for federal dollars, such as those generated by consumer gasoline taxes.

In addition to providing access to potential funding for projects that may not have local sources, the combined funding identified in the TIP helps to fuel the regional economy and quality of life.

PAG has scheduled three open house for the public to attend, ask questions, and provide their feedback. The public can send feedback on the TIP plan to publiccomments@PAGregion.com.

For virtual attendance, please register at least 24 hours in advance of the open house. Once registered you can log in anytime during the open house to view your preferred presentation. Parking options for in-person attendance: street parking, some paid parking available at 1 E. Broadway in lower levels of the building, PAG is located along Sun Tran bus and Sun Link streetcar routes.

Please register in advance for this webinar.

(After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from Zoom containing information about joining the webinar.)