Pima Association of Governments, a nonprofit entity serving the greater Tucson area, has an important responsibility: planning for the region’s future to enhance our regional mobility, sustainability and livability.
PAG, which is a 501(c)4, carries out its planning role by working collaboratively with local, county, state and tribal members. We pool our resources and provide the best data possible for our leaders to make important decisions that set the stage for economic vitality in our region for years to come. You are the audience, and we gladly share the planning stage with you by seeking your participation and feedback along the way.
A regional council of governments, PAG also conducts business as a federally designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO). As an MPO, PAG annually secures millions of dollars in federal funding for regional transportation improvements in the greater Tucson area by meeting various designated federal rules and requirements. PAG is required to establish and regularly update a long-range regional transportation plan and a five-year program of transportation improvements.
MPOs are required to represent local governments in all urbanized areas with populations over 50,000, as determined by the U.S. census. The Tucson urbanized area, which has a population of over 200,000, is also federally designated as a transportation management area (TMA). PAG provides its collective voice as a regional governing body to set priorities for implementing transportation projects in its five-year improvement program and is responsible for developing other planning projects as well.
PAG’s other federally designated responsibilities include regional air quality, water quality and solid waste planning.
In addition, PAG manages the Regional Transportation Authority, a state-established taxing district within Pima County. The RTA oversees implementation of a 2006 voter-approved regional transportation plan and half-cent sales tax which funds the plan through June 2026. RTA funding helps to supplement limited federal and state funding for regional transportation improvements. The RTA provides nearly two-thirds of all funding for regional transportation improvements. The RTA is developing a new 20-year plan and will bring the draft RTA Next plan to the public for input once the RTA Board approves a draft plan. The board is reviewing recommendations from citizen and technical committees.
PAG is an independent entity and is not part of Pima County or the City of Tucson. However, Pima County and the City of Tucson are among PAG’s jurisdictional members. Other PAG members include the City of South Tucson, the Towns of Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, the Tohono O’odham Nation and the Arizona Department of Transportation.