We’re always thinking regionally

The 35 named roadway projects in the Regional Transportation Authority plan are located throughout the metro area, but they have a shared characteristic. The projects have regional significance because they provide access to multiple communities in Pima County. RTA improvements help us get to regional destinations with improved safety, reduced congestion and more travel choices. … Read more

What is the RTA and its role in our region?

The Regional Transportation Authority was established in 2004 by the Arizona Legislature as a political subdivision and independent taxing district. As a political subdivision, the RTA is a public body established to develop a regional transportation plan for voter approval. The current multimodal RTA plan was approved by Pima County voters in May 2006 and … Read more

Complexities of transportation funding

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People may often wonder why one transportation project starts just as an adjacent project is completed. One might ask, why were the two projects not completed at the same time? The answer is not as simple as one might expect. In the world of roads, transit, safety, bicycle and pedestrian project improvements, regional transportation funding … Read more

How the RTA began

Project List

The Regional Transportation Authority, established by the state Legislature in 2004, collects taxes from a special taxing district within Pima County to fund the RTA’s 20-year regional transportation plan. Since voter approval of the RTA’s plan and half-cent tax in 2006 to fund the plan, the RTA has used $1.3 billion in RTA tax revenues … Read more

RTA 2020 – A year of progress

We will remember 2020 for many reasons, and here’s a good one. It was a busy year for RTA projects and activities. Architects, engineers, designers, project managers, contractors and construction crews are working to keep projects moving forward. It was a year of starting and completing many projects identified in the 2006 voter-approved plan, including … Read more

Traffic signal technology is a regional effort

The greater Tucson region is one of the few metropolitan areas of its size to establish a coordinated traffic signal system that can be operated as a comprehensive network. The system is in place, and every jurisdiction in the region is working in partnership to provide seamless traffic signal operations across all boundaries. Pima Association … Read more

The roots of Ruthrauff Road

Ruthrauff Road is an important corridor that provides north-central Tucson access to and from Interstate 10. The Ruthrauff Road/I-10 Interchange Improvement Project is part of the Regional Transportation Authority’s 20-year plan. The new overpass is already starting to take shape as crews work on the west side of the structure. You can almost visualize trains … Read more

Downtown Links work begins

The voter-approved Downtown Links project will connect Interstate 10 to Barraza-Aviation Parkway. Work on the section from Church Avenue to Broadway started recently. Downtown Links will be a 1.3-mile long, 30 mph, four-lane roadway with bike lanes, sidewalks and a separate multi-use path. Improvements include construction of a new 6th Street alignment, railroad underpass and … Read more