The Regional Transportation Authority Plan includes $180 million dedicated to safety improvements throughout the region. But the true investment in safety for our community over the course of the 20-year plan is far more than that, as every major roadway corridor project incorporates safety improvements. Some of the safety projects and goals include: Bus pullouts … Read more
With 35 roadway projects and a 20-year timeframe, how would you determine when to schedule construction for each project? That was a task the Regional Transportation Authority’s original citizens’ advisory committee (CAC) had to undertake when crafting the 2006-2026 plan and gathering public feedback. The result was a carefully constructed schedule, based on advice from … Read more
Public art enhances roadway projects and provides context about the culture and history of the region. The Regional Transportation Authority requires that all major road improvement projects spend 1% of the construction cost on art, in line with similar policies many jurisdictions in the region have approved. The path from a budget requirement to roadside … Read more
This year, cameras on the State Route 77 wildlife crossings north of Tucson have observed two milestones for the first time in the five-year duration of the overpass and underpass structures: a white-tailed deer crossing the overpass in January and a first crossing of either structure by a mountain lion in June. Those were notable, … Read more
The Arizona Department of Transportation has completed the reconstruction of the Ruthrauff Road and El Camino del Cerro intersection with Interstate 10, including widening of interstate lanes and adding a new railroad underpass to separate vehicles and trains. “All the ramps are open, all the traffic control is gone,” said Rod Lane, the district engineer … Read more
Road construction invariably disrupts traffic, but with its built-in, complimentary MainStreet Business Assistance Program, the Regional Transportation Authority aims to reduce the impact on regional businesses, large and small, before and during construction of transportation improvement projects from the RTA’s 20-year regional transportation plan. MainStreet serves and consults the businesses situated along roadway corridor projects, … Read more
Moving utilities is an important part of all roadway corridor projects in the voter-approved Regional Transportation Plan. When a road is widened, access to electrical boxes that control traffic signals, manhole locations for sewer and water lines, plus underground gas lines and overhead power and telecommunications lines all must be evaluated. After evaluation, access or … Read more
The Regional Transportation Authority’s 20-year plan includes infrastructure improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians, and right now you can contribute to future planning efforts for those modes. The Pima Association of Governments, which manages the RTA, is conducting its annual regional bicycle and pedestrian count to gather data on how those non-motorized users use our transportation … Read more
The road construction on East Broadway Boulevard between Euclid Avenue and Country Club Road will improve functionality and contribute to revitalizing the gateway between downtown and the historic Sunshine Mile with more multimodal amenities, better drainage and increased safety. The roadway project was one of 35 regional corridor projects included in the 2006 voter-approved Regional … Read more
The Regional Transportation Authority’s 20-year transportation plan is partially funded by a transaction privilege tax, or sales tax, so when the pandemic hit and businesses shuttered, low revenue was almost a given. That is, until businesses started to reopen and tax collections began to climb in surprising ways. “We had anticipated very poor revenues as … Read more