The primary funding source for Regional Transportation Authority plan projects is from the RTA’s voter-approved half-cent (excise) sales tax. The RTA tax is levied on taxable goods and services throughout Pima County to pay for the projects in the 20-year regional transportation plan. Both the plan and tax were approved by Pima County voters in … Read more
The 13-mile Houghton Road widening project is divided into several segments between East Tanque Verde Road and Interstate 10. The project underway now will widen South Houghton Road to six lanes from East Mary Ann Cleveland Way to East Valencia Road, with multi-use improvements throughout the two-mile project. The City of Tucson awarded Borderland Construction … Read more
Seeing, or being in, a line of cars stacked up behind barriers waiting for a long train to cross the street can be a source of frustration, delay and safety concerns, all of which are why the Arizona Department of Transportation is building a bridge for Ruthrauff Road traffic to go over the Union Pacific … Read more
Downtown Links is one of 35 roadway corridor projects funded in the Regional Transportation Authority’s 20-year regional transportation plan approved by voters in 2006. The project is managed by the City of Tucson and involves building a new road to extend Barraza-Aviation Parkway from its current terminus, at Broadway east of downtown, to connect with … Read more
Pima Association of Governments (PAG) and the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) seek applicants for a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) to provide public input for the development of the next RTA regional transportation plan. The RTA’s transportation planning efforts aim to identify priority regional transportation needs for the long term to benefit the region’s mobility, livability … Read more
The Regional Transportation Authority’s 20-year plan is a map for improving roads, transit and mobility for economic vitality in the Tucson region. It has raised hundreds of millions of dollars through a half-cent excise (sales) tax, and the money is carefully managed to ensure it’s only spent on eligible transportation projects. The term “eligible” is … Read more
Coming out of a year of unprecedented disruption due to the pandemic, Sun Shuttle is experiencing an increase in passengers, though it’s still not quite up to pre-pandemic rider numbers. What is Sun Shuttle? Sun Shuttle was created to connect residents in some of the outlying segments of the region with the regular service area … Read more
Seven years ago, Tucson’s Sun Link streetcar started rolling on its fixed tracks through the University of Arizona campus, the West University neighborhood, North Fourth Avenue, Downtown and the Mercado District near the foot of Sentinel Peak, offering the first new transit option in Tucson in many years. Since July 2014, even more new transportation … Read more
Several transit agencies across the Tucson metro area are hosting a hiring fair Saturday, searching for drivers to operate small and large vehicles to serve residents throughout Pima County. A driver shortage plagued transit systems throughout the area before the pandemic. It was exacerbated when the virus that causes COVID-19 significantly curtailed normal activities. Hiring … Read more
Road construction – a roadway improvement or expansion – is a sign of changing times, and it’s impossible to miss an orange cone zone when you’re driving through one. But what does it take to get to the shovel-ready construction phase of a roadway corridor project in the 2006 voter-approved Regional Transportation Authority’s 20-year plan? … Read more