Downtown Links project update – January 2022

The Downtown Links road construction project promises to forge a new connection between Broadway Boulevard, Aviation Parkway and Interstate 10, allowing motorists to bypass busy downtown streets to reach the freeway. The construction project, which is one of 35 roadway corridors in the Regional Transportation Authority voter-approved plan, was decades in the making. The work … Read more

RTA Annual Report now available

The Regional Transportation Authority’s fiscal year 2020-2021 Annual Report is now available with updates on recent projects completed and the financial standing of the organization at the end of the fiscal year. The report celebrates nearly 930 projects completed in 15 years of the RTA, voter-approved plan so far, from large roadway improvements that help … Read more

RTA status report – December 2021

RTA Project Status – Through Nov. 30 Projects in design 65 Under construction/implementation 51 Total number completed 916 RTA Financial Status – Through Nov. 30 Funds expended to date $1.4B The current RTA status report shows 916 projects have been completed. Of those, 17 major roadway corridor construction projects have been completed, and 11 additional … Read more

Road work ahead: RTA projects breaking ground in 2022

The Regional Transportation Authority’s partner jurisdictions are working hard to construct roadway improvements throughout the Tucson metro area, including major widening projects on Houghton Road and on East Broadway Boulevard, plus construction of the new Downtown Links roadway to connect Barraza-Aviation Parkway with Interstate 10 through the downtown area. Behind the scenes, a different effort … Read more

Seeking paratransit and neighborhood circulator operator

The Regional Transportation Authority’s transit funding commitments are to expand weekend and evening bus service; add express bus, streetcar and neighborhood circulator shuttle services; and enhance special needs transit for elderly residents and people with disabilities. As the operator of neighborhood circulator services and special needs transit, the RTA is seeking bids from transit operators … Read more

Safety is part of every RTA project

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

Setting project delivery schedule a part of RTA plan development

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

Behind the scenes: commissioning artists for roadway public art

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