The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Regina Romero
The vote now underway on Proposition 418 and Proposition 419 is about what kind of city we want to live in. Once you strip away all the rhetoric, it comes down to a simple question: What is really at stake if we don’t invest more than $2 billion in a modern transportation and transit system for ourselves?
Passing Proposition 418 and 419 does not prevent us from further investing in ourselves and planning for our future. This is a good “yes-and” opportunity for our city. We’re choosing to build a series of projects that would benefit Tucson residents. Far from closing opportunities, voting yes keeps us building needed infrastructure and services while we further develop the future we want.
Implementation of the original Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) plan approved by voters in 2006 was far from perfect. I struggled for years to improve it as much as possible. I supported and helped pass the Move Tucson plan with the City Council. Rather than an alternative to the current proposals, Move Tucson is a core building block. My colleagues and I have incorporated every eligible Move Tucson project into Proposition 418 and 419.
The current election is a chance to build on the RTA’s successes and improve our infrastructure. Voting no is not a vote to fix past problems with the RTA. It’s a sure way to cut off our nose to spite our face.
To better understand what’s at stake in this election, we have to look at RTA-funded projects like the Sun Link Streetcar. The streetcar has served more than 10 million riders, created more than 1,200 construction jobs, led to the development of more than 1,500 new housing units and the opening of more than 50 new local restaurants and small businesses, and generated more than $4 billion in private investment. It has played a central role in revitalizing Downtown Tucson. It’s one of the best investments we’ve ever made in ourselves.
We can build more of these economic and cultural corridors when we pass Proposition 418 and 419. Revitalizing business areas takes resources, which is why the plan includes $726 million for transit regionally, $140 million for improving what are known as arterial and collector roads, $51 million in transit safety and security, and $40 million for streetcar operation. These dollars benefit every part of Tucson.
The plan offers major transit innovations that will benefit our city for years to come. The planned Bus Rapid Transit system would connect Tucson Mall along Stone Avenue to downtown — a plan that my colleagues on the Council and I approved in 2024 — with electric buses that take advantage of existing roads while offering economic benefits similar to the streetcar. My colleagues on the Council and I have planned affordable housing along this route, which can bring millions of dollars in additional federal support.
Every dollar of the proposals we’re voting on goes to voter-approved projects. There is no general fund or open-ended design process. The proposal expands citizen oversight on how money is spent and ensures that contractors provide a safe environment for workers.
Major American cities like Tucson need effective public transportation systems, dedicated bicycle lanes, well-paved roads, and walkable streets. They also need funding sources that maintain these improvements rather than letting them degrade. Residents need to be able to get where they’re going safely, quickly, affordably and sustainably. Whether they walk, bike, take the bus or drive, their infrastructure must be high quality.
The best outcome is for us to pass these proposals, implement Move Tucson elements not included here, and create a Transit Authority that meets our needs. Voting yes gets us closer to that outcome. We shouldn’t fall into either-or, one-or-the-other thinking because that’s not the real choice.
Without the past twenty years of investment in transit and transportation, the Tucson we live in now would look nothing like the Tucson we know and love. We would have no streetcar. We would not have weekend and evening bus service, extended paratransit service, hundreds of miles of bike lanes, or the many miles of newly paved roadways we now use to get around the city. Let’s not shoot ourselves in the foot. Let’s make Tucson more attractive for business investment, more functional for our residents, and better suited for our future. Vote yes on Proposition 418 and Proposition 419.
