Pima County voters have approved RTA Next, the 20-year, $2.67 billion regional transportation plan.
With nearly all of the ballots counted, Proposition 418, a vote on the transportation plan itself, was approved with about 61% voting "yes," unofficial results released Tuesday night show.
Proposition 419, which asks voters to pay for the plan through a 20-year, half-cent sales tax, captured nearly 59% of the votes counted.
Connect Pima, the pro-RTA effort, declared victory.
RTA Next is a $2.67 billion regional transportation that follows the original RTA plan approved by voters in 2006. The original RTA plan, and the half-cent sales tax used to fund it, is set to expire this summer.
RTA Next is a continuation of that half-cent sales tax for an additional 20 years for a new 20-year, $2.67 billion regional transportation plan.
Included in the plan is about $1.42 billion in roadway projects and nearly $178 million in arterial rehabilitation for major roads in poor condition. About $254 million will be allocated for safety and ADA projects. And $726 million will go toward supporting regional transit operations.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, in an Instagram statement Tuesday night, wrote that no matter how they travel through town, Tucsonans "are going to appreciate the safer and more functional City we're building" through RTA Next.
"Tucsonans have voted to invest in ourselves at a time when it’s especially crucial for us to do so. These funds will bring tangible benefits to our City, from improved roads and bicycle and pedestrian safety to a new bus rapid transit system and major infrastructure upgrades like Mary Ann Cleveland Way," Romero wrote. "Many Tucsonans want the same things for our City regardless of how they voted this evening, and I look forward to working with them to make sure this initiative benefits us all."
Tuesday night's result "reflects years of collaboration across our community to identify ways to invest in and improve transportation safety, reliability, and accessibility," said Mimi Coomler, CEO of Tucson Medical Center and co-chair of the pro-RTA effort Connect Pima.
"We look forward to continued collaboration among local officials and jurisdictional partners to implement the projects and improvements outlined in the plan,” Coomler said in a written statement. "Today is a milestone in the ongoing efforts of a broad coalition that believes in our regional potential and rolled up their sleeves to support daily life and economic activity across the county. Our focus now turns to ensuring these improvements are delivered efficiently and responsibly, so we can truly keep Pima moving forward."
Unofficial results were released through the Pima County Election Department's election results web page.
Voter turnout reached nearly 30% for the RTA Next election, according to the unofficial results.
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Connect Pima co-chair Alejandro Angel said the RTA Next plan "lays out practical improvements, from safer intersections to more reliable transit routes, that can have a real impact on daily travel for families across our region."
"Now the focus turns to implementation: turning these plans into tangible projects that enhance the flow, safety and mobility for everyone across the county," Angel said. "I invite everyone in Pima County, regardless of how they voted, to engage in the implementation of the plan to ensure this iteration of RTA is responsive to the needs of our residents."
Co-chair David Cohen, former president of BeachFleischman PLLC CPAs, said the county's leaders and its residents "have shown the value of coming together to address shared challenges."
"RTA Next reflects the hard work of business leaders, community partners, and local officials coming together to plan for safer, more reliable transportation. I’m proud of the collaborative effort that went into identifying practical solutions for our roads and transit systems,” Cohen said. "Modern and effective infrastructure facilitates commerce for businesses and the quality of life for residents. The focus now turns to working alongside our partners to promptly implement and coordinate these projects efficiently to ensure that our tax dollars are well spent. The successful passage of these propositions will strengthen our community, and I look forward to this next chapter of regional planning.”
With both propositions approved, RTA Next won't change the region's sales tax rate. For example, the sales tax rate levied within Tucson city limits is currently 8.7% and will remain at that rate.
The original RTA plan originally promised $2 billion worth of transportation projects to the region in 2006. Voters approved that plan, but revenues came in much lower than expected, primarily because of the Great Recession and then later the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving a funding shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars.
