July 1, 2006 – Jan. 31, 2010	(000s)
RTA Excise Tax Collections.... .	$239,855
Funds Committed ...................	$505,168
Funds Expended ....................	$170,989
Fund Balance .........................	$ 76,451

Transportation projects approved by voters in May 2006 at part of the Regional Transportation Authority plan are generating hundreds of new jobs.

The RTA plan projects generated 720 net new jobs between July 2006 and October 2009, according to a study completed by the University of Arizona Economic and Business Research Center at the Eller College of Management.

During that same time period, the RTA spent $138.23 million of revenues generated from the 1/2-cent excise tax and $2.07 million in federal money. These costs covered design and management, related studies, construction projects, and transit system expansion.

Of the 720 jobs created, the jobs resulted in a net increase of $75.3 million in labor income and $146.8 million in gross sales. 

“As we developed the RTA plan, we analyzed potential job impact and this fits in with some of our earlier estimates of job creation,” said RTA Executive Director Gary Hayes. “The voters put this capital improvement program in place and we really have them to thank for making these jobs available at this time given our economic climate.”

According to the report, the share of RTA purchases made locally is larger than the share of purchases made by businesses and consumers. A major portion of design, engineering, project management, etc., are obtained from local vendors or conducted
within county government. This higher share of purchases results in direct and indirect jobs and wages, helping to retain money in the community.

All levels of governments also received direct and induced benefits from tax revenue created by the RTA. The revenue impact during the same time period is $6.7 million, including $2.5 million retained in Pima County.

The RTA asked the UA to conduct this study to also determine how the flow of excise tax revenues and current project pricing affected overall RTA plan performance.

The study showed that revenues to date are 13.52 percent below original projections but project costs are running 22.63 percent below original estimates. Due to lower bids for construction projects, the lower project costs are balancing out with the drop in revenues.

Other project-related benefits listed in the study include but are not limited to: less congestion costs to both car and transit passengers, less wear and tear on automobiles, improved safety, enhanced property values along transit routes, increased access for persons without automobiles, and a broader labor market for Pima County employers.

The full report can be accessed online on the home page at www.RTAmobility.com. 

Following a December regional transit symposium, the Regional Transportation Authority Board authorized the RTA Executive Director to conduct communications with the Tucson City Manager, to prepare a proposal that would result in the consolidation of regional transit services under the RTA. 

The Tucson City Council also approved a resolution allowing Mike Letcher, Tucson City Manager to enter into discussions with RTA Executive Director Gary Hayes. 

The RTA Board met again on Jan. 11 to learn more about the concept of regionalizing transit services throughout the metropolitan region.

Discussion included information about the Arizona statute that provides the RTA with legal authority to operate transit systems and to manage the overall system if it makes sense in light of the RTA’s major transit investments over the next 20 years.

Voters approved more than $533 million in transit improvements as part of the RTA plan. The RTA plan, as approved by voters in May 2006, would continue as promised. Management of a regional transit system pertains to governance, which would not compromise the plan.

Financing options of a regional transit system were presented with how maintenance of effort requirements on the part of the jurisdictions would continue as required by state statute until a permanent, dedicated funding source is identified.

In order to continue the dialogue, the RTA Board asked staff to prepare a response to several items , such as identifying the risks, defining the process toward seeking a dedicated funding source, identifying how other regions were able to move toward regional transit and how they obtained public support.

On Jan. 13, the Citizens Accountability for Regional Transportation (CART) Committee met and expressed support of exploring the idea of regional transit and looks forward to more information about the concept. The CART members also indicated that the Committee’s current role is to oversee implementation of the RTA plan. 

The RTA Board is scheduled to meet again on March 25 and will continue the discussion of moving toward a regional transit system.  

The link between the University of Arizona campus, 4th Avenue, downtown and the west side grew a little tighter on Feb. 24 with the announcement of the City of Tucson receiving $63 million in federal funds to use toward delivery of the modern streetcar project, which voters approved as part of the Regional Transportation Authority plan in May 2006.

The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant, a program of the U.S. Department of Transportation, is part of the City of Tucson’s funding portion of the overall modern streetcar project, which is expected to cost $150 million. The RTA will fund $75 million with the half-cent excise tax. In addition, the RTA plan included $13 million for operations and maintenance.

The City of Tucson was among 1,400 national TIGER Grant applicants competing for a share of the $1.5 billion program, created to fund innovative multi-modal transportation projects that develop infrastructure and create jobs.

“Funding is in place so that we can finalize streetcar vehicle procurement, solicit bids for all necessary rail and track work, and begin construction,” said Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup.

The Mayor acknowledged the long-term support of the modern streetcar project from the Federal Transit Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and southern Arizona’s congressional delegation. In addition, the modern streetcar project also has received $6 million in Congressional appropriations over the last two years.

“Congratulations to the City of Tucson on receiving the TIGER award. The modern streetcar is a central component in creating a strong, efficient and integrated transit system for our region,” said RTA Board Chair and Town of Sahuarita Mayor Lynne Skelton. The RTA plan includes a total of $533 million for transit improvements over the life of the 20-year plan.

“The modern streetcar is of critical importance to any future growth of the University,” said University of Arizona President Robert Shelton. “It is the key to connecting the University to downtown and is an exciting step forward to making this a more livable and vibrant community.”

To-date, The Gadsden Co. and partners have invested $28 million on the west side of Interstate 10, anticipating the increase in jobs, homes, shopping and people that the streetcar will bring, Jerry Dixon, partner in The Gadsden Co., said upon learning of the TIGER grant. His company, he said, projects 890 permanent jobs, 400 housing units, a boutique hotel, and retail related to the streetcar’s transit-oriented development. “Thisis a great moment – our company has been waiting four years for this
announcement.”

The modern streetcar route will stretch 3.9 miles with more than 100,000 people living and working within a half-mile. The project will connect the Arizona Health Sciences Center, The University of Arizona, Main Gate Square, 4th Avenue Shopping District, Congress Shopping and Entertainment District, and the Mercado District on downtown’s west side. For more information on the Modern Streetcar, please visit www.TucsonStreetcar.info.

Work is winding down on much-needed improvements to the Grant Road and Craycroft Road intersection.

The nearly 80,000 motorists who travel through the intersection each day will soon realize the long-term gains after enduring the short-term pain of barricaded travel lanes.

The $6.4 million in improvements, funded through the voter-approved Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and managed by the City of Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT), increase capacity at the intersection, thus decreasing travel delays and
improving air quality.

The intersection was rebuilt from the bottom-up and resurfaced to provide a smooth travel surface. The intersection was raised as much as 18 inches to improve drainage and eliminate the potential for recurring potholes that once dotted the roadway. The street drainage collection has been improved with more storm drain capacity through the addition of more underground pipes and surface catch basins.

The Alamo Wash bridge, which needed repair, was replaced as part of the project. New water mains replace the old water facilities, providing decades of new life and capacity to the system. Natural gas lines were lowered and are better protected than before.

A new smart traffic signal system along with dual left-turn capability should improve traffic flow by providing additional capacity at the intersection and reduce the congestion created by vehicles that blocked the through movements waiting to make a left turn.

New six-foot wide sidewalks, bike lanes and bus pullouts provide improved alternate modes of transportation opportunities without disrupting traffic flow in the area. 

On behalf of the contractor and the TDOT project team, a special thanks
to all the stakeholders for their patience and understanding during the 14-month-long project. Originally scheduled to be completed in 11 months, the project experienced challenges with weather, a holiday shopping season shutdown and redesign.

As Sun Shuttle closes in on its first year of service, ridership is on the rise and additional steps are under way to continue the trend. 

Sun Shuttle, which launched service inMay 2009, started with shuttle stops in Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and Green Valley and, in November, expanded to include routes that serve the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation and portions of unincorporated Pima County.

In the month of January, Sun Shuttle saw record ridership numbers as more residents in the community choose the service as their mode of transportation. All of the routes in the shuttle system provide easy and convenient neighborhood access to shopping,
entertainment and employment centers as well as connections to Sun Tran routes to access regional destinations.

Illustrating our commitment to the success of Sun Shuttle services, new schedules were released in February. Based on community input and suggestions from riders, the changes will improve on-time performance of the system, and provide more convenient transfers between shuttle routes and the Sun Tran system. New Sun Shuttle schedule brochures are available at various locations in each of the communities and online at www.suntran.com. The brochures offer detailed route and schedule information effective Feb. 15 through May 22.

Another round of service improvements is currently being planned for Sun Shuttle’s one-year anniversary in May. RTA staff will meet with community leaders and conduct public hearings in select service areas in the coming months to get input on potential service enhancements.

“Recent ridership improvements on routes implemented in May 2009 are a direct result of conversations we have been having with the community,” said Jim DeGrood, RTA Director of Transportation Services. “We hope that the upcoming dialogue is just as fruitful.”

To learn more about the upcoming public meetings, contact Jeremy Papuga, RTA Transit Planning and Operations Manager at (520) 792-1093. For general information, visit www.suntran.com and follow the Sun Shuttle link or contact the Customer Service Center at (520) 792-9222. For individuals with TDD equipment, call (520) 628-1565.