The RTA Next Voter Guide

For the first time in two decades, Pima County voters will weigh in on whether to continue the work started when residents backed the creation of the Regional Transportation Authority in 2006.

The measure, known as RTA Next, is split into Propositions 418 and 419 on the March 10 ballot. Voters would need to approve both measures for the RTA to continue.

It’s worth remembering that the 2006 debate was one of the most contentious ballot fights the community had seen, especially amid skepticism over the creation of the modern streetcar route. Fast-forward nearly two decades and the streetcar has become the crown jewel of the city’s mass-transit offerings — despite covering just 3.9 miles.

There is no streetcar extension or other shiny, big-ticket item tied to RTA Next. And plenty of political beef sits at the heart of whether to renew¹ the half-cent sales tax dedicated to regional transportation projects.

We’d need a week to unpack all of the back-and-forth between the “Yes” and “No” camps — but the only real way to settle those feuds might involve hopping into a time machine to make sure that the original RTA lived up to its promises.

And since we can't do that, let's just focus on the question that voters will be struggling with this weekend, as they finally open up those ballots that are sitting in their mailboxes.

The current version of the Regional Transportation Authority — now known as RTA One — is running out.

Voters built a sunset clause into the half-cent sales tax when they approved the plan in 2006, and that funding stream — which now makes up roughly two-thirds of the region’s transportation dollars — expires in June. Over nearly two decades, RTA One has crossed off more than 1,000 projects from its to-do list, most tied to widening roads, expanding transit and tackling long-standing safety issues.

Still, RTA One didn’t completely live up to its original promises. Construction costs climbed, revenues lagged behind early projections and a handful of projects lost political momentum as the region’s priorities shifted away from what made sense in 2006.

RTA Next sets aside $257 million to wrap up — or rework — seven projects left unfinished from the first plan, essentially asking voters whether they want to finish the job or start a different chapter.

Propositions 418 and 419 have a long list of supporters, ranging from elected officials across Pima County to private-sector backers like the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, Tucson Electric Power and Connect Pima, the political action committee paying for much of the signage and digital advertising campaign.

The deadline to report how much they’ve spent on campaigning for the special election is still a few days away, but we’re hearing the PAC has dropped a large six-figure sum on ads and signs promising smoother roads and fewer potholes. (Technically, RTA Next doesn’t fund pothole repair directly — but resurfacing projects will definitely wipe them out along the way.)

But don’t take our word for it. The official publicity pamphlet sent to voters leans heavily toward supporter arguments.

The main argument from the RTA Next supporters is that it's the only way to fix Pima County's roads and prepare for growth.

The $2.67 billion plan — a compromise between the competing priorities of two cities, three towns, Pima County, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the Tohono O'odham Nation — reflects that none of these jurisdictions have dedicated taxes that are used to pay for fixing roads or providing transit.

By pooling their resources, they argue, the greater Tucson region will also be competitive to get state and federal funding for transportation projects. Absent the RTA there is no permanent sales tax in any jurisdiction that pays to fix roads.

If voters reject the plan, they argue, the region will lose hundred of millions of dollars in future transportation funding that will have a dramatic and immediate impact on transit and road projects across the region.

There are a number of different factions opposing the RTA Next plan, so there isn’t just one argument against it.

The list of opponents includes the Tucson Democratic Socialists of America and the Pima County Republican Party, as well as civic groups like the Living Streets Alliance. And a coalition of local residents including high-level former City of Tucson officials formed a political action committee, Tucson Deserves Better, to oppose Propositions 418 and 419.

But one of the main arguments is the lack of public input.

Critics argue that an earlier version of the plan included feedback from the RTA’s citizen advisory committee and extensive public polling by the RTA — while the version on the ballot landed with a few surprises for policy wonks.

Proposition 418 outlines the planned projects in the RTA Next proposal including 31 roadway corridor improvements and four freeway interchanges as well as other transit projects.

More importantly, opponents argue that the “all-or-nothing” framing is misleading.

If voters reject RTA Next, opponents say elected officials will just have to step up and craft a Plan B — though what that alternative looks like remains unclear.

Some critics have floated ideas ranging from a half-cent city sales tax to a countywide tax managed by Pima County, or even restarting the RTA process from scratch with a fresh round of public input.

Finally, considering RTA One did not live up to all of its promises, opponents are simply distrustful that RTA Next will fare any better.

For all the division over RTA One and RTA Next, there’s actually broad agreement on at least one thing: Tucson’s roads could be better. From potholes to clogged interchanges on the northwest side, there’s plenty of work left to do.

The RTA Next election is essentially a choice between adopting this specific plan — keeping current projects moving and preserving transit funding — or rejecting it in favor of... something else.

If voters reject Propositions 418 and 419 — and FWIW, a split decision would likely put the RTA into limbo without another election — there would be near-immediate consequences.

The Tucson City Council has already discussed how Sun Tran could change without the tens of millions of dollars it receives annually from RTA funding. Routes could be cut, service slowed and paratransit programs like Sun Van scaled back.

Over the next 20 years, the RTA, Pima County and other communities expected to contribute roughly $954 million for transit as part of RTA Next.

A loss of that much revenue would ripple across the region, affecting workers, students and shoppers who rely on the current level of mass transit available throughout the region. The broader economic impact is harder to quantify, but fewer buses running less frequently would be felt quickly.

Cities, towns and Pima County would likely shift into maintenance mode on roads — focusing on short-term fixes while long-term solutions are debated. And those solutions could get messy.

For example, if Tucson pursued a city-only transit tax, it wouldn’t fund roads outside city limits. That might sound appealing to some city residents looking to keep every dollar generated inside the city to be used for city project. But this action would have a cascading effect, as other jurisdictions look to pass their own transportation tax.

What would happen if city voters signed off on a transportation tax and then the county voters are asked to pass a similar tax? Tucsonans would into pay the tax, but the Pima County Supervisors could potentially vote to fund more projects in unincorporated areas than city voters would like.

It’s complicated. But critics of RTA Next argue that voting “no” now doesn’t mean saying “no” forever.

We’ll note that Arizona’s Proposition 132, passed in 2022, would have required ballot measures involving tax increases to receive at least 60% voter approval to pass. Technically, Proposition 419 — which sets the tax rate — is not a tax increase.

Ballots should have already arrived in your mailbox. You can check your voter registration — and track your ballot — here.

If you haven’t received your ballot, the last day to request one is Friday, February 27.

The Pima County Recorder’s Office recommends mailing completed ballots by Tuesday, March 3.

Election Day — your last chance to turn in your ballot — is Tuesday, March 10.