RTA Plan
The Regional Transportation Authority oversees implementation of a 20-year, voter-approved regional transportation plan and manages the tax revenues collected to fund it. The taxes are collected from the RTA’s state-established taxing district within Pima County.
2026 RTA Plan
A new $2.67 billion regional transportation plan and half-cent sales tax to fund it were approved by Pima County voters on March 10, 2026. The plan and tax went into effect on April 1, 2026.
The new plan continues the work of the RTA which delivered projects and services across the region between 2006 and March 2026 from its first voter-approved plan.
The new plan has five primary elements:
- Roadway (multimodal) Corridor
- Safety, ADA and Active Transportation
- Arterial and Collector Roads, Pavement Rehabilitation
- Environmental
- Transit (including paratransit and dial-a-ride)
The projects and services will help to reduce traffic congestion, improve safety, improve connectivity and provide affordable transportation options that support accessibility, healthy choices and air quality.
The first five-year period of the Roadway Corridor element of the new plan includes seven projects from the 2006 plan which required scope changes or additional funding. The RTA is focused on working with RTA member jurisdictions to deliver these projects or final phases during the next five years in addition to working on new roadway projects in the 2026 plan.
Current transit services funded by the RTA as part of the 2006 plan will continue to receive RTA funding as part of the 2026 plan. The new plan also calls for future expansion of transit services and added safety and security of the regional transit system. The RTA provides funding to Sun Tran for expanded evening and weekend services, improved service frequencies, expanded paratransit services, as well as Sun Shuttle neighborhood circulator services (general/paratransit/dial-a-ride) that connect to the Sun Tran system. The RTA also provides funding for operations of the Sun Link streetcar.
In addition, projects from the other plan elements will be funded during the first period of the new RTA plan and will be identified via requests from jurisdictions and public input, as well as review through the RTA committee process and a final decision by the RTA Board.
2006 RTA Plan
The Regional Transportation Authority developed its first regional transportation plan for voter consideration in May 2006. Pima County voters approved the $2.1 billion plan and a half-cent sales tax to fund it. The plan and tax sunset on March 30, 2026, following the March 10, 2026, approval of a new plan and half-cent sales tax.
The 2006 plan set out to reduce the growing congestion at that time, improve safety and regional mobility, and expand alternative transportation choices to meet regional transportation demands over 20 years. The plan was developed through a historic regional collaborative effort involving local, county, state and tribal governments, and through public input gathered during citizen advisory committee meetings, open houses, surveys, stakeholder meetings and community presentations.
Through March 10, 2026, nearly 1,050 projects and services were delivered. While seven of the 2006 plan projects or final phases were added to the 2026 plan due to project scope changes or additional funding needs, some of the remaining 2006 plan projects or project phases will be completed after 2026 with RTA reserve funds or regional funds programed through fiscal year 2029.
The RTA taxing district within Pima County boundaries was established by the Arizona Legislature in 2004. The RTA is managed by Pima Association of Governments, the region’s metropolitan planning organization and council of governments. The PAG Regional Council and RTA Board are comprised of the chief elected members of the governing bodies from all local and county governments, and tribal nations and the governor-appointed Pima County representative on the Arizona State Transportation Board.