FY 2009-10 Annual Report 177 N. Church Ave. Suite 405 • Tucson AZ 85701 • (520) 770-9410 [tel] • (520) 620-6981 [fax] www.RTAmobility.com Ft. Lowell/Fontana Pedestrian crossing Lynne Skelton, Chair RTA Board of Directors As promised in our last annual report, the Regional Transportation Authority had nine of 11 of its first-period (FY 2007-11) roadway projects under way by the end of our fourth fiscal year. By the end of the fifth year on June 30, 2011, the final two projects are expected to be under construction. You can’t help but see orange construction barricades across the region, including those along RTA sidewalk and pedestrian crossing projects, as well as critical wildlife linkage, bus stop and intersection projects. These projects have helped provide jobs through some tough economic times. Between July 1, 2006, and October 30, 2009, the RTA created 700 new jobs. A strategic move in the last year involved the RTA establishing a co-manager relationship with the City of Tucson on the modern streetcar project. This followed a February 2010 announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation, awarding the City of Tucson with a $63 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant for the project. The $63 million is a portion of the city’s regional match to the RTA plan’s $75 million commitment to construct the modern streetcar system. The grant announcement set the project in motion. The RTA plan also includes an additional $13 million for operations and maintenance. As final funding sources are identified, we look forward to seeing the streetcar in operation in 2013. 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 Mercado District on downtown’s west side. For more information on the modern streetcar, please visit www.TucsonStreetcar.com. Another significant effort in the past year was put on the table after several meetings and much discussion of the topic, regionalizing transit. The RTA proposed taking over management of Sun Tran, the mass transit system now operated by the City of Tucson, in order to provide regional management oversight. Although neither the City of Tucson nor the RTA chose to go forward with regionalization of Sun Tran/Sun Van, the RTA continues to expand the Sun Shuttle neighborhood transit service and now operates Pima County Rural Transit as part of that service. As the RTA closed out its fiscal year, the RTA Board supported a review of first-period roadway projects and put second-period projects on hold. On Nov. 3, the RTA board approved several recommendations, including a release of secondperiod projects (FY20012-16) that conform to the RTA Board-approved scope of work. Some of the findings of the first-period projects identified that project scope and budgets should be more integrated into procurement documents and design contracts, that the design teams developing projects need better awareness of the RTA’s preliminary plans and associated cost estimates and project soft costs could be better controlled. Also, the RTA Technical/Management Committee will develop additional policies based on other project review report recommendations. For a complete list of the recommendations, visit www.RTAmobility.com. Collectively, we have experienced a challenging economy, and it’s no surprise that this has affected the projected level of regional funding meant to match RTA funds for upcoming projects. We will continue to work with the jurisdictions to identify short-term, creative funding gap solutions. We expect to deliver the RTA projects to you as promised through fiscal year 2026. 2010 RTA Board RTA Chair Lynne Skelton Mayor of Sahuarita RTA Vice Chair Robert Valencia Vice Chairman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe RTA Second Vice Chair Ned Norris Jr. Chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation Jennifer Eckstrom Mayor of South Tucson Ramon Valadez Pima County Board of Supervisors Robert Walkup Mayor of Tucson Paul Loomis (Jan. - May) Satish Hiremath (June - Dec.) Mayor of Oro Valley Steve Christy Arizona State Transportation Board Member Ed Honea Mayor of Marana Gary G. Hayes Executive Director of Pima Association of Governments Twin Peaks Interchange 2010 CART Committee James Barber Robert Cook Joseph Dhuey Donovan Durband Grace Evans Kentton Grant Javier Fernando Herrera David Heineking Douglas Mance George McFerron Marty Moreno Albert Pesqueira William N. Poorten III Armando Rios Jr. Dick Roberts Charlene Robinson Larry Steckler Herb Trossman Roger Yohem Thais Young M. Joe Yee Colin Zimmerman Jurisdiction Representatives Anna Jolivet, Tucson CART finds the RTA meets ballot obligations for FY 2009-10 The Citizens Accountability for Regional Transportation (CART) Committee, which oversees the implementation of RTA projects, Kelle Maslyn, Chair concurs that the RTA met its ballot obligations in FY 2009-10, the CART Committee fourth year of the plan. We are pleased with the results of the past year. The 20-year, $2.1 billion RTA plan was approved by Pima County voters in May 2006. The CART Committee also is supportive of the RTA’s intentions to pursue regional transit management, a role it is granted to pursue under RTA statutes. If discussions on regional transit open again, it is important for everyone to know that the same funds which currently fund Sun Tran would continue to fund the service and not be supplanted by any funds targeted for other RTA projects. In fact, the RTA has identified how to save money under a regional management approach. It is important to know that funds for RTA roadway projects cannot be diverted into transit operations. CART Committee members also were supportive of the RTA’s decision to conduct project reviews of first-period roadway projects. The CART Committee recognizes the value in identifying ways to reduce costs, improve the process, recognize best practices and to focus on improvement areas, such as building relationships with utilities on project coordination. We are encouraged that the RTA has an interest in making the overall process better and we thank the jurisdictions for their work on all of the projects that have been completed to date or are under way and are on schedule. 2010 Technical Management Committee David Longoria, South Tucson Jurisdiction Representatives Kelle Maslyn, Marana John Bernal, Pima County Gilbert Davidson, Town of Marana Jim Glock, City of Tucson Chuck Huckelberry, Pima County Richard Miranda, City of Tucson Enrique Serna, City of South Tucson Jim Stahle, Town of Sahuarita Fred Stevens, Tohono O’odham Nation Francisco Valencia, Pascua Yaqui Tribe Jerene Watson, Town of Oro Valley Jordan Feld, Tucson Airport Authority Charles Mendonca, Pascua Yaqui Tribe Curt Lueck, Pima County Dennis Skelton, Sahuarita Tom Bush, Oro Valley Dr. Selso Villegas, Tohono O’odham Nation Private Sector Representatives Roger Caldwell William Carroll Paul Cella Chet Davis Katrina Heineking Bob Ianarrino Jim Schoen Frank Thomson Marshall Worden Broadway/Park Place Mall bus pullout RTA Transit Symposium – The Regional Transportation Authority hosted a transit symposium in December 2009 with transit industry experts who discussed the benefits of regional governance of mass transit. Panelists included Jacob Snow, general manager of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada; Keith Parker, President/CEO of VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio, Texas; John Inglish, General Manager/CEO of Utah Transit Authority, and Cal Marsella, CEO of MV Rail and Chief of Business Development in Colorado and California. The RTA brought in the experts to learn from the best about how to make local transit more accessible while being cost effective at the same time. The RTA, which was established in 2004, oversees the $2.1 billion RTA plan, which includes $533 million for transit improvements. Since voters approved the plan in May 2006, RTA-funded transit improvements include expanded evening and weekend service, new neighborhood transit circulator services, new express bus service and a new bus storage and maintenance facility. In January 2009, the RTA announced a new regional branding commitment that capitalizes on the Sun Tran brand and includes Sun Van, Sun Express, Sun Shuttle and Sun Rideshare. The branding effort will include the use of a “smart card” that can be used interchangeably among the transit services to pay fares. The panelists agreed that the time to pursue regional transit consolidation is now because it can lead to economies of scale, improved service, operating efficiencies and reduced costs. Regional transit discussion – In consecutive meetings following the transit symposium, the Regional Transportation Authority Board and the Tucson City Council authorized RTA Executive Director Gary Hayes and City Manager Mike Letcher to begin regional transit discussions. The regional transit discussions focused on how mass transit service, now operated through Sun Tran and managed by the City of Tucson, would be managed by the RTA. Under the RTA enabling statute, the RTA has the legal authority to pursue and manage transit through regional governance. The RTA proposed that Sun Tran service initially would be funded as it currently is through City of Tucson general funds, as required by law, with the long-term goal of identifying a new, dedicated funding source. The RTA also identified potential cost savings of approximately $3 million in the first year of transition of management due to cost efficiencies and opportunities to pursue matching grants. The $533 million approved for transit improvements as part of the RTA plan would not be used to manage regional transit. The regional transit discussion was put on hold to respond to negotiation requests from the Tucson City Council. Discussion continued only to be put on hold indefinitely in August following additional negotiation requests from the City Council and also to remove any potential conflicts during Sun Tran contract negotiations with its union employees. RTA closes 2009 with transit symposium Sun Shuttle Updates and Expansion – Neighborhood transit service in Oro Valley/Catalina, Marana, Green Valley/Sahuarita, San Xavier District and Tucson Estates grew from 2,000 riders in the first month of Sun Shuttle service in May 2009 to 12,000 riders in May 2010. Sun Shuttle, which launched service in May 2009, started with shuttle stops in Marana, Oro Valley/Catalina, Sahuarita and Green Valley and, in November 2009, expanded to include routes that serve the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation and portions of unincorporated Pima County. For specific Sun Shuttle information, visit the Web site at www. suntran.com, or call the Customer Service Center at (520) 792-9222 (for individuals with TDD equipment, call 520-628-1565). Except on major holidays, the Customer Service Center is open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. continued... Reid Park Sidewalks Modern Streetcar co-management – News of a $63 million federal grant, a key funding component of the modern streetcar project, was delivered to the City of Tucson and the Regional Transportation Authority in February 2010. The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The modern streetcar system is a project of the Regional Transportation Authority plan, including $75 million in RTA funds for project construction and $13 million for operations and maintenance. Total project costs currently are estimated at $196.8 million. Currently, other project funding sources include $6 million in Congressional appropriations over the last two years. The streetcar project, which is co-managed by the RTA and City of Tucson, is part of the RTA plan’s transit component. Voters approved $533 for transit improvements, including construction of the streetcar system, as part of the $2.1 billion, 20-year RTA plan. The streetcar route will stretch 3.9 miles with more than 100,000 people living and working within a half-mile. The route will connect the Arizona Health Sciences Center, The University of Arizona, Main Gate Square, 4th Avenue Shopping District, Congress Shopping and Entertainment District, and Mercado District on downtown’s west side. For more information on the modern streetcar, please visit www.TucsonStreetcar.com. Utility infrastructure was expected to begin in early 2011 with plans for the streetcar system to be operational in 2013. The city is finalizing construction plans for the track and utility improvements needed to support the project. In May 2010, the city entered into a contract with United Streetcar of Portland, Ore., to manufacture seven new streetcars for the new system. The streetcars are ahead of schedule, and should begin arriving in Tucson in late 2012 for testing. Currently, the RTA is on track to have all first-period (FY 2007-2011) projects under construction as promised. The RTA projects, which receive funding from the RTA’s half-cent excise tax, also received regional funding. The Sahuarita Road project, for example, received funding through the Town of Sahuarita, Sahuarita Unified School District and the Arizona Department of Commerce. Camino de Mañana is a 3.3-mile roadway with four lanes divided that connects the Dove Mountain area to the new Twin Peaks interchange at Interstate 10. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Twin Peaks interchange and Camino de Manana projects was celebrated in November 2010. The Tanque Verde project includes widening to four lanes with new bike lanes and sidewalks. The project is expected to be completed by September 2011. Other RTA roadway widening projects under construction at this time include: the I-19 frontage road in Green Valley between Continental and Canoa roads; La Cholla Boulevard, River Road to Ruthrauff Road; La Canada Drive, Calle Concordia to River Road; Speedway Boulevard, Camino Seco to Houghton Road, and Houghton Road, I-10 to Tanque Verde Road (intersection at Houghton and Old Vail roads.) Momentum builds for streetcar project RTA Roadway Projects – Roadway projects that kicked off construction in FY 2009-10 include: Sahuarita Road, Interstate 10 to Country Club Road; Camino de Manana, Tangerine Road to Linda Vista Boulevard, and Tanque Verde Road, Catalina Highway to Houghton Road. Bus pullouts – The Regional Transportation Authority is managing the construction of 40 bus pullouts in the City of Tucson at a cost of approximately $7 million. The projects are part of the transit element of the RTA plan with $30 million set aside for bus pullout projects in the region. In July 2009, the RTA Board approved an agreement with the City of Tucson to help accelerate the bus pullouts. The RTA contracted with an engineer to identify the bus stops which had over 100 boardings a day. The following transit corridors with four or more bus pullouts were identified as part of the program: • South Sixth Avenue (8) • Alvernon Way (8) • Speedway Boulevard (5) • 1st Avenue (4) • Oracle Road (4) continued... Pascua Yaqui/casino del sol park and Ride The RTA Board awarded construction contracts on the first bus pullouts in November 2010. Construction of all of the pullouts is expected to be completed in 2011. Pascua Yaqui Tribe Park-and-Ride – The Regional Transportation Authority extended bus service and funded construction of a parking lot at the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s Casino del Sol for a new park-and-ride. Sun Tran is providing the service, making transit a new travel option for employees, neighbors and customers of the casino and the Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater. The park-and-ride is the first for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, which also provided funding for the project. The park-and-ride provides over 100 parking spaces and is located in the northern area of the AVA parking lot. The bus stop has a shaded cover, a water fountain, solar-powered lighting and a bicycle rack. Bike/ped – The RTA completed 86 miles of bikeway and 34 miles of sidewalk through the end of FY 2009-10. included $32 million provided by the RTA and FTA. Phase II includes a state-of-the-art facility with 17 bus bays to repair and maintain the fleet, a fare retrieval area, bus wash and dispatch center. The building complex is the City of Tucson’s first “green” transit facility built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) specifications. LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED focuses on using less water, energy and resources, while creating less waste throughout the construction process. In 2006, the City of Tucson’s Mayor and Council adopted LEED Silver standards for all new City-owned buildings and renovations over 5,000 square feet. Sun Tran’s Northwest Facility is LEED Silver registered, which is only the third City-owned facility to be completed using the USGBC specifications for green building. Specifically, this facility features solar panels for power generation, the use of natural lighting to save energy, the use of reclaimed water and water efficient features to reduce water consumption, and a comfortable state-of-the-art workspace for employees. Transit system connects with parkand-rides and new facilities Sun Tran Storage and Maintenance – Sun Tran buses are rolling in and out of its new bus storage and maintenance facility at 3920 N. Sun Tran Blvd., just east of the intersection of Prince Road and Interstate 10. The facility opened in November 2009 and is partially funded through the Regional Transportation Authority. This phased project includes: Phase 1: $8 million funded by the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) and 1994 City of Tucson bonds, including the completion of Sun Tran Boulevard and the fueling facility in October 2005. Phase II: Construction of the maintenance and operations buildings with capacity for up to 150 buses. Funding Phase III: Currently under construction, this facility will expand the maintenance building and construct an administration building for regional transit operations with $16 million in funding from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus funds. Construction is anticipated to be completed in mid-2011. When fully built, Sun Tran’s new northwest facility will have the capacity to operate and maintain 250 buses. The current Park Avenue facility, only designed for 150 buses, had maintained 230 buses in the fleet. Sun Tran now operates out of both facilities and will do so until the northwest facility’s 25 acres are fully built in mid-2011. continued... Houghton/Old vail Road Intersection Between July 2006 and October 2009, projects from the Regional Transportation Authority’s 20-year, $2.1 billion plan generated 700 new jobs, 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 ½-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 jobs created, they resulted in a net increase of $75.3 million in labor income and $146.8 million in gross sales. 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 government 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 through October 2009 were 13.52 percent below original projections but project costs were running 22.63 percent below original estimates. Due to lower bids for construction projects, the lower project costs were 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 at www.RTAmobility.com. RTA projects create 700 jobs in first three years What to expect in FY 2010-11 – Roadway element projects will be the highlight of the coming year, with the first projects coming to conclusion and other projects being initiated. Projects concluding in FY 2010-11: • Twin Peaks Interchange • Twin Peaks Road (Camino de Mañana) • I-19 frontage road • Sahuarita Road, I-19 to La Villita Projects continuing throughout FY 2010-11: • La Cañada, River to Ruthrauff • Speedway, Camino Seco to Houghton • Tanque Verde, Catalina Highway to Houghton Projects to start in FY 2010-11: • La Cañada, River to Ina • Magee, Shannon to La Cañada • Kolb connection to Sabino Canyon • Magee, Thornydale to Shannon Golf Links/Wilmot intersection FY 2009-10 RTA Financial Report Revenues Sales Tax Investment Income Total Revenues $ (000s) 62,658 $ 2,427 $ 65,085 Expenditures Roadway Improvements Total Roadway $ 62,101 Safety Intersection $ 11,960 Transit Corridor Bus Pullouts $ 2,184 Elderly & Pedestrian $ 1,742 At-grade Rail/ Bridge Deficiencies $ 166 Signal Technology $ 786 Total Safety $ 16,838 Environmental & Economic Vitality Greenways, Bikeways, Pathways & Sidewalks $ 5,096 Transportation-related Critical Wildlife Links $ 378 Small Business Assistance $ 516 Total Environmental & Economic Vitality $ 5,990 Transit Sun Tran Services Expansion $ 12,747 RTA Projects Expected to Commence Construction in FY 2010-11 Roadway Improvements • Kolb, connection to Sabino Canyon • Magee, La Cañada to Shannon • Magee, Shannon to Thornydale • La Cañada, River to Ina • Speedway, Camino Seco to Houghton Safety - Intersection • Kolb & Golf Links • Starr Pass & Mission Safety - Bus Pullouts • Various Locations, Regionwide Environmental & Economic Vitality • Restriping for Bike Lanes, Regionwide • New Sidewalks, Regionwide Transit • Phase III – Bus Storage & Maintenance Facility a s s i s t in g s ma l l b u s in e s s Mainstreet Business Assistance Program (FY2009-10) Special Needs $ 3,781 • Engaged on 22 regional projects New Buses & Maintenance Facilities $ 1,868 • Logged 7,300 business outreach and construction ombudsman visits with 2,200 businesses Neighborhood Circulator $ 1,862 Modern Streetcar $ 4,577 • Attended 410 project and construction meetings Total Transit Administration Expenses $ 24,835 $ 781 Total Expenditures $ 110,545 Surplus/(Deficit) $ (45,460) Year-end Fund Balance $ 61,486 • Follow up and resolution on 100s of business issues, questions and concerns • Provided confidential business consulting services to 73 companies • Created the region’s most comprehensive Small Business Resource Directory FY 2009-10 RTA Project Status Pantano River Parkway Projects In Construction • Twin Peaks Interchange, Silverbell to I-10 • Twin Peaks Road (Camino de Mañana), FY 2007-10 Projects Projects Linda Vista to Tangerine Completed in Construction • Houghton & Old Vail intersection Plan Element as of 6-30-10 as of 6-30-10 • I-19 Frontage Road, Roadway Continental to Canoa Road Total Roadway 0 8 • La Cholla Blvd., River to Ruthrauff Safety • La Cañada, Calle Concordia to River 66 4 • Tanque Verde, Catalina Hwy. Intersection to Houghton Elderly & Pedestrian 34 2 Sahuarita, I-19 to Country Club Ft. Lowell & S. Campbell intersection Bus Pullouts 28 1 Golf Links & S. Wilmot intersection Railroad Bridge 1 1 Reid Park Sidewalks Signal Technology 11 2 Pantano River Parkway Total Safety 140 10 In Planning and Design Environmental & Economic Vitality • Magee/Cortaro Farms, La Cañada to Thornydale Greenways, Bikeways, • Broadway, Euclid to Country Club Pathways & Sidewalks 15 4 • Grant Road, Oracle to Swan Transportation-related • 22nd. Street, I-10 to Tucson Blvd. Critical Wildlife Linkages 1 3 • Valencia, Ajo to Mark Road Total Environmental & Economic Vitality 16 7 • Houghton, I-10 to Tanque Verde • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Magee, La Cañada to Oracle Transit Downtown Links, I-10 to Broadway Weekday Evening 21* 0 Silverbell, Ina to Grant Weekend Expansion 23 0 Speedway, Camino Seco to Houghton Bus Frequency & Tangerine, I-10 to La Cañada Overcrowding Relief 8** 0** Kolb, connection to Sabino Canyon Special Needs 3 0 La Cholla, Magee to Tangerine Neighborhood Circulator 11 0 Valencia, Alvernon to Kolb High Capacity Streetcar 0 1 Wilmot, North from Sahuarita Road Total Transit 66 1 Intersections Completed * 21 routes received weekday evening service, fully implementing this service expansion • Grant & Craycroft ** 7 routes received overcrowding relief • Wilmot & S. Park Place 177 N. Church Ave., Suite 405 Tucson, AZ 85701 (520) 770-9410 [tel] (520) 620-6981 [fax]