177 N. Church Ave., Suite 405 Tucson, AZ 85701 (520) 770-9410 [tel] (520) 620-6981 [fax] F Y J u ly 1, 2011 - J u n e 30, 2012 A n n u a l R e p o r t www.RTAmobility.com Speedway Road widening Letter from the Chair Satish Hiremath RTA Chair Mayor of Oro Valley The sixth year of the Regional Transportation Authority’s project implementation marked a significant milestone: the commencement of rail construction for the $196 million Tucson Modern Streetcar project. The celebration in April 2012 included remarks from U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, local congressional representatives and myself. More than 400 people attended the event for this long-awaited project that is not only one of the largest projects in the RTA plan but also is considered the single largest transportation construction project built by the City of Tucson. It will have a significant economic impact on our region. To-date, hundreds of millions of public and private investments are occurring along the streetcar route. Completed projects in the past year include La Cholla, from River Road to Ruthrauff; La Canada, from Ina to Calle Concordia, and Speedway, from Camino Seco to Houghton. Recent project initiations include construction on Sahuarita Road, from La Villita to Nogales Highway, and construction on the intersection improvements at Kino Parkway/22nd St. and Grant Rd./Oracle Rd. This fall, a couple more road projects got under way, including Houghton, from Irvington to Valencia, and Downtown Links, which will reconstruct St. Mary’s Road and 6th Street, from Church Avenue to Interstate 10. All around us you see bright orange RTA signs noting project construction. The signs are found across the region and you will continue to see new signs go up as projects begin and others come down as projects are completed. We remain cognizant and appreciative that the projects getting built were thoroughly vetted by the public during the public outreach phase of the RTA plan development. In 2005, the public reviewed the draft plan during several media events, 27 town halls and more than 200 presentations, and as part of the open citizen committee review and approval process. The RTA continues to be noted as an example of a successful regional initiative, a model that others hope to follow. One component of that effort was unanimous support of the RTA plan by all the elected bodies of RTA members. Our goal is to ensure that all of the RTA projects are completed as they appear on the ballot over the life of the plan, within budget, to enhance our regional mobility. That’s happening and we hope you are enjoying the early results. Front cover, clockwise from top: Tucson streetcar tracks, Congress St. Speedway Blvd., Camino Seco to Houghton Rd., with public art Sun Tran administration building dedication Tucson streetcar tracks at University Blvd. and Euclid Sun Link maintenance and storage facility 2012 RTA Board RTA Chair Satish Hiremath Mayor of Oro Valley RTA Vice Chair Steve Christy Arizona State Transportation Board Member RTA 2nd Vice Chair Ramon Valadez Pima County Board of Supervisors Catalina Alvarez Vice Chairwoman of Pascua Yaqui Tribe Ned Norris Jr. Chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation Duane Blumberg Mayor of Sahuarita Jonathan Rothschild Mayor of Tucson Ed Honea Mayor of Marana Jennifer Eckstrom Mayor of South Tucson Speedway Hawk intersection CART reviews RTA’s roles 2012 CART Committee Ace Chicago Albert R. Pesqueira Allen Cook Armando Rios Jr. Charlene Robinson Chris Albright David Heineking Douglas S. Mance George H. McFerron Grace Evans Herb Trossman James Barber Joseph Oliva III Kentton C. Grant M. Joe Yee Richard R. Roberts Robert Cook Roger Cracraft Sami Hamed Steve Huffman Tom Bush William N. Poorten III William Sheldon Jurisdiction Representatives The Regional Transportation Authority continues on a path of responsible fiscal performance, and its member jurisdictions are building new projects and celebrating completions. In the past year, the Citizens Accountability for Regional Transportation (CART) Committee reviewed the RTA’s roles and responsibilities under state law with the RTA’s attorney, Thomas Benavidez. The RTA is set up as a municipal Kelle Maslyn, Chair corporation and is a subdivision of the State of Arizona and, as such, the RTA CART Committee also carries the legal and fiduciary duty to exercise sound stewardship over implementation of the plan as promised to the voters. In the past year, questions arose regarding any possibility of the RTA shifting funds from projects to pavement management. We learned the RTA statute clearly states that the tax dollars approved by Pima County voters can only be spent on projects approved as part of the 2006 RTA ballot. RTA staff provides us with regular financial and project updates and fills us in on challenges that arise as well. We are particularly pleased with the progress of the Tucson Modern Streetcar project over the past year, which is co-managed by the RTA. In addition, we see the benefits of the consulting services provided by the RTA MainStreet business assistance program to businesses along RTA roadway and streetcar projects. More recently, the RTA received an intense review of one RTA roadway project – Broadway Boulevard, from Euclid to Country Club. The CART Committee subsequently received an update on the Broadway project and RTA ballot requirements for the project. At the urging of neighborhood interests, the Broadway Citizens Task Force requested further review of the data that helped determine the parameters of the project. This process is ongoing and lines of communication between the CART Committee and the Broadway Citizens Task Force have opened. Currently, the project is moving forward as approved by the Pima County voters in 2006 and is anticipated to be under construction in 2016. The CART Committee also gained about a dozen new members last year. We appreciate the service of the people who served on the CART for four-year terms, and we welcome our newest members. Kelle Maslyn, Town of Marana David Longoria, City of South Tucson 2011 Technical Management Committee Jurisdiction Representatives Vacant, City of Tucson Private Sector Representatives Chuck Huckelberry, Pima County Daryl Cole, City of Tucson John Bernal, Pima County Enrique Serna/Joel Gastelum, South Tucson Gilbert Davidson/Tim Ensign, Town of Marana Craig Civalier/Jose Rodriguez, Town of Oro Valley Jim Stahle, Town of Sahuarita Francisco Valencia, Pascua Yaqui Tribe Fred Stevens, Tohono O’odham Nation Roger Caldwell Paul Cella Chet Davis Bob Iannarino Jim Schoen Frank Thomson Jordan Feld William Carroll Timothy Ahrens Steve Shepherd Kate Riley Kendall Elmer, Pima County Tom Bush, Town of Oro Valley John Sullivan, Town of Sahuarita Charles Mendonca, Pascua Yaqui Tribe Gerald Fayuant, Tohono O’odham Nation Sun Shuttle Route 450 Kickoff RTA and its member jurisdictions will continue to deliver projects and services and simultaneously monitor sales tax revenues. The RTA will pursue other financial options such as bonding to take advantage of the current construction cost climate. We will inform the public of any potential future implications to the remaining projects in the RTA plan. The RTA Plan The Regional Transportation Authority is the fiscal manager of the 20-year, $2.1 billion RTA plan, which voters approved on May 16, 2006, along with a half-cent countywide sales tax. The multi-modal plan was prepared through intensive citizen involvement, including 200 group presentations in the year prior to the election, 27 town halls and three news conferences. The final plan, in fact, included 14 major changes based on public feedback obtained during the outreach process. Elected bodies of each of the RTA member jurisdictions and the RTA Board subsequently approved the RTA plan unanimously in November 2005 for ballot placement. To further emphasize its support of the plan, the RTA Board signed an accountability pledge in April 2006 for projects to be delivered as promised on the ballot. The pledge includes board support for neighborhood and commercial involvement in corridor planning as well as its interest in forming a Citizens Accountability for Regional Transportation (CART) Committee to provide citizen oversight of plan implementation. The RTA ballot information called for a “Citizens’ Oversight Committee to ensure that the plan will be implemented in accordance with the ballot measure and will certify that the voters’ desires are respected throughout the 20-year plan.” As a fiscally responsible, results-driven organization, the RTA Board and its staff can report that 494 projects have been completed to date. The RTA Fiscal Overview The 20-year RTA plan is funded by a countywide half-cent sales tax. This revenue source did not meet economic projections as a result of the ongoing recession in the past fiscal year. At the same time, construction costs, on average, are 20 percent less than project cost estimates. The RTA’s focus is to complete the plan as it appeared on the ballot and will continue to monitor estimated project costs and projected sales tax revenues. In January 2011, the RTA Board adopted a number of cost containment measures. This included the requirement that all major projects undergo a Value Analysis, conducted by a team of experts, to identify potential savings and ways to maintain or improve the quality of the project. The Value Analysis is conducted once a concept plan and cost estimates are available for review. Projects reviewed to-date include: • Houghton, Interstate 10 to Tanque Verde • Grant Road, Oracle to Swan • Silverbell, Grant to Ina • Valencia, Alvernon to Wilmot • Valencia, Mark to Ajo. • Tangerine, La Cañada to I-10 • Downtown Links The most recent cost estimates for these projects total $751.4 million, exceeding the committed funding by $85.3 million. During the Value Analysis, $87 million in savings were identified and another $87 million in potential savings were recommended. Project managers have the option to use these identified savings to bring the project in Downtown Links groundbreaking under budget. Value Analysis reports can be reviewed at http:// www.rtamobility.com/RTAPlan/RTAProjectReview/ tabid/132/Default.aspx FY 2011-12 RTA Project Completions/Initiations Roadway • The $19 million La Cholla, River Road to Ruthrauff, roadway widening project was dedicated on Sept. 9, 2011. The roadway was widened to six lanes and the project included a new bridge over the Rillito River, new bike lanes and new sidewalks. • The $13.2 million La Cañada, Ina to Calle Concordia, roadway improvement project was completed on Oct. 1, 2011. The project included widening to four lanes, drainage improvements and new multi-use lanes. • Work concluded on Tanque Verde Road, from Catalina Highway to Houghton Road. The improved roadway was fully opened to traffic on Nov. 3, 2011. • Construction on Sahuarita Road, La Villita to Nogales Highway, started in May 2012. • Construction for the $20.6 million Kino Parkway and 22nd Street elevated intersection project kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony on June 21, 2012. Other recent projects in 2012: • Completion of Speedway, Camino Seco to Houghton, roadway improvement project. The roadway was widened to four lanes and includes new bike lanes and sidewalks. Ribbon cutting held July 11, 2012. • Groundbreaking on the intersection of Grant and Oracle to represent the first project of the Grant, Oracle to Swan, project, the largest roadway project in the RTA plan. The groundbreaking was held July 26, 2012. This project includes an express left turn for more efficient, safer turns through congested intersections. These types of indirect left turn intersections are emerging as a best practice nationally, and eight are currently planned throughout the region, with more statewide. To view how these intersections operate, go to: http://grantroad.info/left_turn_ video.htm • A groundbreaking celebration for the Houghton Road, Irvington to Valencia, was held Nov. 15, 2012. This is part of the larger Houghton project, from Tanque Verde to Interstate 10, and will expand to four lanes of traffic, bike lanes and sidewalks. • The groundbreaking ceremony for Downtown Links, St. Mary’s Road/6th Street, from Interstate 10 to Church Avenue, occurred Nov. 28, 2012. This project will include drainage, lighting and safety improvements, as well as sidewalks, bike lanes, desert landscaping, median islands and a new bike/pedestrian crossing near Davis Bilingual Elementary Magnet School. Small Business Enterprise Small Business Enterprise bidding requirements on RTA projects were reviewed in the past year to determine if the requirements set by RTA member jurisdictions were negatively affecting local bidding due to potential percent goals established. Rather than set a cap, the RTA Board directed RTA staff to initially work with member jurisdictions and the local contracting community on a projectby-project basis to determine percent goals. The process has been successful and the RTA Board advised that the review process continue in its current state for SBE projects. Tucson Modern Streetcar Railroad track for the Tucson modern streetcar system is lining the streets of the 3.9-mile route with more than 50 percent of construction completed. Testing of the first streetcar is set to begin next spring. The Sun Link streetcar project, which is comanaged by the City of Tucson and the Regional Transportation Authority, is one of the largest projects in the $2.1 billion, 20-year RTA plan. Continued on back page. FY 2011-12 RTA Project Status 2011-12 Project Status Roadways/Intersections Completed: • La Cholla Blvd., Ruthrauff to River • La Cañada Drive, Ina to Calle Concordia • Downtown Links , 8th Street Drainage • Tanque Verde Rd., Catalina Highway to Houghton • Speedway Blvd., Camino Seco to Houghton • Golf Links/Kolb Intersection • Valencia/Alvernon Intersection Houghton Rd. Groundbreaking RTA Projects Expected to Commence Construction in FY 2012-2013: Roadways/Intersections under Construction: • La Cholla Blvd., Magee to Overton • Magee Rd., Mona Lisa to La Cañada • Magee Rd., Thornydale to Mona Lisa • La Cañada Drive, River to Ina • Kolb Road Extension at Tanque Verde • Sahuarita Road, La Villita to Nogales Highway Roadway Improvements • Magee Road, La Cañada to Oracle • Downtown Links: St. Mary’s • Houghton Road, Irvington to Valencia • Houghton Road, Broadway to 22nd • 22nd St./Kino Interchange • Grant Road, 15th Avenue to 10th Avenue • Valencia Road, Alvernon to Wilmot Bike/Ped Improvements Completed: • Reid Park Multi-Use Path • Pantano River Park • Bear Canyon Bike Path • 4th Avenue Bike Boulevard • Valencia Bike Lanes/Sidewalks Intersection Improvements • Mona Lisa/Orange Grove • Ina/Oracle • Camino Seco/Wrightstown • Speedway/6th Avenue Transit Projects Implemented or under Construction • Oro Valley Sun Shuttle Dial-a-Ride • Modern Streetcar, track work under construction • Sun Tran Bus Storage and Maintenance Facility, Phase 3 completed • Streetcar Maintenance and Storage Facility under construction Roadway Projects in Planning/Design • Grant Road, 10th Avenue to Park Avenue – design • 22nd Street, Tucson/Barazza Aviation to Kino Blvd. – design • Tangerine Road, I-10 to La Cañada – planning • Sahuarita Road, Nogales Highway to Country Club – design • Houghton Road, Broadway to 22nd Street – design • Valencia Road, Mark to Wade – design • Valencia Road, Alvernon to Wilmot – design • Valencia Road, Wilmot to Kolb – planning • Downtown Links, St. Mary’s to Broadway - design • Silverbell Road, Grant to Goret - design • Kolb Connection – planning/design • Broadway Blvd., Country Club to Euclid - planning • Wilmot Road, end of pavement to Sahuarita Road - design Elderly & Pedestrian Safety • Centennial Elementary & Flowing Wells Jr. High Safe Routes to School enhancement • Camino del Sol Pedestrian Ramps • Homer Davis Safe Routes to School improvements • Pedestrian Signal - La Cholla Blvd./Merlin St. • Pedestrian Signal - La Cholla Blvd./Ocelot St. • Pedestrian Signal - Stone Ave./King St. • Pedestrian Signal - La Paloma Academy • ADA Bus Stop improvements - Citywide Bus Pullouts • 12 Pullouts on Oracle Road corridor • 5 Pullouts on Speedway Blvd. corridor • 2 Pullouts on Alvernon Way corridor • 2 Pullouts on 1st Avenue corridor Transportation-related Critical Wildlife Linkages • 2 Wildlife underpasses on State Route 86, near Kitt Peak • Wildlife underpass, overpass and fencing for State Route 77 (Oracle Road) Transit • Sun Shuttle Route 450, serving Rita Ranch, Civano, UA Science & Technology Park • SunGo, a new fare product will be initiated for rider convenience, faster boarding and cost savings Cushing St. Bridge Completed FY 2011-12 RTA Financial Statement FY 2011-12 RTA Projects (000s) Revenues Plan Element Sales Tax $ 67,850 Program $ 4,504 Grants $ 810 Roadway Total Roadway 10 Safety $ 535 Intersection 102 Total Revenues $ 73,699 Elderly & Pedestrian 87 Expenditures Bus Pullouts 53 Roadway Improvements Railroad Bridge 7 Total Roadway $ 56,923 Signal Technology 58 Safety Total Safety 307 Intersection $ 8,752 Bond/Investment Transit Corridor Bus Pullouts Environmental $ 1,212 Elderly & Pedestrian $ 1,498 At-grade Rail/Bridge Deficiencies $ 1,268 Signal Technology $ 363 Total Safety & Economic Vitality Greenways, Bikeways, Pathways & Sidewalks 71 Transportation-related Critical Wildlife Linkages 7 Total Environmental & Economic Vitality 78 $ 13,093 Environmental & Economic Vitality Greenways, Bikeways, Pathways & Sidewalks Transit Transportation-related Weekday Evening 21* Critical Wildlife Links $ 412 Weekday Service 23 Small Business Assistance $ 716 Bus Frequency & Overcrowding Relief 6** Total Environmental & Economic Vitality $ 4,309 Park ‘n Ride Transit Centers 6*** Transit Neighborhood Circulator 11 Sun Tran Services Expansion High $ 5,289 Capacity Streetcar 0 Special Needs Express $ 7,097 Service 7 New Express Buses $ 1,484 Special Needs 3 Neighborhood Circulator $ 6,273 Maintenance Storage Facility 1 Modern Streetcar $ 4,219 Total Transit 78 Park & Rides $ 13 $ 3,181 Total Total Transit Grand $ 24,375 Administration Expenses $ 13,804 Total Expenditures $ 112,504 Surplus/(Deficit) ($ 38,804) Year-end Fund Balance $ 153,917 * 473 21 routes received weekday evening service, fully implementing this service expansion ** 7 routes received overcrowding relief; construction of a bus maintenance facility was completed in October 2009 *** Includes completed temporary lots Continued from The RTA Plan A groundbreaking ceremony for the project on April 12, 2012, included remarks from U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, RTA Chair and Oro Valley Mayor Satish Hiremath and a handful of local congressional officials. LaHood recognized the nearly $200 million project, which is partially funded with a federal $63 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, as a major economic generator for the Tucson metropolitan area including business development and redevelopment. The project brings nearly 500 construction jobs. The University of Arizona hosted the ceremony, which drew several hundred people, near the location of a future streetcar stop along Helen Street and Warren Avenue. The RTA is the largest contributor to the streetcar project with $75 million in capital funds and $13 million in operating subsidies committed. Streetcar construction reached a milestone in August 2012 with the completion of the Luis G. Guttierez Bridge on Cushing Street. An important component of the streetcar project, the Luis G. Guttierez Bridge spans the Santa Cruz River and provides an important link between downtown Tucson and downtown’s west end. The streetcar system will link major activity centers, such as the Arizona Health Sciences Center, University Main Gate Business District, 4th Avenue Business District, Congress Avenue Shopping and Entertainment District, and the Mercado District. The Downtown Tucson Partnership has reported that private investments in commercial, retail and residential activity in the downtown area between 2008 and 2013 now totals $208.7 million and public sector investment totals $589 million for the same time period. Project information is available online at www. tucsonstreetcar.com Transit Voter-funded support of the expansion of Sun Tran services, along with the hard work of its dedicated staff members, helped Sun Tran to earn the 2012 Outstanding Transit Organization Award from the Arizona Transit Association. Sun Shuttle Dial-aRide, a new partnership for providing transit services in and around the Town of Oro Valley, was launched in February 2012, and the successful collaboration has reduced transit costs while maintaining high quality customer service. The Sun Shuttle system ridership continued to grow in year three of service with over 190,000 trips provided between May 2011 and April 2012. The 26 percent increase in ridership is attributed to successful coordination with partner agencies and an increasing awareness of the service. The RTA is funding the development of the new SunGO fare payment system. Benefits include faster passenger boarding, a single card to pay all fares throughout the region, convenient purchasing options, value protection if a card is lost or stolen, and reduced farebox equipment maintenance. A grand opening of the final phase of Sun Tran’s Northwest Bus Facility was celebrated on Jan. 26, 2012. This phase included expansion of the maintenance building, a new administration building for regional transit operations, and more bus parking. This phase was funded with just over $16 million from FTA’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus program and $3 million in funding from the RTA. Bike/Ped RTA-funded bikeways helped the region reaffirm its League of American Bicyclists’ gold status, one of 16 gold communities in the country. The RTA has funded the completion of over 200 miles of bikeways and over 100 miles of sidewalks since its inception. The RTA also has funded the completion of 34 HAWK (pedestrian) signals and dozens of Safe Routes to School improvements throughout the region. MainStreet Business Assistance Program MainStreet’s Small Business Assistance program, a voter-approved component within the Environmental and Economic Vitality element of the RTA plan, is available to any business within ¼-mile of a project that wishes to participate with all services provided at no cost to the business. MainStreet’s “private sector” consulting team combines over 200 years of direct business experience with over 40 years of construction mitigation experience at its disposal. Over 2,500 businesses used the MainStreet program on RTA projects in FY 2011-12.