1 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite 401 Tucson, AZ 85701 (520) 792-1093 [tel] (520) 620-6981 [fax] F Y J U LY 1, 2013 - J U N E 30, 2014 A N N U A L R E P O R T www.RTAmobility.com Clockwise from top: Sun Link streetcar ribbon cutting, Public art at Helen St. streetcar stop, Public art at Houghton Rd. at Bilby Rd., Houghton Rd. improvements, Tohono O’odham Family Monument dedication on Mission Rd. and Star Pass Blvd. SUN LINK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY Letter from the Chair You could say that FY 2013-14 was an extraordinary year for the RTA. We ushered in new leadership in October 2013 with Farhad Moghimi as the new PAG and RTA Executive Director. After several years of economic decline followed by a slight uptick in the economy, the Regional Transportation Authority requested a new revenue forecast for the RTA plan through 2026. The report, Ramón Valadez RTA Chair prepared by the University of Arizona Eller College of Management, indicated that projected excise tax revenues declined 17 percent due to a “severe recession.” These findings were no surprise, so in anticipation of the report, the RTA prepared to address this outcome by recommending that additional regional funding be used to complete projects in the FY 2020-26 period of the RTA plan. The RTA Board approved this recommendation on Jan. 23, 2014. The RTA remains committed to delivering projects through the life of the RTA plan, and the use of additional regional funds allows the RTA to address the potential funding needs without compromising the integrity of the remaining projects. As scheduled, the RTA Board also approved the issuance of $150 million in bonds, the second round of bond financing, to help manage the cash flow cycle between project funding needs and resources. This will allow the RTA to keep critical corridor projects on Grant Road, Valencia Road, Downtown Links and Houghton Road on schedule. More than 570 RTA projects have been completed to date. Significant completions in FY 2013-14 include the service launch of the Sun Link streetcar; two redesigned intersections (Ina/Oracle and Grant/Oracle) that allow indirect left turns in order to improve traffic flow and vehicle and pedestrian safety; a new intersection at Broadway and Houghton as part of the Houghton Road widening project, and the opening of Downtown Links, from Interstate 10 at St. Mary’s Road/Sixth Street to Church Avenue. The RTA’s multimodal projects continue to provide added safety and regional mobility options, improvements that enhance our quality of life and create a spotlight on our region to help attract new investment in our communities. The past year surely was transformational for the RTA and our region. 2014 RTA BOARD MEMBERS RTA CHAIR Ramón Valadez Pima County Board of Supervisors RTA VICE CHAIR Jonathan Rothschild City of Tucson Mayor RTA SECOND VICE CHAIR Duane Blumberg Town of Sahuarita Mayor Catalina Alvarez Pascua Yaqui Tribe Vice Chairwoman Ned Norris Jr. Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Steve Christy Arizona State Transportation Board Representative Paul S. Diaz City of South Tucson Mayor 2014 TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE JURISDICTION REPRESENTATIVES Chuck Huckelberry John Bernal Pima County Martha Durkin Daryl Cole City of Tucson Joel Gastelum City of South Tucson Keith Brann Town of Marana Jose Rodriguez Town of Oro Valley Kelly Udall Town of Sahuarita Marcelino Flores Pascua Yaqui Tribe Steve Tipton Tohono O’odham Nation PRIVATE SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES Ed Honea Town of Marana Mayor Bob Iannarino Satish Hiremath Town of Oro Valley Mayor Frank Thomson Farhad Moghimi Pima Association of Governments/Regional Transportation Authority Executive Director Chet Davis Jim Schoen Paul Cella Roger Caldwell Steve Shepherd William Carroll ST. MARYS ROAD (DOWNTOWN LINKS) AT GRANADA Letter from CART Chair The Citizens Accountability for Regional Transportation (CART) Committee witnessed the final weld of the Tucson streetcar tracks in July 2013 and, by the end of FY 2013-14, the final streetcar was delivered for reliability testing and acceptance. The launch of Sun Link service on July 25, 2014, is a Kelle Maslyn, Chair major achievement for the RTA and the City of Tucson, and CART Committee a demonstration of the RTA’s commitment to the voters. The $900 million in public infrastructure, commercial and residential investment in downtown Tucson since 2008, largely associated with the streetcar project, is a testament to the regional consensus that led to the inclusion of this transit-oriented development project in the RTA plan. The plan and a half-cent excise tax to fund the plan were approved by voters in May 2006. Early in the fiscal year, we also heard updates on both the Broadway Boulevard, Euclid to Country Club, and Grant Road, Oracle to Swan, projects. A new pair of indirect left intersections (Grant/Oracle and Ina/Oracle) has improved traffic flow and provided a safer environment for pedestrians and drivers, as documented by pre- and post-condition studies. The CART had updates from CART’s liaison on the Broadway Boulevard project and lengthy project discussions. We commend the City of Tucson’s citizen task force for the time they invested in deliberating all the facts to develop a recommendation to the City Council. We also thank Doug Mance for serving as the CART liaison to the task force. In April 2014, nearly half of the CART members toured Tucson’s eastside for an overview of recent, current and future RTA projects along Tanque Verde Road, Grant Road, Alvernon Way, Valencia Road, Kolb Road, Rita Road, Houghton Road, Old Vail Road, Broadway Boulevard and Sabino Canyon Road. Projects included new intersections, bike lanes and bus pullout improvements; future park-and-ride lots; a new paved and signalized entry into Davis-Monthan Air Force Base at Wilmot, and new and future road widening improvements. We also received updates on the RTA’s financial situation, including the issuance of $150 million in new bonds in June 2014 and the plan to use regional funds as a supplement to complete RTA projects. The regional funds will be used as needed in the final period of the RTA plan to make up for less-than-projected revenues due to the recent economic recession. The CART Committee believes the citizens have been served very well as the RTA and its member jurisdictions continue to meet project schedules. 2014 CART COMMITTEE Ace Chicago Albert Pesqueira Allen Cook Amber Smith Armando Rios Jr. Charlene Robinson Chris Albright David Heineking Douglas Mance George McFerron Grace Evans James Barber Joseph Oliva III Kentton Grant M. Joe Yee Pamela Traficanti Richard Roberts Robert Cook Roger Cracraft Sami Hamed Steve Huffman William N. Poorten III William Sheldon JURISDICTION REPRESENTATIVES Kendall Elmer Pima County Emily Brott City of Tucson Herman Lopez City of South Tucson Kelle Maslyn Town of Marana Tom Bush Town of Oro Valley John Sullivan Town of Sahuarita Charles Mendonca Pascua Yaqui Tribe Gerald Fayuant Tohono O’odham Nation RTA PROJECTS EXPECTED TO BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN FY 2014-15: ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS • La Cañada Drive: River Road to Ina Road. Construction started May 2012. Substantially complete December 2014. • 22nd St.: Tucson Boulevard to Kino Parkway. Design completed March 2014. Construction estimated to start mid-2015. • Silverbell Road, Ina Road to Grant Road. Construction contract bidding. Construction to start in early 2015. • Valencia Road, Mark Road to Wade Road. Construction started in December 2014. • Kolb Road connection to Sabino Canyon Road. Construction to start in summer 2015. • Downtown Links, Phases 3 and 4. Construction to start in summer 2015. INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS • Nogales Highway/Old Nogales Highway. • Stone Avenue, Drachman Street to Speedway Boulevard. ELDERLY & PEDESTRIAN SAFETY BIKE/PED • Harrison Road Bike Lanes, Sabino Canyon High School. • Rillito Riverpath and Camino de la Tierra. • Pedestrian signals at Broadway Boulevard/Treat Avenue, 22nd Street/Avenida Serio & Campbell BRIDGE AT CAMINO DE OESTE WASH Avenue/9th Street. • Pedestrian improvements at Ina/ Thornydale roads intersection. • Pedestrian improvements along Rancho Vistoso Parkway. COMPLETED FY 2013-14 RTA PROJECTS • Pantano River Park: Speedway Boulevard to 5th Street. PLAN ELEMENT • Pantano River Park: Broadway Boulevard to Kenyon Drive. ROADWAY Total Roadway 18 TRANSPORTATION-RELATED CRITICAL WILDLIFE LINKAGES SAFETY • Wildlife underpasses and Intersection 126 associated fencing on the Kitt Peak Elderly & Pedestrian 97 and Santa Rosa sections of State Route 86 (Ajo Highway). Bus Pullouts 90 • Wildlife underpass, overpass and Railroad Bridge 7 associated fencing on State Route Signal Technology 58 77 Oracle Road north of Rancho Total Safety 378 Vistoso Parkway (construction will continue into 2015-2016). ENVIRONMENTAL & ECONOMIC VITALITY TRANSIT Greenways, Bikeways, • Park-and-ride lot/Eastside Transit Pathways & Sidewalks 86 Center at Broadway Boulevard and Houghton Road. Transportation-related Critical Wildlife Linkages 7 • Park-and-ride lot at Old Vail/Rita Total Environmental roads. & Economic Vitality 93 FY 2013-14 PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR COMPLETED: ROADWAYS/INTERSECTIONS COMPLETED • Downtown Links, St. Mary’s Road. • Grant Road to Oracle Road intersection. • Houghton Road: Irvington Road to Valencia Road. • La Cholla Boulevard: Tangerine Road to Magee Road. Completed July 2014. • Mona Lisa Road at Orange Grove Road intersection. Completed September 2014. • Phase II La Villita Road to Nogales Highway (Project Segments 2A/2B). Substantially complete. • La Villita Road/Rancho Sahuarita Boulevard intersection. Completed August 2014. • Oracle/Ina roads right turn and indirect left turn improvements. ROADWAYS/INTERSECTIONS UNDER CONSTRUCTION • Houghton Road: Broadway to 22nd Street. Intersection completed fall 2014. Roadway improvements to 22nd Street ongoing. • 22nd Street: Kino Interchange. Construction started September 2012. Estimated construction completion March 2015. • Speedway Boulevard/6th Avenue intersection. • Magee Road, La Cañada to Oracle Road. Construction temporarily halted. Completion expected late 2015. • Valencia Road: Wade Road to Mark Road. Estimated completion June 2016. TRANSIT Weekday Evening 21* Weekday Service 23 Bus Frequency & Overcrowding Relief 8** Park ‘n Ride Transit Centers 6*** Neighborhood Circulator 12 High Capacity Streetcar 0 Express Service 7 Special Needs 3 Maintenance Storage Facility 1 Total Transit 81 Grand Total * 570 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 previous page FY 2013-14 PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR COMPLETED: HOMER DAVIS SAFE ROUTE TO SCHOOL FY 2013-14 RTA FINANCIAL STATEMENT (000s) REVENUES Sales Tax $ 72,279 Program $ 2,625 Grants $ 8,835 $ 823 Bond/Investment Total Revenues $ 84,562 EXPENDITURES ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS Total Roadway $ 53,443 SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS Intersection $ 3,646 Transit Corridor Bus Pullouts $ 841 Elderly & Pedestrian $ 1,194 At-grade Rail/ Bridge Deficiencies $ 281 Signal Technology $ 549 Total Safety $ 6,511 ENVIRONMENTAL & ECONOMIC VITALITY IMPROVEMENTS Greenways, Bikeways, Pathways & Sidewalks $ 2,182 Transportation-related Critical Wildlife Links $ 1,007 Small Business Assistance $ 760 Total Environmental & Economic Vitality $ 3,949 TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS Sun Tran Services Expansion $ 8,249 Sun Tran/Paratransit Expansion $ 8,035 Sun Shuttle Circulator Expansion $ 9,411 Sun Link Streetcar $ 32,293 Park & Rides $ 85 Total Transit $ 58,073 Administration Expenses* $ 13,543 Total Expenditures $ 135,519 Surplus/(Deficit)** ($50,957) Beginning of Year Fund Balance $ 123,752 Year-end Fund Balance $ 72,795 * Includes bond principal, interest and administration costs ** Covered by surplus fund balance BIKE/PEDESTRIAN INPROVEMENTS • PELICAN (Pedestrian Light Control) – La Paloma Academy. Under construction. • HAWK pedestrian signal at La Cholla Boulevard/Merlin Street. Substantially complete. • HAWK pedestrian signal at Park Avenue/33rd Street. Under construction. • HAWK pedestrian signal at Stone Avenue/King Road. Under construction. • Liberty Avenue Bike Boulevard. Design under way. • Homer Davis Safe Route to School. Substantially complete as of Aug. 6. • Centennial Elementary and Flowing Wells Jr. High School, Safe Route To School. Construction completed. • Orange Grove Road Bike Lanes: Oracle Road to Camino de Zorrela. Final construction phase completed. • Colossal Cave Road Bike Lanes: Cienega High School to Pistol Hill Road (Package 3). Construction completed. • HAWK Pedestrian Signals at Palo Verde Road/Alvord Road and Palo Verde Road/Milton Road. In design. TRANSIT PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION • Downtown Modern Streetcar (Sun Link). • Broadway Road and Houghton Road park-and-ride facility under construction with estimated completion March 2015. • City of Tucson ADA Bus Stop Accessibility Projects: 15 completed. • Bus Pullout Package #4 at 5th Street/Alvernon Way (SB). ROADWAY PROJECTS IN PLANNING/DESIGN • Valencia Road: Alvernon Way to Wilmot Road. Estimated construction completion November 2015. • 22nd St: Kino Parkway to Tucson Boulevard. • Broadway Boulevard: Euclid Avenue to Country Club Road. Planning continues with design to begin January 2015. • Downtown Links, 6th Street to Broadway Boulevard. • Grant Road, Stone Avenue to Park Avenue. • Grant Road, Palo Verde Road to North Venice Place. • Houghton Road/Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Replacement. • Houghton Road: Union Pacific Railroad to Interstate 10. • Kolb Road Extension Phase II: currently awaiting environmental clearance. • Tangerine Road, La Cañada Drive to Dove Mountain Boulevard. • Wilmot Road: South of Interstate 10. ELDERLY & PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS • HAWK at Broadway Boulevard/Treat Avenue. In design. • HAWK at Campbell Avenue/9th Street. In design. • HAWK at Craycroft Road/Ft. Lowell Park. In design. • HAWK at Grant Road/ Sahuara Avenue. In design. • HAWK at 22nd Street/ Avenida Sirio. In design. • Ina Road sidewalk. In design. • Sandario Road sidewalk/ path. In design. • El Rio Park to Avra Valley shared-use path. In design. SAHUARITA ROAD BRIDGE DETAIL Regional Transportation Authority of Pima County Pima County voters approved the FY 2006 – 2026, $2.1 billion Regional Transportation Authority plan in May 2006. The plan is funded by a halfcent excise tax. The RTA is the fiscal manager of the plan and member jurisdictions implement the bulk of the plan elements. The four element areas include roadway, safety, transit, and environmental and economic vitality projects and services. The RTA Board is comprised of members of local, state and tribal governments. The RTA Board established a Citizens Accountability for Regional Transportation (CART) Committee to oversee plan implementation. The Technical Management Committee provides technical advice. RTA REVENUE FORECAST Following a period of economic recession and then a slow recovery, the Regional Transportation Authority asked the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management in 2013 to provide an updated revenue forecast for the 20year RTA plan. In December 2013, Eller predicted that RTA revenue collections through 2026 will total $1.73 billion, down from the $2.1 billion identified in the 2006 voterapproved plan. Eller reviewed RTA transaction privilege tax collections through the end of fiscal year 2013 and forecast the amount of revenue the RTA would receive through the end of its authorization in 2026. The forecast considered changes in the local economy, including the lingering impact of the 2008 recession and the impact of increased Internet sales, among other factors. In anticipation of a funding gap, the RTA recommended the use of regional funds to supplement RTA revenues for RTA projects. In January 2014, the RTA Board voted to program uncommitted regional funds anticipated in fiscal years 2020 through 2026, estimated to be $228 million, to meet funding needs. Separately, the RTA Board voted to perform a comprehensive review of RTA revenue projections at least every 3 years through the remaining life of the RTA Plan. MAGEE RD., EAST OF LA CAÑADA RD. INDIRECT LEFT INTERSECTION AT ORACLE AND INA ROADS REGIONAL CORRIDORS Broadway Boulevard – The City of Tucson’s Citizens Task Force frequently met as part of the public process to discuss potential alignment for the region’s central corridor. The project is moving into the design phase following the Tucson City Council’s Oct. 9 action on a recommendation from the task force. The city approved the recommendation to accommodate six lanes. The city will finalize the project alignment in the coming months. Downtown Links – The City of Tucson completed the section between St. Mary’s Road/Sixth Street at Interstate 10 to Church Avenue. The widening included drainage, lighting and safety improvements, new sidewalks and six-foot bike lanes, which are separated from the vehicle lanes with delineators as part of a pilot safety project. A new bike/pedestrian crossing was installed near Davis Street for additional pedestrian and bike safety. Right-of-way acquisitions continue between Church and Broadway to make way for the final phase of the corridor. Grant Road – A new indirect left turn intersection at Grant and Oracle roads is the first project completion of the 5-mile corridor widening between Oracle and Swan roads. Final design is nearly complete for the segment between Park Avenue and Stone Avenue, and the City of Tucson issued a contract for project design for the segment between Dodge Boulevard and Swan Road. Although the RTA corridor project will not be fully constructed until the 4th period of the RTA plan, the city has secured regional funding to perform major maintenance between Columbus Boulevard and Santa Rita Avenue starting next spring to ensure corridor safety. Houghton Road – A 3-mile section between Irvington and Valencia roads, including a new intersection at Valencia and Houghton roads, was completed. The intersection at Broadway Boulevard and Houghton Road is completed, and the section between Broadway Boulevard and 22nd Street, including a park-and-ride at Houghton and Broadway are under construction. The Houghton Road project also includes the relocation of bats, which were under the existing bridge over the Union Pacific railroad tracks, to new roosts located nearby. This project is in anticipation of reconstruction of the bridge starting in 2016. In addition, the Arizona Department of Transportation has announced that it will start the design for a new interchange at Interstate 10 and Houghton Road, programmed for construction in FY 2019. La Cañada Drive – The widening between Ina and River roads is nearing completion. Pima County’s La Cañada improvements include widening to four lanes, equestrian trails, drainage improvements and multiuse lanes. Sahuarita Road – Between La Villita Road and Old Nogales Highway, the Town of Sahuarita completed the road widening and a reconfiguration of the intersection of Sahuarita Road and Old Nogales Highway. The next phase will widen Sahuarita Road between Old Nogales Highway and Country Club Road. The town received the inaugural Timothy M. Ahrens Partnering Award for the project. The award, which is presented by Pima Association of Governments and the Regional Transportation Authority, recognizes the spirit of cooperation on the project, a style demonstrated by the late Mr. Ahrens, who had served as the RTA manager when voters approved the RTA plan in 2006. Valencia Road – Pima County is completing the widening of Valencia from four to six lanes between Alvernon Way to Wilmot Road. The RTA is managing the segment from Wilmot to Kolb roads, including the intersection at Kolb and Valencia, and has issued a contract for the design phase. LA CHOLLA BOULEVARD AT TORTOLITA BLUFFS TRANSIT, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC VITALITY HIGHLIGHTS Sun Link Streetcar – During FY 2013-14, the City of Tucson received eight streetcars and conducted safety testing leading up to the service launch on July 25, 2014, with an estimated 60,000 passengers during an opening weekend of free rides. The streetcar, originally projected to average 3,600 passengers per weekday, is averaging about 4,200 passengers per weekday. Public and private sector investments in downtown Tucson between 2008 and October 2014 total more than $900 million, according to the Downtown Tucson Partnership. The partnership also reports 211 new businesses and 3,000 new or relocated jobs in the downtown area during that time. Bikeways – New bikeway improvements during the fiscal year include new multiuse paths in Pantano River Park along the Pantano Wash, between Broadway Boulevard and Kenyon Drive, as part of The Loop, Pima County’s bike loop around the region, and new bike lanes in Vail on Colossal Cave Road, filling the gap between Mary Ann Cleveland Way and Pistol Hill Road. Sidewalks/crosswalks – New sidewalks were installed in Summerhaven on Mount Lemmon and a new pedestrian crossing was installed on Flowing Wells between Romero and Wetmore roads as a part of a larger Safe Routes to School project. Wildlife – Construction is under way on two wildlife underpasses along State Highway 86 as part of an Arizona Department of Transportation widening project. The underpasses are located along the Kitt Peak segment (milepost 132-137) and the Santa Rosa segment (milepost 128-132). Wildlife in the area includes mule deer, javelina, bighorn sheep and the desert tortoise. A wildlife overpass (near milepost 84.6) and underpass (near milepost 83.9) are also under construction as part of an ADOT widening project on State Highway 77 between Tangerine Road and the Pinal County line. The structures will allow wildlife to migrate safely between the Santa Catalina and Tortolita mountains. MainStreet – The RTA’s business assistance program has worked with 5,000 businesses to-date to assist them before and during construction projects. Businesses within a ¼-mile of a project are eligible for free MainStreet services. INTERSECTION OF MAGEE RD. AND TUSCANY DR.