Mon, Jul 06, 2009
 Yes!! for Regional Transportation Committee Chairman Larry Hecker has a victory hug for campaign manager Carol Zimmerman.
Greg Bryan / Arizona Daily Star
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Komatsu Equipment Co Resident Field Mechanic Administrative & Professional Jorgensen Brooks Group Counselor Finance and Accounting Charles E. Gillman Company Accounting Specialist Sales and Marketing Everready Glass Sales Reps Administrative & Professional Tucson Urban League CEO/President Trades/Construction RANCHO RESORT MAINTANANCE POSITION News ElsewhereVoters greenlight $2.1 billion road plan Transportation measure passes on fifth trip to polls
arizona daily star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.17.2006
Voters ushered in a "new era" in transportation in Pima County Tuesday by approving the Regional Transportation Plan and half-cent sales tax.
With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, the transportation plan overwhelmingly passed 60 percent to 40 percent, and the sales tax to fund the plan passed with 58 percent of the vote.
"Fifth time's a charm," noted County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry, in reference to four previous unsuccessful transportation and sales tax elections.
"This is so thrilling, it's just a totally new day for Tucson," Steve Farley, a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee that helped draft the RTA plan, said after preliminary results were announced.
The passage of the transportation plan means the community is ready to work together to solve problems, he said.
"We can start to show the rest of the country we're growing up," Farley said.
He said the transportation issues go hand-in-hand with the psychiatric bonds that voters also approved Tuesday.
He and others were "ecstatic" when they found out the transportation plan and sales tax passed. The mood at La Cocina Restaurant, 201 N. Court Ave. turned from one of nervous discussion to excited celebration after the first results were announced around 8 p.m.
Many said they believe the election signifies the community is ready to work together on other issues too, such as water needs and economic development.
"This is a wonderful step to go build on," said Rick Myers, chairman of the Yes!! for Regional Transportation committee, which supported the plan.
"A vote like this shows that people are thinking of what they want tomorrow," Myers said.
Opponents gathered at Bobo's Restaurant, 2938 E. Grant Road, to await the news.
The mood there deflated after the first round of results was announced.
By 8:30 p.m., with almost 70 percent of the votes counted, the Enough! committee against the plan and tax acknowledged defeat.
"We do have transportation problems," said Ken O'Day, who campaigned vigorously against the plan. "Maybe people thought we'd reached a point where something was better than nothing."
Opponents said they will stay involved and work to hold the governments accountable for carrying out the plan.
"They have a real bad history of not delivering," O'Day said.
He said impact fees need to go up so growth pays for itself and he worries that the passage of the plan will take pressure off governments to raise impact fees.
Bonnie Poulos said she was disappointed and predicted people will not be happy with the results when the plan is implemented.
"This isn't going to make it any easier to get to work," she said. "It's not going to make Grant Road flow any better."
Opponents attributed the lopsided vote to the big money and big names backing the RTA plan.
"I just go back to my Berkeley days," Poulos said. "This is the best democracy money can buy."
Supporters of the transportation plan and half-cent sales tax raised almost $1 million to reach out to voters with commercials, fliers, mailings and roadside signs. The Yes!! for Regional Transportation committee was backed by individuals and big businesses and many in the construction, real estate, car sales and materials industries.
The Enough! committee against the plan, brought in less than $8,000 in its campaign. Much of that money was donated by individuals and was used for roadside signs and fliers.
But Larry Hecker, treasurer for the Yes!! committee said the special election gave voters a chance to learn about the issues.
Still, Hecker was surprised by the margin. A week before the vote, he said the group's tracking poll showed the transportation plan just squeaking by on a narrow margin, well within the poll margin of error, with many undecideds.
He said he couldn't hazard a guess as to what pushed so many to the Yes!! side.
"Voters took the time to understand what was on the ballot and understand the more regional approach," Hecker said.
The sales tax will go up by half a cent on the dollar across Pima County on July 1 to pay for the road and transit projects in the plan.
More buses will hit the streets of Tucson as early as August, said Jim Glock, director of the Tucson Department of Transportation.
The first will be used to ease overcrowding on busy routes he said. After that, the funding will be used for expanded weekend and evening service.
Construction on roads and other projects will begin in five-year phases. The first phase starts July 1 of this year, although major construction isn't expected until 2008
The second phase will begin July 2011, the third July 2016 and the final phase will start July 2021. Some projects, like intersection improvements, will be ongoing through all phases, while others, including most of the road projects, will be contained to one or two phases.
The plan calls for 35 road projects, some involving widening current roads, others for new roads or projects to improve existing roads.
The sales tax is expected to raise about $2.1 billion during the next 20 years. Some projects have additional funding from local jurisdictions; others, like the Downtown-area streetcar line, will depend on federal funding to cover the expense.
Supporters of the plan said it had something for everyone because of the variety of projects included. Opponents said it wasn't enough to rely on transit and road projects to carry the plan, and that it needed money for maintaining the roads too.
Which projects would get priority l Camino de Mañana from Tangerine Road to Linda Vista Boulevard; new two- and four-lane road with bike lanes and drainage: $6.1 million.
l Twin Peaks Road from Silverbell Road to Interstate 10, including the Interstate 10 traffic interchange, bridge over the Santa Cruz River, new four-lane road connecting to I-10: $30.7 million.
l Magee-Cortaro Farms from La Cholla Boulevard to Thornydale Road; four-lane road with median, eliminate the jog at La Cholla, add bike lanes and sidewalks: $29.5 million.
l La Cholla Boulevard from River Road to Ruthrauff Road; widen to six lanes, add bridge at Rillito River, bike lanes and sidewalks: $14.7 million.
l La Cañada Drive from Calle Concordia to River Road; widen to four lanes, add equestrian trail, drainage and multiuse lanes: $27.6 million.
l Kolb Road connection with Sabino Canyon; new four-lane roadway connecting Sabino Canyon with Kolb, add bike lanes and sidewalks: $9.1 million.
l Tanque Verde Road from Catalina Highway to Houghton Road; widen to four lanes, add bike lanes and sidewalks: $12.8 million.
l Speedway from Camino Seco to Houghton; widen to four lanes, add bike lanes and sidewalks: $14.1 million.
l Houghton from Interstate 10 to Tanque Verde Road; widen to four and six lanes, new bridges, bike lanes and sidewalks: $95.3 million.
l Sahuarita Road, Interstate 19 to Country Club Road; widen to four lanes with median, add bike lanes and sidewalks: $30.78 million.
l Interstate 19 frontage road from Continental Ranch to Canoa Road; new two-lane road: $3.9 million.
l All of the expanded bus service, including expanded weeknight and evening hours, frequency of buses, park and rides, and the streetcar.
l Intersection improvements, bus pullouts, rail crossings, wildlife linkages, bike paths and lanes, and sidewalks are scheduled to be ongoing throughout the 20-year plan.
● Contact reporter Andrea Kelly at 573-4243 or akelly@azstarnet.com.
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