PIMA COUNTY, (Sept. 3, 2025) – At its Sept. 2 meeting, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to place the renewal of the Regional Transportation Authority — known as RTA Next — on the March 10 ballot.
If approved by voters, the plan would extend for another 20 years a half-cent sales tax that voters first approved in 2006 to fund roadway improvements and expansions, and transit services in the County.
The proposed $2.6 billion plan includes funding for a few current RTA plan projects that could not be funded due to dips in sales tax collections caused by the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like the current plan, the extension includes funding for several types of transportation infrastructure, including:
- Arterial Roadway Reconstruction: $177.6 million
- Roadway Corridor Improvements: $1.42 billion
- Transit: $726 million
- Wildlife crossings and other environmental improvements: $50 million
- Small business assistance: $10 million
- Safety, ADA, Active Transportation: $254.6 million
Details of the plan, including intended expenditures by jurisdiction, can be found on the RTA’s website.
While the RTA is its own taxing authority and has its own board of directors, state law requires the Board of Supervisors to call for countywide elections.
The vote will be an all-mail election with all registered voters receiving their RTA Next ballot in the mail starting Feb. 11, 2026. The last day to register to vote in the RTA election is Feb. 9. The last day to request an early ballot in time for the election is Feb. 27, and voters should return their ballots in the mail by March 3 to ensure they arrive by 7 p.m. March 10, when the election will end.
The County Recorder will have ballot drop-off sites for voters who would rather submit their ballot in person. The Recorder will also have ballot replacement locations for voters who need that service.
Photo Caption: Sunset Road and Sunset Links construction at Interstate 10 connects Silverbell Road to River Road via the new I-10 interchange and bridges over the railroad and the Rillito River. The RTA is one of the funders of this multi-agency project.