At this week’s Mayor and Council meeting, I voted against the motion to initate the federally required Title XI equity study which is the first step in the process to re-instate fares on public transit in Tucson.
I am an ardent supporter of fare free transit. Mayor and Council just passed the Community Corridor Tool in large part because it will encourage a walkable, bikeable, transit-oriented community. An easily accessible transit system is an integral part of that vision. It’s good for the economy and it’s good for the environment.
In the next few months, we will be faced with difficult budget decisions for a variety and compounding reasons; including a precipitous drop in state-shared funding, big unknowns for federally funded programs, Proposition 414 failing, and presidential proclamations that have caused a significant downfall in Tucson’s tourism and sales (a significant part of Tucson’s revenue mix).
At this time my position is that we keep the current system for the next fiscal year while we work on alternative funding mechanisms. Council Member Lane Santa Cruz provided a list that included increasing our nightly hotel tax and increasing downtown parking fees, among other possible revenue sources that could replace fare revenue.
Mayor Romero has pointed out that other cities in Arizona – including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, and Glendale – fund their systems with dedicated sales tax revenue. I like this option, which would require voter approval. This could replace the contentious and poorly managed Regional Transportation Authority funding, which expires next year. A Tucson-based transportation plan funded by continuing the existing half-cent sales tax would improve and maintain our existing streets and also keep buses free for all.
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