Proposition 411

In May 2022, City of Tucson voters approved Proposition 411

Your Street | Your Safety 

Proposition 411: Half-Cent Sales Extension for Streets

(Read Ordinance 11904 calling for the election)
 

Summary:

The City of Tucson asked voters to extend the existing temporary half-cent sales tax for an additional 10 years. This extension does not increase the City’s current sales tax rate of 2.6%. The funds collected through the half-cent sales tax over the 10-year period will be used solely for neighborhood street improvements and systemwide street safety projects.

The estimated sales tax revenue over this 10-year period is projected to be $740 million to be used solely for improvements to neighborhood street conditions and systemwide street safety.

Of that estimated funding, 80%, or $590 million, will be dedicated to improving the condition of every City neighborhood street; and 20%, or $150 million, will be dedicated to safe street improvements that benefit all users and modes. Safety improvements can include projects such as street lighting, sidewalks, bicycle network enhancements, traffic signal technology upgrades, and traffic-calming features.

Accountability and Oversight:

• Accountability and oversight commissions ensure that the funds collected from the temporary half-cent sales tax are only spent for the purposes approved by voters.
• Over the last decade, citizens’ accountability and oversight commissions have served taxpayers by overseeing and monitoring projects and expenditures for the voter-approved 2017 half-cent sales tax and both the Proposition 409 and 407 bond packages.
• The Independent Oversight and Accountability Commission will work with the Department of Transportation and Mobility (DTM) to prioritize Proposition 411 neighborhood street improvement projects.
• The City’s Complete Streets Coordinating Council, a group of citizens appointed by the Mayor and Council, in addition to technical experts, will oversee the selection of Proposition 411 safe street projects.

YOUR STREET:

• Over the course of the 10-year plan, 80% of the sales tax generated, an estimated $590 million, will be dedicated to neighborhood road improvements.
• All neighborhood streets will undergo an engineering analysis to determine a plan for road improvement. The neighborhood street improvement plan will include a variety of roadway treatments.
• The City expects that every neighborhood street owned and maintained by the City of Tucson will be improved over the course of the 10-year program.

YOUR SAFETY:

All safe street projects will be overseen by the City’s Complete Streets Coordinating Council, an independent commission that represents a variety of transportation modes.

Proposition 411 will dedicate 20% of funding, an estimated $150 million over 10 years, for street safety improvements that benefit all users and modes. Safe street projects fall into four major categories and reflect the community priorities documented in Move Tucson, the City’s transportation master plan.

The four major safe street project categories and corresponding funding allocations include:

*Funding totals are based on projected tax sales tax revenues.

The Complete Streets Coordinating Coucil (CSCC) approved more than $15 million in key transportation corridors, bikeways and pedestrian improvements in December 2022. Read the news release here. 

Sidewalk and Pedestrian Accessibility Improvements ($45 million) – Sidewalks and other pedestrian-accessibility improvements to create safer and more comfortable routes for walking, biking, and rolling.

Bicycle Network Enhancements ($30 million) – Bicycle safety improvements that retrofit existing streets to add buffered or protected bicycle lanes, upgrade local streets to bicycle boulevards, and make other improvements to Tucson’s bicycle network.

Systemwide Safety Improvements ($45 million) – Projects to improve systemwide safety for various modes of travel, including crossing improvements, such as High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) signals, street lighting, and neighborhood safety improvements. Neighborhood safety
improvements will equal approximately 10% of this funding category and will include traffic circles, chicanes, speed bumps, and other traffic calming features.

Traffic Signal Technology Upgrades ($30 million) – Upgrade Tucson’s traffic signal technology along major roadways to support safe, efficient travel across the City. Priority corridors will be identified based on engineering analyses and traffic safety data. 

Citizens’ accountability and oversight groups will monitor projects and expenditures to ensure funds are spent as directed by voters.

Frequently Asked Questions:

When Is my neighborhood going to get done?  

Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility (DTM) staff are working on the next steps in selecting the sequencing of neighborhoods as part of the 2022 voter approved Proposition 411 program. DTM has spent the last months conducting an engineering analysis and coordinating with utility companies, such as Southwest Gas, Tucson Water, Century Link, etc who may have plans to improve underground facilities. DTM is planning the schedule of improvements while ensuring our work does not conflict with scheduled utility work. 

What improvements will we be receiving? 

Following an engineering analysis of each roadway, the treatment type for each neighborhood segment will be selected. Treatment types will vary per neighborhood depending on the Overall Condition Index (OCI) of the roadways. 

Who will oversee Prop 411? 

Two citizens’ oversight groups will monitor progress and expenditures to ensure funds are spent as directed by voters. The Independent Oversight and Accountability Commission (IOAC) will select and prioritize projects in the Prop 411 Neighborhood Street Improvement Plan, with recommendation from DTM. The City’s Complete Streets Coordinating Council (CSCC) will oversee the Safe Street Projects as part of the program. 

What is the anticipated time frame before people will see the list showing the work plan and schedule? 

The Independent Oversight and Accountability Commission (IOAC), a continuation of the Bond Oversight Commission (BOC) who also oversaw the Prop 101 Tucson Delivers Better Streets program, will make decisions based on recommendations from DTM on the phasing of Prop 411 roadway projects. The first meeting between DTM and the IOAC will be held January 30, 2023. The IOAC will make decisions on the phasing plan and DTM will have more information regarding the plan and schedule following this meeting.  

Can I send my roadway in for resurfacing? 
 
Yes, you can email us and we will place you on the Citizen’s Request Log, this is not a prioritization log, but will show that you submitted your request. Note that with this program, your street will be resurfaced within 10 years as will all City neighborhood streets.  

You can also learn about the successful implementation of the Tucson Delivers projects which are nearing completion.