GUEST COLUMN: RTA Gives Us the Tool We Need

By Ted Maxwell
President & CEO
Southern Arizona Leadership Council

Anyone who’s ever tried to fix something with the wrong tool knows how frustrating and expensive that can be. You can muscle through for a while, but the job takes longer, costs more, and the results never quite hold. 

What RTA Next gives Pima County is the right tool for a complex job when it comes to transportation.  And we can only use this tool if we pass both Props 418 & 419.

I term it a ‘tool’ but at its core, RTA Next is a practical, voter-approved project plan that helps the region plan smarter and spend transportation dollars more effectively. 

Instead of expensive, piecemeal reactions to problems, one pothole or intersection at a time, it allows the county and its jurisdictions to work from a shared plan, line up projects efficiently, and take advantage of matching state and federal funds. That’s how you get more results without wasting time or money.

Just as important, good tools come with safeguards. RTA Next includes clear accountability as well as checks and balances: a voter-protected plan, public reporting, independent oversight and required audits by the State Auditor General’s office. 

Residents don’t have to rely on promises – they can see where the money goes and how projects are progressing.  Statutorily, if major scope changes are needed, they go back to voters for approval.  None of this is required if the municipalities go it alone.

For people who want Pima County to be a great place to live, work, and play, this matters. Better roads, safer streets, and more reliable transportation don’t happen by accident. They happen when a community chooses a tool designed to do the job well. RTA Next is that tool and Props 418 & 419 deliver it to our region. Vote YES twice to put it to work.

Ted Maxwell is President & CEO of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and currently serves as a member of Pima County’s RTA Board and Chair of the Arizona State Transportation Board.