RTA's TV ads for roads plan vote; May 3 forum

TUCSON -- Backers of a regional transportation plan, including developers, some greens, and right-wing GOP car dealer Jim Click, have new TV commercials on local channels.

Steve Farley is the spokesman, and he does a good job. Is he getting paid?

I haven't yet made up my mind on how to vote on the RTA plans in May. I like the urban streetcar, wildlife corridors, and bike/ped. elements. There should also be a streetcar route included connecting the airport to downtown and UA, but it is not in the plan.

But the RTA plan also relies too much on street widenings, which could be especially bad for neighborhoods along 22nd St. near Santa Rita Park, and Grant Road, both of which are already pretty wide everywhere.

The Aviation Hwy. plans, especially the westside connection to St. Mary's, could bring many problems as a downtown freeway cutting off downtown to neighborhoods, 4th Av., and UA areas. This is also hugely expensive, $100 million+ for a mile of highway.

I also don't like the sales tax increase, favoring higher gas taxes and transportation funding by developers. Let the drivers and urban sprawlers pay the most. They contribute the most to the problem, not me and my family on our bikes. Pima County already has a fairly high sales tax.

The plan is OK, but hardly 'great' in my opinion. I also don't see it as a for-sure winner in May, it could lose. I'd put it at 50/50 right now.

The Santa Rita Park Neighborhood Association will host a public-forum on the RTA plan on May 3, with both sides presenting pro and con arguments. Be a part of it at the Sam Lena library on S. 6th Av. in South Tucson, 5:30-7pm, Wed. May 3.
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Anonymous said…
Im against it Daniel. It is being steam-rolled through the community and it benefits the county at the expense of the city. It benefits developers and people who want to live further and further out east...as we try so hard to attract people to our inner city neighborhoods. I think it will really hammer the neighborhoods by Grant which are trying so hard to become the eclectic college community that we see in other college towns like Ann Arbor, Bloomington, Athens, and the like.

Respectfully, I see the Train (very short track on that thing) as an expensive throw-away to the left to get this thing passed. Unfortunately, I like Farley, but I see him as co-opted on this one...

Finally, the money behind it is Click and Diamond. Cars and land developers. Better roads stretching outward, more growth, more growth, more land bought and more green-space destroyed.

Don't be fooled folks. If you want trains and bike lanes...go for em...but this is a pro-growth measure through and through.
Sun Mar 12, 07:44:00 PM
Anonymous said…
Im against it Daniel. It is being steam-rolled through the community and it benefits the county at the expense of the city. It benefits developers and people who want to live further and further out east...as we try so hard to attract people to our inner city neighborhoods. I think it will really hammer the neighborhoods by Grant which are trying so hard to become the eclectic college community that we see in other college towns like Ann Arbor, Bloomington, Athens, and the like.

Respectfully, I see the Train (very short track on that thing) as an expensive throw-away to the left to get this thing passed. Unfortunately, I like Farley, but I see him as co-opted on this one...

Finally, the money behind it is Click and Diamond. Cars and land developers. Better roads stretching outward, more growth, more growth, more land bought and more green-space destroyed.

Don't be fooled folks. If you want trains and bike lanes...go for em...but this is a pro-growth measure through and through.
Sun Mar 12, 07:44:00 PM
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