Option 3 Moves Forward: Fully Funded 20-Year RTA Next Plan Nearing March Ballot

In a decisive 6-2 vote on August 15, 2025, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Board advanced Option 3, also known as Board Member Maxwell’s Plan. This fully funded, 20-year Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Next plan, totaling $2.67 billion in countywide investments, will now appear on the March 2026 ballot after a final vote of the RTA Board on August 25th and an approval by the Pima County Board of Supervisors.

What Option 3 Means for Pima County and Voters

Option 3 extends but does not raise the existing half-cent sales tax through 2046, ensuring a steady and reliable revenue stream for the entire 20-year duration of the plan. This stability is crucial to delivering major infrastructure projects on time and within budget.

Key benefits for Pima County voters include:

• Predictable, long-term funding aligned with project timelines.
• The ability to avoid stop-start planning that inflates costs.
• Public trust through completion of promised projects.
• Economic growth from better mobility, safety, and infrastructure.
• No new tax increases; just continuation of the current tax.

Projects will include roadway widening, congestion relief, modernized transit, pedestrian and bike improvements, and critical bridge and drainage upgrades.

How NextNow and AZAGC Helped Shape the Outcome

The RTA Board’s decision was significantly influenced by NextNow, a business and community coalition that includes the Arizona Chapter of the Associated General Contractors (AZAGC). Ahead of the vote, NextNow issued a press release, published an op-ed, and testified directly before the RTA Board to stress the need for a 20-year fully funded plan, not a piecemeal approach.

The coalition’s message has been amplified through a press tour junket with the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Sentinel, with articles already in print and more scheduled to appear through Thursday. Additionally, David Godlewski, President of the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association and NextNow coalition member, was featured on The Morning Voice radio show this past Tuesday, where he discussed the RTA plan and the importance of long-term funding.

At the same time, AZAGC invested resources to make sure the RTA Board members heard from their communities that the region needs a fully funded regional transportation plan.

These efforts helped get the RTA Board to a final vote of a fully funded plan for the region.

Option 3 Bottom Line

Option 3 represents the most stable and comprehensive choice for Pima County’s transportation future. Backed strongly by the business community including NextNow and AZAGC, it offers voters a way to secure long-term mobility, safety, and economic benefits without raising taxes.

If the next two steps go forward as expected (August 25 RTA Board vote and Board of Supervisor approval), Pima County voters will decide this coming March whether to invest in a 20-year, fully funded RTA Next plan and the AZAGC will be heavily involved to ensure Pima County voters know the importance and significance of regional transportation funding to the quality of life in their region.