RTA Next Begins

RTA Business Support Program Manager Steve Taylor joins the podcast to discuss the RTA Business Support Program and what he and his consultants can do to help businesses impacted by RTA projects.

The 2026 RTA plan officially kicked off with the first project, the pavement rehabilitation of Irvington Road. City of Tucson Director of Transportation and Mobility Sam Credio and RTA Executive Director Michael Ortega join the podcast discuss this project, other current City of Tucson RTA projects and some projects on the horizon.

RTA Executive Director Michael Ortega joins the podcast to discuss accountability and transparency of the RTA, as well as the RTA's increased role in project delivery.

There are a lot of RTA projects underway or about to get started. Pima Association of Governments Director of Transportation Services Rick Ellis joins the podcast to give an update on a few projects nearing completion, a few just beginning and a few on the horizon. Get updates on Downtown Links, Sunset Road, Grant 3 & 4, the 22nd Street Bridge and more. 

On this episode, PAG Transportation Planning Director Jeanette DeRenne and Transportation Data Science Manager James Tokishi discuss traffic data counts. Knowing the traffic counts on region's roadways informs long-term planning and helps the private sector make informed development decisions. https://pagregion.com/info-center/maps-and-data/data/traffic-data/https://pag.ms2soft.com/TDMS.UI_Core/portal

When is a roadway project actually done? Pima Association ofGovernments Transportation Planning Director Rick Ellis explains some of the complexities that go into planning and delivering major roadway projects. 

With voter approval of Props 418 and 419, we sit down with RTA Executive Director Michael Ortega to discuss some of the next steps for the RTA Next plan. Ortega explains how accountability and project delivery will be the RTA's top priorities and how the Pavement Preservation element of the new voter-approved plan will deliver needed roadway repairs to for the region.

RTA Executive Director Michael J. Ortega joins the podcast to help clear the air about the RTA Next plan, Props 418 and 419 , which voters will decide at the March 10 election. 

Rick Ellis, Pima Association of Governments Director of Transportation Services, discusses roadway corridors included in the RTA Next plan.Roadway corridors in the plan will not only help ease congestion and move traffic more efficiently, but improve regional connectivity and provide new safety features for pedestrians and cyclists.

PAG Executive Director Michael Ortega and Transportation Planning Director Jeanette DeRenne discuss how the RTA Next projects were selected to present to voters for their approval in the March election and how RTA Next intends to help the region meet its transportation needs.