About The Committee
A diverse group of citizens – many of whom would traditionally be thought of as unlikely allies – has joined forces to educate the community about the need for the Regional Transportation Plan and to pass both the plan and its funding mechanism on the May 2006 ballot. Formal announcement of the committee, “Yes!! for Regional Transportation,” comes on the heels of unprecedented cooperation among the area’s governmental entities, all of which unanimously approved the Plan. The May 16 ballot initiatives were approved yesterday by the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
Yes!! for Regional Transportation will be co-chaired by Rick Myers, retired IBM executive; Katie Dusenberry of Horizon Moving Systems and Carolyn Campbell of the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, with attorney Larry Hecker serving as treasurer. Dusenberry and Hecker are past members of the Arizona State Transportation Board.
The committee’s members include, for example, environmentalists and homebuilders, car dealers and mass transit advocates, cyclists and realtors, and firefighters and civil engineers. The Plan has four components to address roadways, transit, safety and environmental needs. It is designed to promote an efficiently linked system of rail lines, interstate freeways, streets, transit, bikeways and pedestrian paths that enhances accessibility and the movement of people and goods, and maximizes use of technological innovations.
“Community-wide cooperation of this magnitude and breadth is really the first of its kind,” Myers said. “It speaks loud and clear to the fact that this plan was created by local citizens and is truly a first step for the whole region in solving our increasing problems related to transportation.”
Due to requirements in Arizona state law, there will be two questions on the May 16 ballot. One will ask voters to approve the Plan. The second will ask approval for a half-cent sales tax to fund the projects. Both must pass in order for the plan to be put into effect. If either passes without the other, neither will be able to occur independently.
The Plan was developed to identify the most essential transportation needs for the future of the community – above and beyond what the State, City and County will be doing on an ongoing basis. The only option to fund the plan is through a sales tax; the state does not allow the gas tax or a bond issue to be used for this purpose, Myers added.
For more information about becoming involved with Yes!! for Regional Transportation, call 798-0900.
Paid for by the Yes!! for Regional Transportation Committee, funding by Jim Click Ford, Inc; Granite Construction, Inc; Carolyn Campbell; Southern Arizona Homebuilders Association; Rick Myers; Steve Farley and many other concerned citizens.
