TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucson is set to break ground on its first Bus Rapid Transit line, a project City leaders hope will revolutionize local mass transit by increasing efficiency and accessibility between key areas of the city.
The route will run from the Tohono Tadai Transit Center near the Tucson Mall, down Stone Avenue, and terminate downtown at the Ronstadt Transit Center.
The route was chosen after public input.
“We did a survey asking would you prefer Oracle or Stone Avenue,” said Ian Sansom, project manager with the City’s Department of Transportation and Mobility. “And we heard overwhelmingly Stone Avenue was the preferred choice.”
Originally developed in Latin America, BRT systems are designed to offer high-capacity, fast, and reliable service similar to a light rail — but with buses.
“It has its own travel lane,” Sansom explained. “When you have a red light, it can trigger a green light, or it can get an extended green light. The stations are spread out further than a traditional bus. It also has larger buses, and they run more often.”
The BRT stops will resemble streetcar stations, offering easier boarding and quicker loading.
The exact placement of stops along the route is still being determined, but Sansom said the community will be able to voice its support (or concern) for their locations in the future.
Despite the upgrades, some current bus riders expressed concerns.
“I think there’s positives and negatives to it,” said Micaiah Tamisiea, who rides Route 19. “It would cause construction that would cause more time to focus on fixing than just putting the system in.”
Construction is expected to last close to three years, with a timetable of 2026 to 2030 being listed on the project's website, tucsonrapidtransit.com.
The project is projected to cost about $140 million. Half of that will be covered by federal transit grants, with the remainder coming from local sources, including the proposed RTA Next regional funding package.
“And about half of that from local funding,” Sansom said. “So right now that funding is with RTA Next…”
Future expansion is already on the drawing board. According to City officials, there are plans for a second BRT line that would connect downtown Tucson to the Tucson International Airport.
However, that project is not currently funded and is not part of the initial Stone Avenue line.
According to Sansom, that's because the project's length.
"The northern half is actually just a five-mile corridor from downtown to Tucson Mall. The southern section is a 10-mile corridor, from downtown to the airport. So that's double the funding, double the budget," he said.
Tucson joins a growing number of U.S. cities investing in BRT to improve mobility and reduce congestion. City officials said community engagement will continue as the project moves forward.
——
Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
----
STAY IN TOUCH WITH US ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
