To celebrate the implementation of the 20-year regional transportation plan approved by voters in May, the Regional Transportation Authority took a Sun Tran bus trip to South Tucson City Hall.

Carrying Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup, Sun Tran General Manager Katrina Keineking, Citizens’ Advisory Committee Chairman Rick Myers and other members of the RTA’s board and advisory committee, the bus was chosen to mark the beginning of the expanded transit service, a key provision of the $2.1 billion regional plan, approved by voters this spring.

Sun Tran started the service expansion with six routes with additional buses added to run at peak travel times. They are Route 1, from downtown to Country Club Road; Route 3, from Pima Community College East to the college’s West campus; Route 5, from Wilmot Road and Broadway to Pima Community College West Campus; Route 7, from Harrison Road to downtown; Route 8, from the Laos Transit Center to the intersection of Speedway and Harrison Road, and Route 16, from the Laos Transit Center to North Oracle Road.

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Speaking at the ceremony, Pima County Supervisor Ramon Valadez, who serves as chairman of the transportation authority’s board of directors, said the Aug. 7 ceremony was the first of several kick-off events, planned for the next few years. They started with a celebration of improved bus service because Sun Tran is the first to benefit from the initiative.

“A week from today, starting with South 6th and other overcrowded routes, Sun Tran will be expanding capacity to improve service,” he said.

Beyond that, Valadez said there are several road project that have been in the planning stages for several years. “We’ll finally be moving forward on them.”

Walkup agreed. “It’s important for mass transit to be implemented in the Tucson region,” he said.

RTA’s support has come at a critical time for the city transit system, which is struggling to keep up with demand that gets greater every year, Heineking said. “Last year, there were 17 million passenger trips recorded, an 8.5 percent increase from fiscal 2004 and an all-time record for us.”

While some of the increase is attributed to the spike in gasoline prices, she said much of the gain reflects a three-year trend where more riders have been choosing Sun Tran. “We’ve been concentrating on stability and improved customer service throughout the system, and that’s bringing results.”

More funding will allow the municipal bus system to do even more. “Key routes will be expanded to handle overcrowding,” Heineking said. Following that, in 2007, there will be increased evening and weekend service, “as we begin to deliver on our RTA promises.”

Along with benefiting Sun Tran, the improved service will be at will be especially important for the City of South Tucson. That’s why the city hosted the inaugural celebration, said Mayor Jennifer Eckstrom. “More service will mean a lot to our residents,” she said, “because a number of our citizens tend to work late and early hours. When you get out of work at 2 a.m., now, there’s no way to get home unless somebody can give you a ride. That’s why this will really help them a lot.”

Beyond transit system improvements, the first phase of the regional transportation plan will include roadwork to alleviate congestion and make commuting easier, Eckstrom said. “In the next six months, we also hope to start improvements at our major intersections and more bus pullouts. That should make things even better.”

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