November 2024 Update

Funding for public transit is on the City of Tucson Mayor & Council Study Session agenda on Tuesday, Nov 19. In the Mayor & Council Memorandum, staff provided three viable options for increasing funding for transit operations:

• Partnership Agreements: Despite the crucial role that public transit plays in the daily lives of students, the City of Tucson's educational partners in the community have yet to chip in any funding. More recently, the leaders of Tucson Unified School District (TUSD), the University of Arizona (UA), and Pima Community College (PCC) have indicated that they are willing to come back to the table for further discussion.
• Hotel/Motel Surcharge: Transit plays a key role in supporting tourism in the Tucson area. The hotel/motel surcharge could provide up to $2M for every $1/night increase.
• Public Utility Tax (PUT): The Mayor and Council have the authority to increase the PUT and direct the increased revenue to fund transit operations. It is estimated that for every 0.5% increase the PUT will generate approximately $1.7M in additional funding that could be used to fund transit.

Further details about each option are available in the memo.

Zero fares are guaranteed only through June 2025, so our advocacy is still needed!

Now is the perfect time to contact the mayor and council to thank them for keeping our transit fare free and exploring other avenues to increase funding for the system. Feel free to spread the word using the link bit.ly/YesToFreeTransit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PREVIOUS UPDATE:

At the March 5, 2024 Study Session, under the leadership of Mayor Romero and Council Member Santa Cruz, the Mayor & Council directed the City Manager to return to the March 19 Study Session with more information about potential sources of funding.  They opted out of beginning the process of reinstating fares, because as Vice Mayor Dahl noted in a local article, "the city council would get 'deluged again and again' by people who Dahl says 'justifiably' think a free transit service is a 'great deal.'"

During the March 5 Study Session, Mayor Romero said that the “incredible growth of our system with our fare-free transit system is absolutely worth the investment" and noted that "the Prosperity Initiative talks about prioritizing transportation options to connect disadvantaged communities to jobs, schools and resources." Council Member Santa Cruz also spoke compellingly in support of treating public transit as a public good.

Please be sure to acknowledge the leadership of these folks as you continue to reach out to the Mayor & Council about the importance of keeping all public transit fare-free! The Transit for All Coalition will continue to share updates and opportunities to take action between now and March 19, so stay tuned!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PREVIOUS UPDATE:

Since March 2020, residents in the city of Tucson have been able to ride for free on the region’s extensive network of buses and streetcars. Community reliance on fare-free public transit has only continued to grow since then, along with a groundswell of support across local businesses, organizations, non-profits, and grassroots groups. You may have been one of the countless members of the public who wrote emails, signed our petition, and spoke to the Mayor and Council to urge their support for fare-free transit, spearheaded by the organizing efforts of the Transit for All Coalition. All of that advocacy culminated in a unanimous vote at the May 9, 2023 Mayor and Council meeting to commit to fare-free transit indefinitely, or "until there is an affirmative vote from the council to reinstate the fares." Thank you for using your voice on this important issue!

A memorandum from the City Manager was released on February 28 that recommends reinstating fares for Sun Link and Sun Express services. On March 5, Mayor and Council will discuss the future of fare-free transit. Your advocacy made a difference before. The time has come to let Mayor and Council know once again that public transit is a public good and should remain permanently fare-free!

Take action through our letter-writing campaign by typing your comments into the box provided. Your letter will be automatically emailed to the Mayor & Council and appropriate staff at the City of Tucson and Sun Tran.