Kenny Darr is KGUN 9's Oro Valley reporter. Send your story ideas to Kenny at kenny.darr@kgun9.com.
The future of Oro Valley ’s door-to-door Dial-A-Ride service could depend on the outcome of the upcoming RTA Next vote.Sun Shuttle Dial-A-Ride provides free transportation for seniors and people with disabilities in Oro Valley , completing more than 60,000 door-to-door trips each year.
Over the life of the program, more than 1 million rides have been provided.The service began as Coyote Run before losing state funding in 2010. The Regional Transportation Authority stepped in the following year to help cover costs. Since 2011, the RTA has provided nearly $2 million annually to operate Oro Valley’s Dial-A-Ride system. The town supplements that with an additional $200,000 to $300,000 in local funds each year.RTA funding for the service expires this year unless voters approve the 20-year RTA Next plan, which would extend the existing half-cent sales tax that supports regional transportation projects across Pima County. The all-mail election runs through March 10.If RTA Next fails, the current half-cent sales tax would cease after June 30. Oro Valley would then have to decide whether it can assume full financial responsibility for Dial-A-Ride if the program remains in operation.Regionwide, more than $30 million in annual transit costs would need to be covered by other funding sources if Propositions 418 and 419 are defeated, according to RTA Next materials. Transit services are expected to be among the first areas affected without renewed funding.Dial-A-Ride services are also available in Marana, Green Valley and Sahuarita, with each community operating its own program using RTA funding.Town leaders have previously described Oro Valley’s Dial-A-Ride as a premier service in the region, pointing to its door-to-door model rather than curb-to-curb transportation.Some residents say losing the service would have serious consequences.“I think it would be tragic to lose that service that would put a lot of people in medical jeopardy as well as social isolation and difficulty to do any of their errands or anything,” said Oro Valley resident Mary Murck. “So I think it's really, really important that people contribute and that the taxes pay for those kinds of things. I'm all for it.” Murck added that she has friends who rely on the service.Supporters of RTA Next argue that extending the tax is critical to preserving transit services across the region. Others who support services like Dial-A-Ride say they still oppose RTA Next, citing concerns about transparency in past RTA efforts.Voters have until March 10 to return their ballots.
Oro Valley Regional Transportation Authority Rta Sun Tran
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