Pima County Voters Deliver a Win for Transportation: Props 418 and 419

Connect Pima Delivers: Voters Approve a New Transportation Vision for Pima County -
Props 418 and 419

On March 10th, Pima County voters made an important decision about the future of transportation in Southern Arizona. Through the Connect Pima campaign, voters approved Propositions 418 and 419, ensuring continued investment in regional mobility, safety, and economic development for the next generation.

For ACEC Arizona and our member firms, this outcome represents collaboration, advocacy, and professional expertise coming together to support a long-term transportation vision for the region.

What Voters Approved

The election centered on two ballot measures collectively known as RTA Next:

• Proposition 418 approved a new 20-year regional transportation plan for Pima County.
• Proposition 419 renewed the existing half-cent sales tax that funds those projects.

Together, these measures authorize a $2.67 billion regional transportation investment plan through 2046 that continues the work originally launched when voters approved the first Regional Transportation Authority plan in 2006.

Importantly, the plan does not increase the tax rate—it simply continues the existing funding mechanism that has supported transportation improvements across the region for two decades.

The new program will fund a wide range of transportation priorities, including:

• $1+ billion in roadway corridor improvements
• Completion of several unfinished projects from the original RTA plan
• Major pavement rehabilitation and road maintenance
• Safety improvements, ADA upgrades, and multimodal infrastructure
• Continued and expanded regional transit services
• Environmental and wildlife corridor protections

Overall, the plan is expected to support tens of thousands of jobs and billions in regional economic activity over the next 20 years while improving safety and mobility for residents across Pima County.

The Connect Pima Campaign

The Connect Pima campaign was formed to educate voters about the importance of maintaining long-term transportation funding in Southern Arizona.

This effort brought together a broad coalition that included:

• Engineering firms
• Construction and industry partners
• Regional employers
• Community leaders
• Local governments and transportation advocates

The goal was simple: ensure voters understood that continuing the Regional Transportation Authority program would allow the region to finish key projects, maintain existing infrastructure, and invest in the transportation system needed for the next 20 years.

ACEC Arizona’s Role

ACEC Arizona and our member firms played a significant role in helping bring this effort to the finish line.

The $1.4 million campaign was supported through:

• ACEC-AZ State PAC 
• ACEC National Minuteman Funds
• Direct contributions from ACEC member firms
• Extensive time and leadership from the ACEC-AZ Board and Staff

Engineering firms across Arizona recognize that well-planned transportation infrastructure is essential to economic growth, safety, and quality of life. Supporting Connect Pima was a natural extension of ACEC Arizona’s mission to advocate for strong infrastructure investment.

Leadership That Made It Happen

One of the defining features of the Connect Pima effort was the leadership shown by professionals from within our industry.

A special acknowledgment goes to Alejandro Angel of Psomas and ACEC-AZ Board Member, whose leadership and commitment helped drive the effort forward. Alejandro, alongside many others in the engineering community, helped ensure that the campaign communicated the real benefits of the plan to voters.

The ACEC Arizona Board of Directors also played a major role by providing strategic guidance, outreach, and industry leadership that helped move the initiative from concept to ballot approval.

Their efforts reflect the importance of engineers not only designing infrastructure, but also helping communities understand why these investments matter.

Why This Matters

Transportation investments like RTA Next are about much more than roads.

They support:

• Economic development
• Regional mobility
• Public safety
• Transit accessibility
• Long-term infrastructure planning

For the engineering industry, they also represent opportunities to apply the expertise of our member firms to help deliver projects that improve communities across Southern Arizona.

Most importantly, the March 10th election shows that voters recognize the importance of investing in infrastructure and planning for the future.

Thank You

On behalf of ACEC Arizona, thank you to the many member firms, volunteers, partners, and community leaders who contributed their time, resources, and expertise to support the Connect Pima campaign.

Your work helped ensure that Pima County will continue building a safe, reliable, and forward-looking transportation system for decades to come.

We look forward to continuing to work with regional partners as these projects move from plan to reality.