Local Opinion: Time to polish Tucson's real gem

Early in the pandemic, Tucson’s Mayor and Council made public transit free, providing a crucial service to riders, many of whom are essential workers. About every six months the City Council revisits the idea of fare-free transit. Sun Tran staff and City officials have run the numbers and met with partners to find ways to recover the approximately $10 million in annual revenue that might be collected at the fare box. Very few community partners have stepped up to contribute to a solution, but we should not stop looking. Tucson’s transit service should remain free, and there are several places we can find supplemental revenue.

In case you haven’t been to Tucson’s west or south sides recently, it’s Gem Show time. The annual event brings 65,000 visitors from around the world who stay in hotels, eat at restaurants, shop in stores, and use our roads. Tucson has gladly hosted the event for 50 years. The impact to traffic and downtown neighborhoods is noticeable, but it’s only for a few weeks and the amount of revenue generated is staggering, as much as $131 million. This influx of visitors is an unplumbed source of revenue to help fund our zero-fare transit system. A modest increase in hotel room tax, short-term rental fees, or a small additional vendor fee could fund a transit system to benefit our entire community for the rest of the year. In exchange, our hospitality partners can market to everyone who stays throughout the year that Tucson’s transit system is seamless and free: step on, step off; no hassle, no searching for parking or spare change, doing good for the environment, treading lighter on Tucson’s roads.

Our food, music, and stunning landscape have caught the attention of people around the world, landing us a spot on the New York Times list of 52 places to visit in 2023. After years of hard work by the current and previous mayors and councils, Visit Tucson, and community champions, Tucson’s tourism industry is neither fledgling nor fleeting. We can and should ask visitors to make a small, lasting investment in exchange for time spent here.

Another idea is a small transportation utility fee to spread the cost across the community. With a TUF, the amount charged is based on “trip generation” so that larger entities with bigger impact on the network contribute more than small households. This option fosters a sense of ownership for everyone, and it could help fund route expansion and create community transit buy-in.

Personally, I like the idea of an ongoing impact fee for buildings with 20 or more units within a mile of the streetcar. These buildings have changed our skyline, were built because of the proximity to transit infrastructure that their residents directly benefit from, and are generating record profits.

We have the choice, the resources and the power to maintain transit fare-free and still expand routes and improve service the way everyone in Tucson deserves. Let’s choose to look for abundance, not scarcity. I reject the notion that fare-free transit must come at the expense of increased frequency or expanding routes. Instead, let’s ask: what resources have we not yet tapped? We are in the middle of the development of the next Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) package which, if successful, will fund our transportation projects for the next 20 years. To date no one has suggested building up funding for route or service expansion or to keep transit permanently fare-free. What are we waiting for?

As local governments enter their budget-setting season, now is the time to prioritize an investment in transit for our entire community. We need to collectively support the leaders who are championing this effort and back the initiatives that create long-term revenue to keep Tucson transit fare-free.