Regional Transportation Authority

What Regional Transportation Authority does

The Regional Transportation Authority of Pima County is an independent taxing district established by the Arizona Legislature in 2004 under A.R.S. 48-5301-48-5354. It delivers multimodal transportation infrastructure across Pima County, Arizona, by administering a voter-approved 20-year regional transportation plan funded primarily through a countywide half-cent excise (sales) tax that is matched with federal and state transportation funds. The RTA does not construct projects directly; instead it funds and oversees 35 corridor projects plus transit, active transportation, safety, and environmental improvements delivered through eight member jurisdictions — the City of Tucson, City of South Tucson, towns of Marana, Oro Valley, and Sahuarita, Pima County, the Tohono O'odham Nation, and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe — with administrative support from the Pima Association of Governments.

Its core product is the long-horizon RTA Plan, a portfolio of roadway corridor widenings, intersection and signal upgrades, bus pullouts, pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, bike lanes, wildlife crossing structures, and transit services (Sun Tran bus, Sun Link streetcar, Sun Shuttle circulators and paratransit). Supporting programs include the MainStreet Business Assistance Program for construction-impacted businesses and a 1%-of-construction Public Art Program run with the Arts Foundation of Tucson and Southern Arizona. The technology stack is limited to TransView (regional project mapping and tracking) and coordinated traffic signal operations across member jurisdictions — RTA does not develop proprietary technology products. As of June 2025, 1,048 projects have been completed since 2006, with $1.6B of local excise tax funding deployed against $2.67B programmed for the next 20 years.

The business model is tax-funded rather than commercial. Half-cent excise tax revenue flows from the state of Arizona to the RTA and is released in tranches for project implementation by member jurisdictions; there are no direct prices, contracts, or subscriptions with end users. Public accountability is delivered through a Board composed of jurisdictional representatives, a Citizens Advisory Committee, a Technical Management Committee, and a reconstituted Citizens Accountability for Regional Transportation (CART) Committee that publishes quarterly oversight reports. The RTA itself is a small administrative organization led by Executive Director Farhad Moghimi, with operational delivery performed by partner agencies.

Name

Regional Transportation Authority

Legal name

Regional Transportation Authority

Website

https://rtamobility.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Regional Transportation Authority of Pima County is an independent taxing district funding multimodal infrastructure across Pima County, Arizona through a voter-approved half-cent excise tax. It delivers roadway, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and wildlife crossing improvements through eight member jurisdictions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transportation & Regional Infrastructure

NAICS

Regulation and Administration of Transportation Programs (926120), Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Transit Agencies (Bus, Rail, Metro, Paratransit) (BPAIALAB)

Keywords

• Public transit services
• Transportation planning
• Regional roadway infrastructure
• Transit funding
• Multi-jurisdictional mobility

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Half-cent Excise Tax: Pima County voters approved a countywide half-cent excise (sales) tax to fund the regional transportation plan. The tax is collected on eligible sales from locals and visitors, with some items like groceries exempt. Hotel and lodging taxes are largely paid by visitors. The revenue is released by the state to the RTA for project implementation.
2. Federal and State Transportation Funds: The RTA leverages federal and state transportation funds in combination with local RTA sales tax revenues to implement projects. Federal matching grants from infrastructure legislation provide additional funding support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Regional Transportation Authority is described as an independent taxing district that delivers regional transportation improvements including roadway, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, safety, and wildlife crossing projects across member jurisdictions in the region.

Product overview

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Pima County operates as an independent taxing district managing a comprehensive multimodal transportation program. The core offering consists of a voter-approved 20-year regional transportation plan that delivers 35 roadway corridor projects, transit services (Sun Shuttle and Sun Tran), active transportation infrastructure (bike lanes, sidewalks, pedestrian crossings), wildlife crossings, and safety improvements. Supporting programs include the MainStreet Business Assistance Program for construction-impacted businesses and a Public Art Program mandating 1% of construction budgets for art installations. In 2026, the RTA launched RTA Next, a new $2.67 billion 20-year plan to continue these transportation improvements. The RTA functions as a government transportation authority rather than a software product company, with no public-facing API or AI/ML capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sun Shuttle: Neighborhood circulator transit service operating 12 routes across the region with connections to Sun Tran bus system
• RTA Next
• MainStreet
• Sun Link

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,048 projects completed since 2006
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADOT collaborates with RTA on major transportation projects including highway improvements, interchanges, and wildlife crossing structures. ADOT coordinated with RTA on the Sunset Links Road interchange at I-10, Oracle Road wildlife overpass, and Ruthrauff Road/I-10 interchange improvement project.
• Pima Association of Governments (PAG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAG manages the RTA as the region's federally designated metropolitan planning organization. PAG provides administrative support, transportation planning services, and coordinates regional planning efforts including the development of RTA plans.
• City of TucsoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Tucson is the largest RTA member jurisdiction receiving over 60% of RTA funds. The city leads implementation of major corridor projects including Broadway Boulevard, Downtown Links, Grant Road, and Houghton Road.
• Pima CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPima County is an RTA member jurisdiction and receives approximately 20% of RTA funds. The county manages various corridor projects and infrastructure improvements across unincorporated areas.
• Town of MaranacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarana leads Tangerine Road improvement projects and Twin Peaks Road improvements. The town receives proportional RTA funding for regional corridor projects in the northwest region.
• Arizona Game and Fish DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe department partners with RTA on wildlife linkage projects, providing expertise on wildlife movement patterns, habitat connectivity, and monitoring wildlife crossing structures. AGFD conducts camera monitoring at wildlife crossings to document usage.
• Coalition for Sonoran Desert ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Coalition advocated for inclusion of wildlife linkage funding in the original RTA plan. Coalition representatives served on the RTA Citizens Advisory Committee and Wildlife Linkages Working Group to help develop and monitor wildlife crossing projects.
• Arts Foundation of Tucson and Southern ArizonacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Arts Foundation actively manages public art processes for RTA-funded roadway projects, working with member jurisdictions to draft Calls to Artists, establish Public Art Project Panels, and commission artwork for transportation infrastructure.
• Tohono O'odham NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nation collaborates on transportation improvements including wildlife crossing structures on State Route 86 near Kitt Peak and regional connectivity projects benefiting tribal communities.
• Pascua Yaqui TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Tribe participates as an RTA member jurisdiction with representation on the RTA Board, contributing to regional transportation planning decisions.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Valley Metro: Regional public transportation authority serving the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona, operating bus, light rail, and paratransit services funded through regional sales taxes — directly comparable as a fellow Arizona multimodal transit authority funded by voter-approved transportation taxes.
• Regional Transportation District (RTD): Denver-area regional transit authority created by state legislation, funded in part by a voter-approved sales tax, delivering multimodal transit and infrastructure across multiple member jurisdictions — closely mirrors the RTA's structure, funding mechanism, and multimodal mandate.
• Sound Transit: Regional transit authority serving the Puget Sound region, funded through voter-approved taxes and delivering light rail, commuter rail, and bus services — comparable as a multi-county, voter-approved, multimodal regional transit agency with a large multi-decade capital plan.
• TriMet: Regional transit authority serving the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, providing bus, light rail, and paratransit — comparable as a similarly scoped regional transit operator with multimodal service and a single metropolitan focus.
• Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG): Metropolitan planning organization for the Denver region that coordinates regional transportation planning and funding across multiple jurisdictions — directly analogous to Pima Association of Governments' administrative and planning role supporting the RTA.
• Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG): Metropolitan planning organization for the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona, coordinating regional transportation planning and funding across member jurisdictions — sister organization to PAG/RTA within Arizona, with a similar MPO-plus-regional-funding role.

Broad incumbents

• Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro): Large multimodal transit and transportation agency for Los Angeles County, funded in part by voter-approved sales taxes (Measures R and M) — comparable as a much larger, established incumbent operating bus, rail, and highway programs under a regional sales-tax-funded model.
• Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC): Regional transportation planning and funding agency for the San Francisco Bay Area, distributing federal/state/regional funds and coordinating transit — analogous to RTA/PAG's role as a regional planning and funding authority rather than a direct transit operator.

Emerging players

• North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG): Metropolitan planning organization for the Dallas-Fort Worth region coordinating transportation planning across many member governments — comparable as a regional planning entity that administers large multimodal transportation programs across multiple cities and counties.
• Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization: MPO coordinating regional transportation planning and funding allocation for the Tampa-Hillsborough region — comparable as a smaller-scale regional planning and funding body administering multi-jurisdiction transportation investments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RTAMobility
• Facebookfacebook.com/RTAMobility
• Instagraminstagram.com/rtamobility
• Xx.com/rtamobility
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rtamobility

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Regional Transportation Authority