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Council backs draft RTA Next transit safety plan, directs immediate focus on operator safety and ambassadors
Summary
Council approved a staff-recommended draft RTA Next transit safety and security funding plan and directed staff to prioritize operator safety measures, a transit ambassador pilot, barrier testing and quarterly reporting. The plan proposes roughly $2.15 million annually from RTA Next for the city.
Tucson’s mayor and council approved a draft plan June 9 to use RTA Next funding for transit safety and security, endorsing near-term deployments and a proposed transit ambassador program while asking staff to accelerate operator safety measures.
Deputy Director Andy (Transportation & Mobility) summarized the draft plan, which reflects the long-range recommendations of the city’s Transit Safety and Security Action Plan. The RTA Next plan carried an estimated $51 million for regionwide transit safety and security over 20 years; about $43 million is expected to come to the city, equating to roughly $2.15 million annually for initial activities.
Near-term items already under way include Sun Tran stop improvements, expanded contracted security, additional cleaning crews and TPD special‑duty deployments on priority corridors. The draft budget also includes seed funding to pilot different operator barrier systems on buses, a proposed transit ambassador program to connect riders to services and help de-escalate incidents, operator de-escalation training, and a repeat-offender tracking/enforcement mechanism.
Council members pressed staff on metrics and operator concerns: they asked for clear KPIs (operator assaults, onboard incidents, calls for service, perceptions of safety, repeat offenders), operator involvement in barrier testing, and continued collaboration with the Transit Advisory Committee and Teamsters representatives. Vice Mayor moved — and council approved — a motion to adopt the draft RTA Next transit safety plan with additional direction to increase funding for operator safety infrastructure (including barriers and panic buttons), bolster the ambassador program, and deliver regular reports to council, the Transit Advisory Committee and the Safe City Task Force.
Implementation notes: staff will seek RTA confirmation of eligible activities, develop KPIs and reporting cadence, and pursue pre‑authorization from RTA so reimbursable work can proceed while an IGA is completed.
