Summary:
One of the funding sources for the City’s larger transportation projects is the regional transportation sales tax, also known as Proposition 400. Last Fall, staff briefed Mayor and Council on Peoria transportation projects associated with Proposition 400 and initial planning efforts to extend the tax beyond its current expiration date in 2025.
This presentation is one of a series of briefings designed to keep Mayor and Council updated on Proposition 400 extension preparations. Additionally, staff is seeking feedback from Mayor and Council on the overarching goals for transportation in the region and in relation to Peoria’s priority projects and programs.
By way of background, Proposition 400 was passed by Maricopa County voters in 2004, providing the Phoenix region with a 20-year ½-cent sales tax for transportation projects (including transit services) from 2006 through 2025. This tax was an extension of the existing ½-cent transportation sales tax that was enacted in 1985 (known as Proposition 300).
By the time of its expiration, Proposition 400 will have funded approximately $9 billion in transportation and transit related projects for its 30 eligible Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) member cities, towns, Maricopa County and Native nations. As a MAG member agency, the City of Peoria has received funding from Proposition 400 for needed transportation projects (i.e. – roads, freeways, bridges, smart traffic systems, etc.) and its transit-oriented services (i.e. – fixed route bus service, bus shelters and signage, and Dial-a-Ride services). Without these funds, the City would be primarily reliant on local funding for its transportation/transit needs.
Over the past several months, despite meeting disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, City staff has been working closely with MAG and other member agencies to develop strategies and policy questions related to the extension of Proposition 400.
A key part of this preparatory work has been the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) Working Group consisting of select city managers tasked with assisting MAG planners in development of the various scenarios that will ultimately be presented to the Transportation Policy Committee (TPC) for funding consideration, should voters extend Proposition 400. The TPC is the regional governing body consisting of elected officials from member agencies with the statutory authority to develop the RTP – a document that is tantamount to the region’s general plan for transportation.
Because this is a continuation of staff updates on regional transportation efforts and over 1300 different projects have been submitted to MAG for funding consideration under Proposition 400-E (including those submitted by Peoria), feedback from Mayor and Council will be helpful to staff as regional transportation planning efforts continue to progress over the coming months.