Sjoberg Evashenk Consulting, Inc. was hired by the Arizona Auditor General to conduct an independent performance audit of the Pima Association of Governments’ (PAG) Regional Transportation Authority Plan (RTA Plan) of Pima County focusing on the past and planned expenditures of the RTA Plan and system performance in relieving congestion and improving mobility looking at roadway, safety, environmental and economic vitality, and transit projects as funded through RTA Plan revenues. Our audit found that planned RTA Plan projects were generally completed as planned or were in-progress towards completion, though there was a funding gap of approximately $149 million—or 12 percent of the remaining $1.2 billion plan. Spending on RTA Plan projects had mixed results with regard to mobility and congestion with performance that mostly aligned with or outpaced comparable areas we reviewed. Further, roadway crashes decreased systemwide and on road segments where RTA Plan projects that we reviewed were completed. Yet, fatalities increased for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. To address safety, the Pima Association of Governments and Arizona Department of Transportation developed a multitude of strategies centered on project engineering, education, and technology.
The full report can be found here.
