Regional transportation on the horizon

The Green Valley/Sahuarita Transit Committee is on the threshold of seeing fruition to its ongoing efforts for increased public transportation.

Under the auspices of the Green Valley Community Coordinating Council, the committee met on Aug. 27 to discuss details that will likely lead to service starting sometime between February and April 2009.

The committee meeting, which was attended by 17 members, is chaired by Dick Roberts.

Included were representatives of the Pima Association of Governments Senior Transportation Planner Jennifer O’Connor and Short Range Transportation Planning Team Lead Jeremy Papuga.

“We’ve been working on transit here in Green Valley for about 10 years. With the Regional Transportation Authority coming in, we’ll get about $700,000 a year. We’ve got a good thing here with RTA,” Roberts said.

This money could fund service five days a week for three vehicles 11 hours a day, but Roberts said that much time might not be needed. Therefore, service could run six, perhaps seven days, depending on the needs and wants of the ridership.

“That’s something we don’t know yet,” Roberts said.

Much of the meeting was devoted to fine-tuning a transportation survey that will go out to residents of Green Valley and Sahuarita in September asking for their input on a range of issues.

One of the survey questions asks respondents what they would be willing to pay for service; Papuga said there’s a need for a standardized fee structure across the region.

Issues discussed focused on how to most effectively and efficiently use the system, should the system include “circulator” (fixed route) or door-to-door service or both and how respondents can easily return their completed surveys.

Four drop-off locations were chosen and include the Green Valley Community Coordinating Council office in the Green Valley (Mall) Village, the Green Valley Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce, Sahuarita Town Hall and the Rancho Sahuarita Clubhouse.

To ensure that all residents’ voices are heard and to accommodate as many residents as possible in the decision making, Arleen Boyuls of the GVCCC asked for copies of the survey to be available in Spanish and to be available at the Community Food Bank, Green Valley Assistance Services, Friends In Deed, the Joyner-Green Valley Library and area assisted living facilities.

It is anticipated that the survey will be a half-page ad or an insert within the Green Valley News and the Sahuarita Sun in the Wednesday, Sept. 17, edition. The deadline for returning surveys is Oct. 15.

In addition to the printed survey, it will also be available online; further information to be forthcoming.

Once the surveys are returned and analyzed, there will be many details to work out, including the number of days per week and the number of hours per day transportation will be available.

Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer in Green Valley. Contact her at ellen2414@cox.net.