Ronstadt Transit Center

Ronstadt Transit Center redevelopment

Ronstadt Center Remake on Transit & City Council Agendas this Week

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What would Tucson do without smart activists with tenacity and good computer skills? I recently received an update on the Ronstadt Transit Center redevelopment project– complete with drawings and a project timeline– not from the City of Tucson but from a local transit watchdog who has been following transit-related decisions for years.

Ronstadt Transit Center
Remember the entrance to the Ronstadt with the brick arch and the clock? That will be another hotel, according to the drawings.

The redevelopment of the Ronstadt Transit Center will be on both the Transit Task Force agenda for Monday, October 7, 2019 and on the Mayor and Council Agenda for Thursday, October 10, 2019.

  • Transit Task Force agenda, drawings and a Ronstadt Center redevelopment timeline can be found here. This link also includes minutes from the transit group’s September meeting (very interesting).
  • Mayor and Council agenda here. Ronstadt redevelopment is dead last on a long agenda. Thursday looks like another long day for the Mayor and Council and those of us who follow them. There are multiple agendas and addenda here.

More background and links below the fold.

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Ronstadt Transit Center

Why Can’t the Ronstadt Center Be an Open-Air Transit & Community Space?

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Do you remember the controversy surrounding redevelopment of the Ronstadt Transit Center? Back in 2013-2014, developers were making a play to redevelopment the Ronstadt Transit Center. They had pitched redevelopment of the Ronstadt in the past and failed; the 2013-14 plans revolved around building something on top of the Ronstadt. I mention this ancient history because the … Read more

New Sun Tran policy eliminates paper transfers on buses

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“REGIONAL TRANSIT TRANSFER POLICY TO CHANGE SunGO Card transfers good for two hours in any direction, fee waived for one month (press release)

TUCSON, Ariz. –Starting on September 1, all passengers must have a SunGO Card or SunGO ID& Card, even if paying cash, for a transfer to be issued when tapped on a farebox. Transfers will now be valid for two hours in any direction on Sun Tran, Sun Link and select Sun Shuttle routes. Paper transfer tickets will no longer be distributed after August 31.

In order to ensure all passengers have a SunGO Card, Sun Tran will distribute cards from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. each weekday starting August 22 through September 2, in the information booths at all transit centers:

  • Laos Transit Center, 205 W Irvington Road
  • Ronstadt Transit Center, 215 E Congress Street
  • Tohono Tadai Transit Center, 4540 N Stone Avenue

Limit is one card per passenger. Individual must be present at the time of distribution to redeem card.

Passengers can also get a SunGO Card with the fee waived, from August 22 through September 30, 2016, if a pass or minimum value of  $1 is loaded to a new SunGO Card at a Ticket Vending Machine or at a sales outlet.

For more information on the new regional transit transfer policy, visit www.suntran.com or call Sun Tran’s Customer Service at (520) 792-9222.”

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Feb 19 City Council Meetings: Bus Fare Hike, Ronstadt Transit Center Redevelopment

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by Pamela Powers Hannley

At the Feb. 19 study session and evening meeting, the Tucson City Council will consider two issues that could greatly affect bus service in our town.

During the study session, they will consider a proposal to increase bus fares. At the regular evening meeting, they will hear public comments about the proposed redevelopment of the Ronstadt Transit Center. (Proposals and background here.) In between these two meetings, the Tucson Bus Riders Union will have a rally outside of the City Council Chambers, beginning at 4 p.m. (Details and related articles below.)

Ronstadt Center Re-Development: When Is a Public Process Not Public?

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Ronstadt-dance22-sig-sm72by Pamela Powers Hannley

More than 90 days have passed since the Tucson City Council voted to begin a 60-90 day public comment period to gather information and ideas related to the proposed re-development of the Ronstadt Transit Center. During that time,  the Tucson Bus Riders Union held a public forum at the Rialto, compiled and organized hundreds written comments collected at the forum, met with City Councilwoman Karin Uhlich, and participated in collecting 2800 surveys from bus riders.

What has Corky Poster done? Poster is the architect and planner who was City Council hired to gather the public input. Rumor has it that Poster has held eight “stakeholder” meetings in recent weeks. With the information gathered at those meetings, he has compiled a report outlining consensus goals and objectives and said report was to be delivered to the City Manager’s office last week before Poster left town on vacation. More photos and details on the secret public process and who the real stakeholders are after the jump.