Proposed Transit Line Would Connect Downtown Tucson to Airport

Based on community input for a 15-mile transit line, residents want to see a focus on affordable housing development and anti-displacement measures.

1 minute read

May 22, 2022, 9:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


University of Arizona

Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

A proposed 15-mile transit line would connect downtown Tucson to the city’s international airport, reports Perla Shaheen for KGUN9. “The transit will run directly from the Tucson Mall to the Airport, and is expected to bring in major business development. This could impact around 30 neighborhoods, many of which are historically made up of low-income, marginalized communities.”

The article notes that “There are 14 community engagement officers asking people in these areas what development they'd like to see. The City also created an online survey that’s received more than 2,000 responses. 78% of those surveyed support the development of affordable housing.” Monica Landgrave-Serrano from Tucson's Department of Transportation and Mobility said "We want to see how open the community is to duplexes, transitional homes, live-work options” that could provide more affordable housing than existing single-family homes.

A prior article by Shaheen outlines the proposed transit line, which “would connect three transit centers, a lot of major employers: Pima Community College, the Veterans Hospital, the airport itself,” says Project Manager Ian Sansom. “It'll be another five to ten years before this transit line is complete. The city is still figuring out where exactly it'll go and whether or not it will be a street car or a bus.”

Thursday, May 19, 2022 in KGUN

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

April 18 - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

April 18 - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

April 18 - Smart Cities Dive