Tempe Transportation Plan 2050

Enhancing quality of life through equitable, safe and connected transportation.

Our Roadmap

The Tempe Transportation Plan 2050 builds on the Circulation Chapter of the Tempe Tomorrow General Plan 2050 to guide development of a citywide multi-modal transportation system integrated with the City's land use, sustainability and resilience plans, and community needs. A good transportation network in the City can improve the quality of life for its residents.

The plan analyzes all transportation options like transit, walking, driving, and biking to set investment priorities and advance the City's goal to build an effective, equitable, and sustainable multimodal transportation system. The benefits of improved mobility are greater access to opportunities for all, including jobs, education, housing and health care – essential elements for a higher quality of life.

Equitable Transportation
The transportation system must provide access to safe, reliable and affordable travel options to those who need it most.
Safe Transportation
Safety is a top priority and is essential for creating a healthy, equitable and thriving city.
Connected Transportation
Investing in transit and active transportation to contribute towards making Tempe a 20-minute city.

What is a 20 minute city?

A 20-minute city is characterized by a vibrant mix of commercial, recreational, civic, and residential establishments within a 1-mile walking distance, 4-mile bicycle ride, or a 20-minute transit ride.

A 20-minute city supports sustainability goals, reduces infrastructure and energy costs and initiates healthier living environment and healthier residents.

In 2014, the City of Tempe adopted this vision by the approval of the Tempe General Plan.

How Tempe Gets Around

Tempe is accessible by multiple modes of transportation, including transit, walking/rolling, bicycling, and micro mobility options.

Vehicles
Walk / Roll
Bicycles
Bus / Circulators
Light rail / Streetcars
Micromobility

Plan Development Process

The Transportation Plan 2050 is updating the 2015 Transportation Plan. The 2015 Plan helped guide the development of today's transportation system, but much has changed in the last 10 years. Those changes include the opening of the Tempe Streetcar, the first modern streetcar line in the Valley. On August 24, 2023 Tempe City Council adopted a new general plan. To ensure transportation goals, objectives and policies remain consistent with the general plan, the City is updating the 2015 Tempe Transportation Plan.

The Plan will be updated over the next 12 months, with the Plan expected to be completed by Summer 2026. The three major phases of the Plan development are shown below.

i Swipe or scroll to view each step.

Spring-Summer 2025 Understanding

Review existing plans and policy; inventory and assessment of existing community and stakeholder outreach and engagement to gain an understanding of current conditions and future needs.
Fall-Winter 2025/2026 Gaps and Needs

Evaluation of the transportation system and needs; outreach focused on feedback on the identified gaps and needs in the system.
Winter-Spring 2026 Recommendations

Identification of immediate, short-term (5 years) and long term transportation needs, and an update to the 2019 Vision Zero Action Plan.

Participate in the Plan

Public participation is a crucial component of the Transportation Plan 2050. We will host events to share information, gather feedback, and engage with the community.

Take our Survey
Your input on the following survey is important as it will help guide our teams to make decisions that will enhance quality of life through equitable, safe and connected transportation. Take the Survey
Contact the Team
Would you like our staff to present at an event or meeting? Connect with Us

Frequently Asked Questions

The Tempe Transportation Plan 2050 is a strategic document that outlines how people and goods will move in the City. It serves as Tempe's roadmap for developing and managing the City's roads, public transit, bicycle, rolling and pedestrian systems.

Key Elements of the Tempe Transportation Plan 2050:

Goal setting: the City's transportation goals derive from the Tempe Tomorrow General Plan 2050, and address the overall transportation system.
Data collection: data on the current transportation conditions, traffic volumes, transit usage, pedestrian, rolling and cycling activity, and infrastructure condition is collected and evaluated. In addition, projections for future growth and demand are developed. This data provides a baseline for understanding the current and future state of the transportation system.
Analysis and modeling: using analytical tools existing conditions and future transportation demand forecasts are evaluated, identifying needs and potential solutions.
Plan development: the Plan will outline strategies, projects, and policies to achieve the identified goals. The Plan will include multimodal infrastructure improvements, policy changes, and programs to encourage safe, equitable and sustainable transportation solutions.
Collaboration: transportation planning requires collaboration among various stakeholders, including the City, community organizations, businesses, and the public.

The Tempe Transportation Plan 2050 affects a wide range of individuals and groups, both directly and indirectly. Some of the groups affected and issues considered include:

General Public / Commuters: changes in travel times, availability of public transit, bike lanes, or pedestrian access.
Local Communities and Neighborhoods: improvements in connectivity and safety.
Businesses and Employers: access to customers and employees, delivery routes, shipping logistics.
Tempe Transit and the Transportation and Sustainability Department: responsible for implementing the plan, maintaining infrastructure, and adapting services.
Low-Income and Underserved Populations: more reliant on affordable transit services and may be disproportionately impacted by changes.
Advocacy Groups: advocate for business, specific modes.

The Tempe Transportation Plan 2050 is important because it impacts how people and goods move through the City, impacting everything from daily life to long-term regional development. Benefits of the Plan include:

Improves Mobility and Access: ensuring people can get to work, school, healthcare, and other essential services efficiently; helps reduce travel time and makes options like walking, biking, and public transit more viable.
Enhances Safety: the Plan will update Tempe's Vision Zero policy to identify roads and intersections with the highest level of fatal and or transit areas and proposes design and policy changes to reduce crashes and injuries.
Supports Economic Growth: support businesses and investment by improving the flow of goods and workforce access.
Reduces Traffic Congestion: with the goal of reducing bottlenecks by encouraging smarter land use, optimizing traffic flow, enhancing alternative modes, and greater public transit adoption.
Protects the Environment: the Plan encourages more sustainable options like public transit and active transportation (bicycling and walking or rolling) to cut emissions and reduce environmental impact.
Promotes Equity: the Plan will consider how transportation investments are distributed to vulnerable or underserved communities.
Enhances Funding Opportunities: clearly identifying transportation objectives supported by up-to-date data and demonstrated needs positions the City to be more competitive in pursuing regional, state and federal funding opportunities.

The outcomes of the Tempe Transportation Plan 2050 affect how people live, work, travel, and interact with the City, including:

Improved mobility and accessibility making travel across the City and region more efficient
Better access to jobs, schools, healthcare, and services
Increased transportation options
Improved safety
Environmental benefits including lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced air and noise pollution
Economic development
Greater equity and inclusion
Long-term resilience
Planning for future growth, climate change, and new technology (e.g., autonomous vehicles)
Land use and urban design impacts

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