(a) The purpose of this section is to allow maximum citizen participation with respect to controlled access highway design, placement and construction in order to protect existing neighborhoods as desired by the electorate.
(b) The City of Tucson shall not participate, as described herein, in the construction of any freeway, parkway or other controlled-access highway as defined by Arizona Revised Statutes section 28-602, or grade-separated interchange before the qualified electors of Tucson first vote to approve the location and preliminary design of such proposed project. Any freeway, parkway or other controlled-access highway or grade-separated interchange will be referred to as "project" throughout this section.
(c) For purposes of this section, participation by the City of Tucson in any project shall include approval or authorization of expenditure of funds for condemnation, right-of-way acquisition or construction of any project, or approval or concurrence in any approval of such project, or cooperation with any other governmental authority thereon, except as provided in paragraph (g) of this section.
(d) Voter approval for participation by the City of Tucson in any project shall be obtained by the mayor and city council at any regular election or special election called for that purpose. The design and proposed route of the project shall be described in such detail on the ballot that a reasonable person could understand the specific location, estimated cost and design of the proposed project, including whether the proposed project could reasonably be described as either a freeway, parkway or other controlled-access highway or a grade-separated interchange. The voters shall be asked on the ballot to "approve" or "reject" the proposed project.
(e) If the voters reject the proposed project, the mayor and council shall request that the state department of transportation not include the proposed project in the state highway system.
(f) Approvals of any project granted pursuant to this section shall be effective for five (5) years and, if no actual construction has commenced within that period, shall lapse, subject to new voter approval pursuant to this section.
(g) This section shall not apply to improvements to the existing federal Interstate system, nor to cooperation with other governmental authorities in purely planning and research activities, nor to obtaining sufficient information required to comply with paragraph (d) of this section. This section shall not apply to projects for which construction contracts have been let as of the effective date of this section, except for any proposed grade-separated interchanges connected with those projects, in which event this section shall apply.
(Ord. No. 6299, eff. 2-21-86)