The city of Sedona, Arizona, is moving ahead with early implementation of its 2018 Transportation Master Plan, calling for expanded transit services and enhanced transportation infrastructure. Capping the plan, the city council recently approved moving forward with a new Transit Maintenance and Operations Center as well as a proposed Ride Exchange Mobility Hub.
The maintenance facility is planned for a site across from the wastewater treatment plant in the Dells, a newly annexed area that added 3,422 acres to the city limits. An early estimate at the 30% design phase puts the cost at about $31.9 million.
The Ride Exchange Mobility Hub is slated for 215 State Route 89A. It is envisioned as a multimodal transfer center allowing riders to shift between bus routes, shuttles or bikes.
The master plan was originally created in 2018 to develop a transit-implementation strategy covering the greater Sedona area including Oak Creek Canyon. Outdoor recreation and the COVID-19 pandemic strengthened emphasis on providing shuttle service to trailheads. Since the free trailhead shuttle routes launched in March 2022 to destinations such as Cathedral Rock, Little Horse, Soldier Pass, Dry Creek and Mescal, ridership has topped one million and this year’s numbers are already up 2.7 %, according to city officials.
In August 2024, Sedona launched Sedona Shuttle Connect, an on-demand transit service which has delivered 14,396 rides through the 2025 fiscal year and is targeted for expansion into the Chapel area this fall and north of Sanborn Drive in spring 2026.
Another shuttle system in the works is the Uptown Circulator, a park and ride loop system that would begin from the Uptown Parking Garage and connect to Tlaquepaque and Hillside Sedona.
The long-term vision calls for a shift to lower- or zero-emission vehicles, and the maintenance center is designed with EV-charging to support that transition. Construction will be contingent on securing federal or state grants, including a $720,000 FTA Section 5339 award with a $180,000 local match so far. No local construction funding has yet been committed.
When the city council meets in November, it will review a business analysis of the facility that outlines costs, funding strategies and potential regional partnerships. Final design is currently slated for spring 2026, with construction to follow once funding is in place.
Photo by Pixabay
