Helping more veterans and their communities: That's the goal of two new specialty plates for Veterans of Foreign Wars and Veterans of Foreign Wars Arizona Auxiliary. These plates were among 15 that new specialty plates that became available for purchase in December.

Proceeds from sales of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) plate, according to past state commander Tom Judd, will pay for more service officers, who help veterans get benefits they've earned.

The idea for a VFW-specific plate, Judd said, first came in 2019 after he bought a different specialty plate for veterans. During a VFW budget meeting not long after, someone floated the idea of a VFW-specific plate.

"We thought, 'Hey, we sure could use $17 of every plate sale,'" Judd said. "We have 23,000 members. If just half of them purchased a VFW plate, that's thousands more dollars available for service officers throughout Arizona."

"There are 600,000 veterans in Arizona," he added, "and we have three service officers for the state. We'd like to have at least one in Flagstaff, Kingman, Yuma and Tucson."

Around the same time, the first steps toward creating a VFW  Auxuliary Arizona specialty plate were occurring. Melody Judd, VFW Auxiliary Department of Arizona Program Coordinator and past president, said that she's grateful this plate is now available. Proceeds from the specialty plate will help to provide many services for veterans and their families.

"For example, the VFW Auxiliary provides high-school seniors with scholarships; we also put on homecomings and sendoffs for military members and their families," Judd said. "Proceeds from plate sales could increase the amounts we can budget for those. The VFW Auxiliary also does community outreach with other groups. Proceeds from plate sales will also increase the amount we can give to those efforts."

To view and order any specialty plate, visit azmvdnow.gov. Most specialty plates cost $25 upon initial application, of which $17 goes to a designated charitable organization. Personalization can be added for an additional $25 per year.

A lot has changed with the view outside the Arizona Highway Department at 206 S. 17th Avenue.

Facing east toward downtown in 1966, the skyline is absent and the vehicles are classics that any collector would love to have nowadays, including a GMC truck, a Chevy Bel Air and Volkswagen Beetle. If one squints, they can see the Westward Ho building in the right side of the frame.

And of course, the name of the agency that occupies this plot of land is no longer the Arizona Highway Department, which had a name change in 1974 to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

As for the building itself, it was designed and built 10 years before this picture was taken. For more information, check out this classic blog.

If you’re a driver who has been using the stretch of Interstate 10 west of Verrado Way in the Buckeye area in recent years, you know that there are challenges with heavy traffic at times as people and products enter or exit the west end of the Phoenix metro area.

ADOT and the Valley’s freeway planning agency, the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), have made a lot of progress along I-10 in the West Valley over the past 15 years. Step by step, project by project, additional lanes and new interchanges, including the elevated freeway-to-freeway ramps at Loop 303 in Goodyear, have made a world of difference along this Key Commerce Corridor.

As part of the MAG region’s Prop 400 Plan approved by local voters in 2004, the latest I-10 improvement project is well underway between Verrado Way and State Route 85. Work started in July on an $85 million job to add a third lane in each direction along the eight-mile stretch in Buckeye. 

Work also will reconstruct the old I-10 interchanges at Watson and Miller roads, transforming them into modern diverging diamond connections that will improve traffic flow and access to a growing community.

As the calendar turns to 2022, the ADOT project team will need your patience as these important improvements take shape. Many of the necessary restrictions needed to add the new lanes along I-10 will be scheduled during overnight hours or on weekends when the freeway will be narrowed to one lane in either direction.

The first extended ramp closures for the diverging diamond reconstruction work at the Miller Road interchange are slated to occur by late January. Drivers will need to use alternate routes when the westbound I-10 off-ramp and eastbound on-ramp at Miller Road are closed for several weeks (detours via Yuma Road will be provided).

If you’re not familiar with the diverging diamond interchange design, it has grown in use across the U.S. for its ability to efficiently move more vehicles while reducing the number of traffic conflict points. It allows cross street traffic at the freeway to switch to the left side of the interchange (beneath I-10) and allow traffic entering the freeway to make direct left turns onto the on-ramps without waiting for a change of a traffic signal. 

The first major example of a diverging diamond interchange in Arizona opened to traffic at I-17 and Happy Valley Road in north Phoenix back in fall 2020.

2022 will be a big year for progress on the I-10 Improvement Project in Buckeye. Completion is scheduled in summer 2023.

Saving as many taxpayer dollars as possible is a priority with ADOT. And nowhere is that more evident than training new workers.

It used to be that new highway-operations workers had to train for two weeks in Phoenix. Not anymore. A new training method that blends virtual and in-person NEMO (New Employee Maintenance Orientation) instruction is saving ADOT time and money.

NEMO focuses on required training for highway operations workers, such as chainsaw operations, fall prevention/ladder, work zone traffic control and flagger training. The new training method was born of necessity during the public-health situation of 2021. The Technical Learning and Development Training Delivery team learned Google Classroom and launched their first virtual-only NEMO class from Phoenix in April 2020. In September 2021, six employees in the Page Maintenance Unit participated virtually; another 17 employees participated virtually from across Arizona.

With the blended approach, the training now is only one week instead of two weeks. Besides saving employees time, it saves the state money on hotels as well as vehicle wear-and-tear.

“I like that our employees can fulfill their training requirements without travel and still be able to participate in other maintenance functions prior to or upon completion of training, but more importantly, they can return home safely to their families at the end of the work day,” said Kingman Maintenance Supervisor Chris Riggins.

At this time of year, when many of us travel on state highways for holiday treks to see family and friends, we want drivers to focus on making smart decisions.

Each year during the holiday travel season there are sobering reminders about tragic crashes on Arizona’s network of local streets and statewide highways. A year ago, there were 10 fatal crashes that claimed 14 lives on Arizona roadways -- local streets, county roads or statewide highways -- over the Christmasholiday. Ten fatal crashes also occurred during New Year’s weekend last year and three of the New Year’s weekend fatal crashes were alcohol-related.

We hope these numbers get your attention if you have plans to drive in the coming days or during the winter travel season.

What can you do to be prepared for a highway trip? It starts with never driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs. Options are out there: arrange for a designated driver, a cab or ride service in advance. If you find yourself facing a situation where someone shouldn’t be behind the wheel, do what you can to take their keys or be prepared to contact law enforcement so they don't injure themselves or others.

Based on an assumption that you’re on the nice list and have taken the pledge to not drive impaired, you also should be well-rested before heading out on a road trip. Fatigued driving is impaired driving and is a serious highway safety risk. 

Be prepared for winter road conditions, especially if traveling into the high country. Stay up to date on the forecast and seriously consider delaying travel until after a storm passes. That gives ADOT’s snowplow operators time to clear highways that can become snowpacked or icy.

Whether highways are icy, wet or dry, you should keep your speed under control. Excessive speed is a leading cause for crashes. Many lives could be saved if people buckled up, slowed down and didn’t make unsafe passing moves or do other aggressive things, like tailgating.

Each year, ADOT and the Department of Public Safety hear from stranded drivers who weren’t prepared for unscheduled highway closures, including times when winter weather stops traffic. You need to expect the unexpected and pack an emergency prep kit with extra drinking water and other supplies that can help keep you comfortable if a closure occurs. For more information visit azdot.gov/KnowSnow and look for “Must Haves” for every vehicle.

Before you leave on that trip, or if you’ve made a stop (including at a rest area), our 24-hour Traffic Operations Center is there for you. Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, by calling 511 and through ADOT’s Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT. 

When a freeway closure or other major traffic event occurs, the free app ADOT Alerts will send critical information directly to app users in affected areas – where possible, in advance of alternate routes. We’re ready for the holidays and 2022. We want you there with us. Safely Home.

Have you finished your holiday shopping?

If you’re like me, you might be waiting until the last minute to purchase the perfect present.

Well, fellow holiday procrastinators, I have a tip for finding the go-to gift: ADOT.

Seriously, don't laugh.

ADOT can be your one-stop, online shopping destination. ADOT has plenty of ideas for everyone on your list. Best of all, everything can be purchased online.

Here are some of the ADOT options:

1. You can give the gift of togetherness by signing up for the Adopt-A-Highway program and even get a sign with the name of your choice. More importantly, you are bringing together friends and family to build memories, while performing a valuable community service.
2. Anyone who appreciates stunning photography will enjoy a subscription to the 
   
    award-winning Arizona Highways Magazine. Or perhaps one of an array of unique gifts, such as gorgeous calendars, jewelry, ornaments, books and more offered by the Arizona Highways Store. Whether your recipient is an ardent traveler, history buff or just loves thumbing through glossy pages filled with Arizona beauty, these are ideal presents. Plus, there is an Arizona Highways specialty plate if you want to go all out!
3. If you have children who love science, engineering or anything on four wheels, you could consider the gift of education and fun by making regular visits to the ADOT Kids website. Created to spark children’s imaginations and curiosity about what makes things go, how bridges are built, how vehicles work and more, it offers activity sheets, videos, quizzes, maze challenges and more. Want to know about snowplows? Highway signs? Engineering paths? It's all on ADOT Kids.
4. Okay, maybe these don’t really into the holiday present category, but they are free and will save you tons of time on highways. Download the ADOT Alerts and AZ511 apps today or anytime during the holidays and get the gift of avoiding road closures, crashes and other emergency events.
5. The last gift idea is the most precious. If you haven't already, considering registering to become an organ and tissue donor with the Donor Network of Arizona. The ADOT Motor Vehicle Division partners with the Donor Network of Arizona to allow people to register as donors when they apply for or renew a driver license.

Shopping with ADOT is convenient and offers some interesting, thoughtful and, potentially, life-saving gifts. In fact, during a break from writing this blog, I ordered a Arizona Highways calendar for one one my friends who has everything.  

For more blogs on ADOT holiday gifts: 

• Gift cards are the worst; consider these presents instead! 
• Adopt a Highway: The gift of you 
• Need a gift idea? Why not a specialty license plate?
• ADOT Kids Travel Bingo

With the holiday season upon us, many will be traveling to see family and friends for Christmas and New Year’s. There’s also the possibility of receiving snow in the high country, which will attract day-trippers.

With these extra incentives to travel, it’s important to remember to not drive distracted. Distracted driving is dangerous and we’ve all heard and seen stories where tragedy strikes in a glance of a text.

If you’re traveling alone, drivers are urged to use phones to call or text at one of the state’s 15 rest areas. Once in a rest area, you can safely devote your attention to your device to make a call or send or respond to texts.

In 2020 in Arizona, more than 8,000 drivers involved in crashes were engaged in distracted driving behavior. But the real number is much higher because traffic safety stakeholders say many drivers don’t admit to being distracted or died in the crash.

The use of hand-held mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, while driving is banned in Arizona. On all Arizona roadways, it is illegal for drivers to talk or text on a device that isn’t engaged in hands-free mode.

So, when traveling during the holiday season, spread some Christmas cheer by not driving distracted. Make use of the rest areas when nature calls, but also for making phone calls or sending texts while you’re safely off the road and not driving. 

While we’re on the topic, check out ADOT’s Emmy Award-winning distracted driving awareness campaign, “Distracted Drivers Terrify Me.”

It probably goes without saying that, until recently, most people didn’t think very much about the “supply chain.”

In an economically vibrant country like ours, we’re used to getting things when we want and as much as we want, depending on what we can afford and so on. Now, the jammed-up supply chain is a part of our national conversation. 

ADOT is, of course, a part of that conversation. Transportation is woven inextricably into the supply chain, so we see the issue every day. Since ADOT’s mission is, “To connect Arizona. Everyone. Everywhere. Every Day”, we’re happy to be a part of an effort to ease this problem. 

Governor Doug Ducey has issued an Executive Order designed to ease the process for getting a Commercial Driver License, temporarily reopen two long-closed rest areas to give truckers more options and commit to a forward-looking process for Arizona to collaborate with other states on other improvements. 

All the details can be found in this news release from the Governor's Office.

The bottom line is that ADOT is committed to serving the people of Arizona and those who travel through our state, whether for commerce or pleasure. In this case, keeping vital economic corridors open and using safe and commonsense ideas to allow commercial drivers to do their jobs efficiently are ways we can be part of the solution.