PHOENIX – The first public information workshop for the master plan study for the Grand Canyon National Park Airport, owned and operated by the Arizona Department of Transportation, will take place on May 25 in Tusayan.

The public will be able to review data collected by the study team regarding aviation forecasts and how it relates to current airport facility capabilities. Members of the community will also be able to provide comments and input on the study.

The meeting will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. at Tusayan Town Hall, 845 Mustang Drive.

Airport master plans are required by the Federal Aviation Administration. The update for Grand Canyon National Park Airport will evaluate the facility’s capabilities and role, forecast future aviation demand and plan facility improvements to meet that demand over the next 20 years.

In addition to public meetings, comments and questions were collected online, by phone at 1.800.574.6334 or by mail to Grand Canyon Airport Master Plan Study, c/o Coffman Associates, 4835 E. Cactus Road, Ste. 235, Scottsdale, AZ 85254.

For more information on the Grand Canyon Airport and the master plan study, please visit azdot.gov/gcnairportmasterplan.

PHOENIX – Over the next few weeks, thousands will take to Arizona’s highways for spring break getaways. Classmates, friends, fraternity brothers, 20-somethings looking to get away from the grind will drive to destinations that are sunny or snowy, relaxing or adventurous, luxurious or frugal and everywhere in between.

At the Arizona Department of Transportation, we want spring breakers to enjoy their escapes. More importantly, we want them to make it home safely. But there’s reason to worry that too many will not.

From 2012 to 2014, March was the deadliest month on Arizona roads with a total of 213 fatal crashes, according to ADOT’s Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts Report, which includes crash information from state highways and local roads. Data from 2015 hasn’t been finalized.

That’s why many of our overhead message boards on highways are carrying the following safety messages for spring breakers and for drivers and passengers of all ages. They'll be up from Friday afternoons through Sunday evenings:

SPRING BREAKERS:
SLOW YOUR ROLL
ARRIVE ALIVE

SPRING BREAKERS:
DOES MOM APPROVE
OF YOUR DRIVING?

Safe driving saves lives, and we all share the responsibility. Speeding, alcohol and failing to use seat belts are among the leading causes of traffic fatalities in Arizona. Each is preventable by choosing not to speed, to buckle up, to not drive drunk.

We hope everyone takes these messages to heart. We hope these messages prompt conversations about safe driving.

PHOENIX – Since Sept. 16, 2008, more and more people have looked to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Twitter account, @ArizonaDOT, for essential information on traffic conditions, answers to questions about routes and the occasional tongue-in-cheek suggestion that Sasquatches might have been spotted along a highway.

On Monday, ADOT surpassed 100,000 followers on Twitter, joining Washington state as the only state DOTs with more than 100,000 followers. @ArizonaDOT is also the most followed government account in Arizona.

ADOT’s Twitter presence has grown rapidly since the agency stationed public information officers in its Traffic Operations Center 20 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. Nearly 90,000 tweets have been sent, giving drivers up-to-the-minute traffic updates, route options and travel safety tips.

While travelers can get the most current information about highway closures and restrictions by visiting ADOT’s Travel Information Site at AZ511.gov or calling 511, Twitter allows for a more human touch and two-way communication.

“Innovation is central to ADOT’s mission, and using Twitter to connect directly with the public is no different,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Whether it’s new technology to monitor bridges or providing better customer service via social media, ADOT will continue to use the latest tools to advance the agency.”

Besides tweeting information on crashes, weather events and innovations from ADOT’s Motor Vehicle Division, @ArizonaDOT answers dozens of questions from drivers every day. Motorists also provide valuable information to ADOT. Since ADOT workers can’t see what is happening on all 7,000 miles of Arizona’s highways, drivers are additional eyes and ears for the agency.

From a long traffic backup to a great experience at the MVD to debris on the road, members of the public share their experiences with all aspects of the Arizona Department of Transportation, offering feedback that helps the agency improve its services.

However, no feedback is worth tweeting while driving. Not only it is illegal in several cities, it’s always unsafe. Please tweet responsibly.

For a look back at some of ADOT’s more memorable tweets, search for “Twitter” on the ADOT blog at www.azdot.gov/adot-blog.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation will reschedule the Long Range Transportation Plan workshop that was to be held 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday in Globe due to a construction closure planned that day on US 60.

The workshop, to be held at the City of Globe Municipal Building, 150 N. Pine St., will likely be held in March. Once rescheduled, the meeting will be advertised and a stakeholder invitation will be resent. 

The workshop is part of a series of statewide workshops hosted by ADOT that are designed for community members, businesses and stakeholders to provide their input and ideas to shape the long-range vision for Arizona’s transportation system. These “Think Ahead about Transportation” workshops will be the foundation to begin the process of updating ADOT’s Long Range Transportation Plan, also known as What Moves You Arizona.

Visit azdot.gov/whatmovesyouarizona for more information on ADOT’s Long Range Transportation Plan.

PHOENIX – In today’s fast-paced world, a reliable transportation system is vital, as people and commerce move through a statewide network to get to where they’re going. To keep pace, the transportation needs of tomorrow take planning and investment to ensure that Arizona stays competitive and meets the needs of a growing state.

That’s why the Arizona Department of Transportation is looking 25 years down the road to determine the best mix of investment to preserve, modernize and expand the state transportation system with the resources available. It’s a project called the Long Range Transportation Plan, and it’s updated every five years.

Starting next week, ADOT will host a series of workshops across the state that are designed for community members, businesses and stakeholders to provide their input and ideas to shape the long-range vision for Arizona’s transportation system. These “Think Ahead about Transportation” workshops will be the foundation to begin the process of updating ADOT’s Long Range Transportation Plan, also known as What Moves You Arizona.

“As Governor Ducey pointed out in his State of the State speech last week, Arizona’s goals include growing our economy, while providing opportunity for all through our ability to work together,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “The work ahead on our Long Range Transportation Plan allows us to accomplish those goals, to ensure Arizona has a transportation system that carries us forward.”

While ADOT’s Long Range Plan is not project-specific, it identifies investment priorities based on current and projected transportation funding over the next 25 years. However, limited revenues will not meet all current and future transportation needs. The process requires distributing transportation funding in order to balance preservation, expansion and modernization of our system.

The 11 “Think Ahead about Transportation” workshops that have been scheduled are listed here. Additional workshops will be scheduled for the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Western Arizona Workshops
Wednesday, Jan. 27: 1 to 3 p.m.
Mohave County Public Works: Turquoise Room
3675 E. Andy Devine Ave., Kingman, 86401

Tuesday, Feb. 23: 2 to 4 p.m.
Lake Havasu City Police Department: Meeting Room
2360 McCulloch Blvd. N, Lake Havasu City, 86403

Northern Arizona Workshops
Thursday, Jan. 28: 10 a.m. to noon
Prescott Valley Public Library: Crystal Room
7401 E. Civic Circle, Prescott Valley, 86314

Wednesday, Feb. 3: 1 to 3 p.m.
Navajo County Public Works: Chevelon Room
100 W. Public Works Dr., Holbrook, 86025

Wednesday, Feb. 17: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Little America Hotel
2515 E. Butler Ave., Flagstaff, 86004

Thursday, Feb. 25: 1 to 3 p.m.
High Country Conference Center: Agassiz Ballroom
201 W. Butler Ave., Flagstaff, 86001

Central Arizona Workshops
Thursday, Feb. 25: noon to 2 p.m.
Casa Grande Council Chambers
510 E. Florence Blvd., Casa Grande, 85122

Southern Arizona Workshops
Thursday, Feb. 11: 1 to 3 p.m.
Cochise College: Benson Center
1025 S. Hwy 90, Benson, 85602

Thursday, Feb. 18: 1 to 3 p.m.
Pima Association of Governments
1 E. Broadway, Ste. 401, Tucson, 85701

Wednesday, Feb. 24: 1 to 3 p.m.
Yuma County Library: Heritage Branch
350 Third Ave., Yuma, 85364

It’s up to the public, policymakers and communities to tell ADOT what’s important to them throughout the long range planning process and to prioritize projects and funding for those projects.

Visit azdot.gov/whatmovesyouarizona for more information on ADOT’s Long Range Transportation Plan. The final version of the plan is expected to be complete in early 2017.

PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and Keep Arizona Beautiful (KAZB) staff will conduct an “Environmental Resources Roadshow,” where attendees will learn about ways to improve the environment.

Wickenburg:
Thursday, Jan. 28, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Wickenburg Council Chambers
155 N. Tegner St.

The Environmental Resources Roadshow partnership encourages community members, business people, elected officials, government agencies, and school representatives in Wickenburg and the surrounding area to attend one of the no-cost, two-hour events. Following brief presentations, attendees can engage in open dialogue and participate in a question-and-answer session.

Topics:

• ADEQ: successful recycling programs such as electronic waste and food recovery
• ADEQ: how communities can benefit from ADEQ’s Brownfields Grants and technical expertise
• ADOT: volunteer process for adopting sections of Arizona highways for litter cleanup
• KAZB: statewide litter prevention, recycling and beautification programs

PHOENIX — Nearly every month, the Arizona Department of Transportation awards contracts to companies specializing in design, construction, transit and other components of transportation projects throughout the state. Some of these companies are federally certified as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE), which are small businesses owned by socially or economically disadvantaged individuals. ADOT operates a DBE program to assist these firms with securing contracts that use U.S. Department of Transportation funds, and ADOT is currently seeking public input on its proposed goals for DBE participation in contracts for the next three years, along with public input on the results of a draft Disparity Study Report.

Every three years, ADOT must set an overall annual goal for the participation of DBEs. For federal fiscal years 2015 through 2017, ADOT is proposing a final goal of 8.90 percent of the total dollars of Federal Highway Administration-funded contracts awarded to DBE firms, with 5.00 percent to be achieved through race- and gender-neutral means (ADOT small business programs and other efforts) and 3.90 percent to be achieved through race- and gender-conscious means (contract goals). ADOT is also proposing overall DBE goals for Federal Transit Administration contracts of 7.25 percent for federal fiscal years 2016-2018 and Federal Aviation Administration contracts of 4.87 percent for federal fiscal years 2017-2019, both of which to be met through race- and gender-neutral means. 

Recently, ADOT completed a draft Disparity Study Report that provides the data to support the DBE goals. The draft study provides analysis and results of the utilization and availability of minority- and women-owned firms — by race, ethnic and gender group — to determine whether there are disparities in the past utilization of those firms in ADOT and local public agency contracts. In addition, the study includes analysis of in-depth interviews with business owners, trade associations and others about their experiences related to the transportation contracting industry in Arizona.

Business representatives and other interested stakeholders are encouraged to comment on the size of the proposed overall DBE goals, the means proposed to achieve the goals and the results of the Disparity Study. ADOT would also like to receive public input on experiences competing for or working on ADOT projects, suggestions on how to improve contracting opportunities for DBEs and other small businesses, and what ADOT and the transportation industry can do to enhance support of the federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program. 

Public Hearings
Interested persons are encouraged to attend one of four public hearings in July. All public hearings will be held from 3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., with an ADOT presentation at 3:15. Time will be allotted to allow members of the public to provide comments.

July 8 – Flagstaff   
High Country Conference Center — 1899 Ballroom
201 W. Butler Ave., Flagstaff, AZ 86001

July 13 – Yuma
Pivot Point Conference Center (near Hilton Garden Inn Yuma) — Anza/Redondo boardrooms
301 N. Madison Ave., Yuma, AZ 85364

July 14 – Tucson
Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center
1660 W. Ruthrauff Rd., Tucson, AZ 85705

July 16 – Phoenix
Arizona Department of Transportation Human Resources Development Center
1130 N. 22nd Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85009

45-day Public Comment Period
All documents related to the proposed DBE goal, methodology and draft Disparity Study Report will be available for review from June 8 through July 23, 2015, online or at the ADOT Business Engagement and Compliance Office, 1135 N. 22nd Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85009.

During the 45-day public comment period, comments may be provided in the following ways:

• Verbal Testimony: At public hearings
• By email
• Online
• Fax: 928.684.3021
• Mail: Keen Independent Research, 172 N. Washington St., Wickenburg, AZ 85390

The public comment period will close on July 23, 2015. All public comments will be reviewed before ADOT submits final DBE goal requests to the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration and Federal Aviation Administration.

Persons who require a reasonable accommodation based on language or disability should contact ADOT at [email protected] or 602.712.7761. Requests should be made as early as possible to ensure the state has an opportunity to address the accommodation.

Personas que requieren asistencia o una adaptación razonable por habilidad limitada en inglés o discapacidad deben ponerse en contacto con ADOT al [email protected] o 602.712.7761. Las solicitudes deben hacerse tan pronto como sea posible para asegurar que el estado tiene la oportunidad de hacer los arreglos necesarios.

TUCSON — The Arizona Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, will host a public information meeting on Thursday, June 11, in Tucson to discuss the upcoming Interstate 10/Ina Road traffic interchange improvement project that is slated to begin construction in spring 2016.

The $86.2 million project (mileposts 248-249) will eliminate the existing at-grade Ina Road crossing of the Union Pacific Railroad, and include the construction of a grade-separated overpass that will carry Ina Road over, instead of under, I-10.

Similar to the old I-10/Prince Road interchange that was upgraded last year as part of a major freeway widening project, the Ina Road interchange experiences significant congestion and backups when trains pass through on a daily basis.

Other major improvements in the project, which is expected to be completed by 2018, include:

• Widening I-10 so it can eventually accommodate four lanes of traffic in each direction once future I-10 improvements are completed east of the I-10 Ina Road interchange
• Widening Ina Road to two lanes in each direction, from Silverbell Road to Camino de la Cruz
• Reconstructing and updating the frontage roads, and entrance and exit ramps to provide better connections
• Constructing a new Ina Road bridge over the Santa Cruz River west of I-10
• Adding pedestrian underpasses at the Santa Cruz River bridge
• New landscape along the project area that will draw inspiration from the Sonoran Desert

The June 11 public meeting will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (presentation starts at 5:45 p.m.) at the Coyote Trail Elementary School Multipurpose Room, 8000 N. Silverbell Road in Tucson. Members of the project team will be available to provide information, answer questions and discuss the project.

In 2006, Pima County voters approved a countywide sales tax to fund a 20-year program of transportation improvements to be administered by the Regional Transportation Authority (Pima Association of Governments). The Ina Road interchange improvement project is one of several Regional Transportation Authority projects related to eliminating the existing at-grade crossings of the Union Pacific Railroad to provide new grade separation.

PHOENIX – There is still time to add your voice to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program. The public comment period is open until the end of the business day on May 26 to provide community members with a chance to submit their input about the plan for the state transportation system over the next five years.

The 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Program is available for public review and comment at azdot.gov/fiveyearplan. ADOT has developed a “how to read it” guide and welcomes feedback at [email protected]. A phone number is also available for public comments at 1.855.712.8530.

The State Transportation Board will consider all public comments received by May 26. Public hearings have been held in Tucson, Phoenix and Chino Valley. The board is expected to adopt the final 2016-2020 Five-Year Program at its June 19 meeting in Pinetop-Lakeside. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at the Pinetop-Lakeside Town Hall, 1360 N. Niels Hansen Lane, Lakeside, AZ 85929.

The 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Program lays out proposed projects and improvements to the state highway system over the next five years, with a major focus on preserving existing infrastructure to ensure that it remains in good condition, while providing a reliable transportation network for drivers. It can be a tough balance, as constrained funding simply cannot meet all the transportation needs around the state.

The Five-Year Program is updated annually and designates how much local, state and federal funding is allocated for projects. This includes highways, bridges, transit and aviation.

Limited funding amid growing statewide transportation needs continues to be the biggest challenge over the next five years. Fewer dollars dedicated to transportation is a result of less revenue from traditional sources of transportation funding, like the state gas tax and vehicle license tax, which support the Five-Year Program. The state gas tax is currently 18 cents per gallon and has not been increased for more than 20 years.

These transportation funding challenges have signaled a shift to a strong focus on the preservation of the state highway system, to protect a system valued at $19.7 billion. If ADOT did not invest in preservation, it would cost approximately $200 billion to replace our existing highway infrastructure, should it fall into disrepair. ADOT is committed to moving major expansion projects forward as well, but with less transportation dollars to stretch, fewer expansion projects make it into the Five-Year Program.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation will host a public meeting at Fowler Elementary School in West Phoenix on Wednesday evening, Jan. 21, to provide community members with information and receive comments about the planned State Route 30 transportation corridor.

Four potential alignments for State Route 30, along with a “no-build option,” are being studied by ADOT on behalf of the Maricopa Association of Governments, which serves as the Phoenix area’s freeway planning agency.

Any east-west SR 30 project would generally extend from 59th Avenue on the east to Perryville Road on the west, within boundaries of Lower Buckeye Road on the north and the Gila and Salt rivers on the south. Regional transportation planners have looked at SR 30 as a future way to provide additional freeway traffic capacity south of I-10 in the West Valley.

Under MAG’s Regional Transportation Plan for the metro Phoenix area, SR 30 is currently an unfunded long-range project anticipated for construction after 2026, if and when funding is available.

The SR 30 public meeting is scheduled as follows:

When: Wednesday, Jan. 21 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Fowler Elementary School, 6707 W. Van Buren Street, Phoenix 85043
Who: Representatives from ADOT’s SR 30 Study Team will be available to answer questions. A brief presentation about the study also will be conducted at 6:15 p.m.

ADOT’s study is designed to determine a recommended alignment alternative for the potential SR 30 corridor, or to recommend a no-build option. The study was initiated in 2005 with agency and public meetings. Since that time, ADOT has researched engineering challenges and environmental issues and collected public and stakeholder input while developing the four potential SR 30 alignments.

After the Jan. 21 meeting, comments for the SR 30 study also can be submitted through Feb. 20. Comments can be sent online at azdot.gov/SR30 or by email at [email protected]. Comments also can be sent by phone at 1.855.712.8530 or mailed to the SR 30 study team, c/o ADOT Communications, 1655 W. Jackson Street, #126F, Phoenix 85007.

Information about the study is available at azdot.gov/SR30.