Planning

Reminder: Provide input on plans to enhance highway safety

Reminder: Provide input on plans to enhance highway safety

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Reminder: Provide input on plans to enhance highway safety

Reminder: Provide input on plans to enhance highway safety

August 29, 2024

Please review draft proposals and comment by Friday, Sept. 6

PHOENIX – Comments are welcome through Friday, Sept. 6, on the Arizona Department of Transportation’s proposed update to its Strategic Highway Safety Plan and a draft of the state’s first Active Transportation Safety Action Plan, which aims to reduce pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities where those activities intersect with the state highway system. 

Both proposals are available for review at azdot.gov/SafetyPlan

Federal regulations require each state to have a Strategic Highway Safety Plan for reducing fatalities and serious injuries on public roadways and to update that plan every five years. ADOT leads development of this plan in partnership with local, state, federal and other stakeholders so that all highway safety programs can leverage resources and work together effectively to enhance safety.

The proposed Strategic Highway Safety Plan update, developed after a series of public meetings earlier this year, focuses on the following emphasis areas that account for a large percentage of life-altering crashes in Arizona: human behavior; intersections; lane departure; vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists; and incidents on tribal lands.

ADOT and its partners propose dozens of strategies based on public and stakeholder input, data analysis, and previously completed research and planning. These include:

  • improving visibility of vulnerable road users, all other users and roadway features;

  • incorporating vulnerable road users more prominently in the planning, design and programming process;

  • reducing high-risk movements by drivers; 

  • conducting high-visibility enforcement at intersections; and 

  • promoting safety at crash scenes.

The proposed update is based on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe System Approach, which looks at all factors affecting safety and emphasizes a shared responsibility for improving safety on roadways. 

ADOT and its partners also are developing Arizona’s first Active Transportation Safety Action Plan to address a rise in pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities in Arizona, the vast majority of which occur on local roadways. This proposal recommends location-specific projects along the state highway system aimed at improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.

You also can provide input on both proposals through Friday, Sept. 6, in these ways:

For more information, please visit azdot.gov/SafetyPlan.

ADOT adopts 2050 Long-Range Transportation Plan

ADOT adopts 2050 Long-Range Transportation Plan

I-17 101 traffic interchange

ADOT adopts 2050 Long-Range Transportation Plan

ADOT adopts 2050 Long-Range Transportation Plan

October 20, 2023

Emphasizes repairing and preserving existing highway infrastructure

PHOENIX – Following approval by the State Transportation Board, the Arizona Department of Transportation has adopted the 2050 Long-Range Transportation Plan providing a blueprint and vision for ADOT’s priorities over the next 25 years. 

The plan, which is not project-specific, sets transportation investment priorities for ADOT based on anticipated future revenues and system needs.

The State Transportation Board approved the update at its Friday, Oct. 20, meeting in Yuma.

A broad cross-section of Arizonans, nearly 10,000 in all, provided input on the plan. Their input made it clear that ADOT’s top priorities should be fixing roads and preserving and maintaining existing infrastructure, along with highway projects that address growth and improve highways in rural areas. 

The plan, which is updated every five years, is available for review at ADOT2050plan.com

 

ADOT releases final Long Range Transportation Plan

ADOT releases final Long Range Transportation Plan

I-17 101 traffic interchange

ADOT releases final Long Range Transportation Plan

ADOT releases final Long Range Transportation Plan

September 20, 2023

State Transportation Board will review at its October meeting

 

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has released the Final 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan that provides a blueprint and vision for the state’s transportation system over the next 25 years. 

The plan, which is not project-specific, sets transportation investment priorities for ADOT and partner agencies based on anticipated future revenues and costs for improvements.

ADOT will present the final plan for consideration and action at the State Transportation Board’s Oct. 20 meeting in Yuma.

A broad cross-section of Arizonans, nearly 10,000 in all, took surveys, attended public meetings and shared comments through the public involvement process. Their input made it clear that ADOT’s top priority should be fixing roads and preserving and maintaining existing infrastructure, along with prioritizing highway projects that address growth and improve highways in rural areas. 

The final plan includes a projection of $69 billion in transportation revenues, including state, federal and regional funds, between 2026 and 2050, including funding from the new federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It also points to anticipated transportation needs totaling $231 billion over that same 25-year period.

The plan, which is updated every five years with input from the public, is available for review at ADOT2050plan.com

 

Are we there yet? A guide to highway distance signs

Are we there yet? A guide to highway distance signs

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Are we there yet? A guide to highway distance signs

Are we there yet? A guide to highway distance signs

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications
January 22, 2020

You are getting away for a long weekend in the White Mountains. Or maybe you are coming back from a vacation at Rocky Point. Either way, you are on the highway and wondering how much longer until you reach your destination.

Then, a little farther down the road, you see a familiar green shape. It's a sign letting you know that you are now X miles from Pinetop-Lakeside or have Y miles left to get to Phoenix.

Distance signs are an essential part of the state highway system, but how much have you ever thought about them? Questions that occasionally pop up on our social media include why signs list the destinations they do, or what points are those signs measuring to exactly? If that is something that's ever crossed your mind, here's a primer about how exactly distance signs get the job done.

It all starts with which cities to show. Distance signs can show up to three destinations, with the bottom slot reserved for what are known as "control cities."

A control city is defined in Section 300 of our Traffic Engineering Guidelines and Processes as one containing a junction of two or more state or federal highways. A control city also can be one whose location can be easily determined by highway users, is on the state highway map and "whose population and character are generators of sufficient traffic to be a focal point for travel." Control cities for an interstate must meet similar qualifications, with the added stipulation that they be cities of "national significance." 

The listed control city for a route should remain the same along the entire highway until that destination is reached. If there are two cities of equal significance, they can be displayed on alternating boards.

Above control cities go intermediate destinations, which must have at least one motorist service, be a traffic generator that the highway was built to service or be an important route junction. If there are two such cities along the route, both can be shown.

On a rural freeway, the top line should be reserved for the next community the freeway will pass through or the next major highway junction. After that, the next intermediate destination should be displayed. Finally, an upcoming rest area also can be listed in the top or middle slot, if desired.

So we have our destinations. But when the sign says X miles to Payson, where exactly are they measuring to?

This one is a bit easier to answer. The guideline and processes say the distance shown should be to the center of the destination, rounded to the nearest mile. And what exactly constitutes a "center?" It could be anything deemed to be significant near the center of the community, such as a major railroad junction, business district, post office, city/town hall or something similar. 

In case a new sign is needed, our Guidelines and Processes reference has extensive tables listing control cities and other communities along any given state highway, plus mileage figures between the state line and destinations in neighboring states and Mexico.  

And there you have it. You may not remember this the next time a helpful green sign lets you know you still have X miles left to Prescott or Y miles until Bisbee, but it's a good thing to have handy just in case anyone in the car asks. Drive safe out there!

 

Draft North-South Corridor Environmental Impact Statement available for review

Draft North-South Corridor Environmental Impact Statement available for review

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Draft North-South Corridor Environmental Impact Statement available for review

Draft North-South Corridor Environmental Impact Statement available for review

September 7, 2019

PHOENIX – The Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for the 55-mile North-South Corridor, stretching from US 60 in Apache Junction to Interstate 10 in Eloy in Pinal County, is now available for review and comment.

Following several years of study, technical analysis and input from communities and stakeholders, moving to this phase is a milestone for the proposed corridor.

The purpose of the North-South freeway is enhancing the area’s transportation network to accommodate the current and future population, improving access to businesses and other centers of activity, improving regional mobility, providing an alternative to and reducing congestion on Interstate 10, improving north-to-south connectivity, and integrating the region’s transportation network.

Members of the public are encouraged to review the draft environmental document and provide input through Oct. 29, 2019. The Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement is available at azdot.gov/northsouthstudy, and the website lists locations throughout the study area where copies of the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement are available for review.

Prepared by the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement describes the study process, completed in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. It proposes a Preferred Corridor Alternative, including a parallel analysis of a No-Build Alternative. If constructed, the freeway would connect with State Route 24 in Queen Creek.

The Preferred Corridor Alternative is 1,500 feet wide and includes an area where construction of a North-South freeway could be further analyzed. If a corridor is selected at the end of the Tier 1 study, further Tier 2 studies and evaluations must take place before construction could be considered. The corridor would be narrowed to a highway alignment, which is about 400 feet wide.

An alignment determining where the North-South freeway could be built would be decided during a future phase of design and environmental studies. There currently are no plans or funding available to initiate these Tier 2 studies.

The same information, as well as opportunities for the public to comment, will be available at each of these public hearings:

Tuesday, Oct. 1

5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Florence High School

1000 S. Main St.

Florence

Thursday, Oct. 10

5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Eloy City Hall

595 N. C St.

Eloy

Tuesday, Oct. 15

5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Poston Butte High School

32375 N. Gantzel Road

San Tan Valley

In addition to providing verbal or written comments at a public hearing, members of the public can submit comments using the following methods:

·         Online: azdot.gov/northsouthstudy  

·         Email: [email protected]

·         Bilingual Phone: 1.855.712.8530

·         Mail: North-South Tier 1 EIS Study Team, c/o ADOT Communications, 1655 W. Jackson St., Mail Drop 126F, Phoenix, AZ 85007 

Printed copies of the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement are available for review at the following locations:

·         Eloy Santa Cruz Library: 1000 N. Main St., Eloy, 85131

·         Coolidge Public Library: 160 W. Central Ave., Coolidge, 85128

·         Florence Community Library: 778 N. Main St., Florence, 85132

·         Apache Junction Public Library: 1177 N. Idaho Road, Apache Junction, 85119

·         Queen Creek Library: 21802 S. Ellsworth Rd., Queen Creek, 85142

Once the public comment period is complete for the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, the North-South Corridor study team will continue to evaluate the Preferred Corridor Alternative based on the comments received and the ongoing technical analysis. The combined Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement and the Record of Decision will present either a Selected Corridor Alternative or the No-Build Option. The Tier 1 environmental study is expected to be complete in 2020.

For more information about the North-South Corridor Study and the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, please visit azdot.gov/northsouthstudy.

Why 178? A guide to interstate exit numbering

Why 178? A guide to interstate exit numbering

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Why 178? A guide to interstate exit numbering

Why 178? A guide to interstate exit numbering

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications
September 3, 2019

Have you ever wondered why 411th Avenue in Tonopah is Exit 95 off Interstate 10? Or why if you are turning on to Dragoon Road in southeastern Arizona you take Exit 318?

Or how about using Exit 67 to get to Dateland from Interstate 8, or Exit 322 on Interstate 17 to get to Munds Park?

The answer is deceptively simple: It's all about mileposts.

So, quick background: Mileposts for an interstate start at "0" at either the western or southern state line, and increase as you head in the opposite direction, according to the Federal Highway Administration's page on its website about the interstate system. (The exception in Arizona being I-17 doesn't start at "0" because it took over its alignment and mileposts from the original State Route 69, but that's another story.)

As you head either east or north, the first exit you come to is numbered by the milepost immediately west or south of it. So if an exit is at milepost 8.7, it would be signed as Exit 8. If the next is at milepost 15.2, it will be Exit 15. And so on and so forth. And in case there are multiple exits at the same junction, like in the photo here, you use sequential letters to differentiate the ramps.

Sounds simple, right?

Except that's not always true countrywide. Some states, mostly in the East, don't use a milepost numbering system but rather a consecutive numbering system for their exits. So, coming from the west or south the first exit will always be Exit 1 and the next – no matter how far away – would be Exit 2.

However, the milepost system (or properly the reference location system) is the Federal Highway Administration's preferred way of numbering exits. In the 2009 revision of the Manual of Unified Traffic Control Devices (the federal guidelines for all things highways such as signs, pavement markers, signals, etc.), language was added saying, "Interchange exit numbering shall use the reference location sign exit numbering method. The consecutive exit numbering method shall not be used."

In Section 2E.31, paragraphs 4 and 5, the manual goes onto say why FHWA prefers this over the consecutive method: "Reference location sign exit numbering assists road users in determining their destination distances and travel mileage, and assists highway agencies because the exit numbering sequence does not have to be changed if new interchanges are added to a route"

 

From the Director: ADOT keeps economy moving in 2017

From the Director: ADOT keeps economy moving in 2017

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From the Director: ADOT keeps economy moving in 2017

From the Director: ADOT keeps economy moving in 2017

February 16, 2017

Pouring Concrete

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that transportation plays a key role in a state’s economy. A good transportation system ensures that goods and services get to their proper destination. A good transportation system ensures people get to where they want to go either for business or pleasure. At the Arizona Department of Transportation, we continue to make improvements in our state transportation system that ensure trade flows between our borders and people can travel to their favorite destinations. Here’s what we have planned this year that keeps Arizona’s economy moving:

The biggest single transportation project in the state’s history is the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway. The $1.9 billion project begins in earnest in the first half of 2017 with the building of the foundations for 40 bridges planned, widening eastbound lanes on Pecos Road, and access roads near Interstate 10 in west Phoenix. The 22-mile project is a direct link between the East Valley and the West Valley, and it brings great economic development opportunities.

Pavement preservation is a cornerstone in keeping our transportation system functioning at its best. We have an 11-mile stretch of I-17 scheduled for resurfacing in the spring of 2017. Between 19th and Peoria avenues, our crews will add a new layer of smooth, durable rubberized asphalt along the Black Canyon Freeway.

A widening project in the Marana/Tucson area will improve travel along Ina Road and Interstate 10. The $120 million project features a wider bridge with two lanes in each direction over I-10 and the railroad tracks, making the area more efficient and safer to travel.

Dust storms are very prevalent in Arizona especially during our summer monsoon season. ADOT was awarded a $54 million federal grant in 2016. A portion of the grant funds are being used to install a dust detection and warning system along I-10 between Eloy and Picacho Peak later this year. When fully implemented, the system will trigger safety measures including reduced speed limits and electronic message boards to warn drivers of visibility concerns. We will continue our efforts to warn drivers not to drive through a dust storm.

Our interstates serve as key commerce corridors in Arizona. Roadway improvements, whether they are additional lanes, paving or a dust detection system, ensure our transportation system is working efficiently and effectively. At ADOT, we are committed to making sure our state’s economy continues to move at the speed of business.


Director-Halikowski-headshot

 

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's
LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.

 

From our director: Sharing your travel story benefits us all

From our director: Sharing your travel story benefits us all

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From our director: Sharing your travel story benefits us all

From our director: Sharing your travel story benefits us all

April 18, 2016

By Steve Elliott / ADOT Communications

We let you know recently about an opportunity to help chart our transportation future through the National Household Travel Survey if yours is among up to 30,000 Arizona households invited to participate. For those who aren't invited, we've set up our own online survey so everyone can share their travel story.

Today we're sharing a public service announcement on these surveys featuring ADOT Director John Halikowski. Please check it out and see how you can provide information that will help guide decisions not just on freeways and bridges but public transportation, bikeways and even sidewalks.

Five-year Construction Program gets approved

Five-year Construction Program gets approved

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Five-year Construction Program gets approved

Five-year Construction Program gets approved

June 23, 2015

View the 2016-2020 Five-Year Program on our website.

On Friday (June 19), the State Transportation Board met in Pinetop-Lakeside and voted to adopt the 2016-2020 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program…

That means projects designed to preserve, modernize and expand Arizona’s highway system now have formal approval to move forward as part of ADOT’s annual five-year planning process.

You might remember that we blogged about the start of the process back in March, when ADOT made a call to the public for comments on the plan. Since that time, ADOT has held three public hearings and has collected email, phone and online comments.

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know that the plan acts as a blueprint, detailing where, when and how funding (that includes regional, state and federal money) will be spent for future ADOT projects. It gets updated annually and when finalized, it helps ADOT to prioritize which projects move forward first. Funding for the Five-Year Program is generated by the users of transportation services, primarily through gasoline and diesel fuel taxes, and the vehicle license tax.

New 2016-2020 plan

Much like the current Five-Year Program, the newly adopted 2016-2020 Five-Year Program reflects a major focus on preserving the existing state highway system while moving some high-priority expansion projects forward. ADOT must prioritize projects due to continued low revenue from the gas and vehicle license taxes and from decreased federal funding — all of which support the Five-Year Program. ADOT’s continued focus on preservation allows the department to protect its investment of $19.7 billion in the state highway system. Without a commitment to preservation, it would cost approximately $200 billion to replace the system.

Both the Maricopa and Pima county regions in the two metropolitan areas have independent revenue streams established through voter-approved sales tax increases that allow for more expansion projects to take place and for more transportation funding overall.

Please check out ADOT’s recent news release, for an overview of major projects in Greater Arizona, the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) region and the Pima Association of Governments (PAG) region during the 2016-2020 Five-Year Program.

You can also view the entire plan, along with an outline on transportation planning on our website.

State Transportation Board approves Five-Year Construction Program

State Transportation Board approves Five-Year Construction Program

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State Transportation Board approves Five-Year Construction Program

State Transportation Board approves Five-Year Construction Program

June 20, 2014

Projects were finalized for the 2015-2019 program.

The State Transportation Board voted last week to adopt the 2015-2019 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program…

This means that projects to preserve, modernize and expand Arizona’s highway system have now formally been approved to move forward over the next five years.

You’ll remember that the five-year program is updated every year and serves as a blueprint that details where, when and how regional, state and federal funding will be spent for projects over the next five years to improve the state’s transportation infrastructure (this includes highways, bridges, transit and aviation). It is divided into three sections: the Maricopa County region, the Pima County region and the 13 counties that make up Greater Arizona.

Each five-year program begins with a long-range visioning process, moves into a more realistic 20-year plan and finally yields each Five-Year Program. The program is developed by working closely with local planning organizations and community leaders to identify ready-to-construct or design projects. Funding for the Five-Year Program is generated by the users of transportation services, primarily through the gasoline tax and the vehicle license tax.

2015-2019 Program

The board’s recent action determines which projects are now programmed in Greater Arizona while allocating dedicated funding to the preservation of Arizona’s existing highway system over the next five years. In addition, six major projects will move forward in the Pima County region and four major projects will advance in the Maricopa County region using, in part, funding generated by those regions.

Much like the current Five-Year Program, the 2015-2019 Five-Year Program reflects a major focus on preserving the existing state highway system while moving some programmed projects forward. ADOT must prioritize projects due to stagnant revenue from the gas and vehicle license taxes and from decreased federal funding — all of which support the Five-Year Program. The 2015-2019 Five-Year Program includes a three-percent increase in preservation spending over the current program, with a steady increase in preservation funding over the next 10 years.

The following is the list of projects for Greater Arizona during the 2015-2019 Five-Year Program. The list includes three projects that were added to the program during this spring’s public comment period, as the board provided input to ADOT planners.

* State Route 347 Railroad Overpass: Total project cost is $55 million.
FY 2015: $5.5 million allocated for design and $500,000 allocated for right of way.
FY 2016: $5.5 million allocated for right of way.
FY 2017: $7.3 million allocated for right of way.
FY 2020: $36.2 million for construction (note that this portion of the project is in the 2020-2024 Development Program).

* State Route 189, Nogales to Interstate 19: Total project cost is $69 million.
FY 2016: $2 million allocated for environmental work.
FY 2018: $4 million allocated for design.
FY 2022: $63 million for construction (note that this portion of the project is in the 2020-2024 Development Program).

* US 60, Show Low to Little Mormon Lake: $6 million allocated in FY 2018 for this project, which will add turn lanes, widen the roadway and construct intersection improvements.

* US 60, Silver King Section and Superior Streets: $45 million allocated in FY 2015 for this widening project (reconstruct to a four-lane roadway with a center turn lane).

* US 95, Fortuna Wash Bridge Construction: $13.5 million allocated in FY 2015 for construction of a new bridge.

* State Route 260, Interstate 17 to Thousand Trails: $62 million allocated in FY 2016 for construction of this widening project.

* State Route 89, State Route 89A to Deep Well Ranch Road: $15 million allocated in FY 2017 for a corridor widening project that will improve capacity, operations and safety.

* State Route 260, Lion Springs Section: $5 million allocated in FY 2019 for design work on this widening project.

* Interstate 15, Bridge No. 1: $2.5 million allocated in FY 2017 for design and $33 million allocated in FY 2019 for bridge replacement.

The public comment period for the 2015-2019 Five-Year Program began on March 7 and ended on May 20. During this time, public hearings were held in Phoenix, Marana and Flagstaff. Comments were also submitted online.