EDITOR'S NOTE: On Monday, our director featured a picture of cartoonist and Arizona resident Bil Keane creating a panel to help ADOT mark National Transportation Week back in 1979. The author of this post, ADOT's communications director, came upon a copy of the cartoon while going through files in his office.

By Timothy Tait / ADOT Communications

I’ll be the first to admit it: PR people tend to be packrats. But sometimes, the urge to hold onto something can result in rediscovering unexpected treasures. Take this Family Circus one-panel comic from 1979 by longtime Arizona resident Bil Keane, who died in 2011 at age 89.

How it ended up in the office of the ADOT communications director remains a mystery. I discovered it when packing up to move my office more than a year ago. Today, it fell out of a folder I placed it in for safekeeping. See, packratting can pay off.

This cell looks to be from a newspaper, with page designer marks for sizing and cropping. It’s mounted on illustration board with notations on the back. The film on the front adds in the pop of spot color.

In the comic, the family is on a road trip and approaching Phoenix – note the saguaros! – zooming along on an unknown highway to an unknown final destination. What we do know is that there are two weary parents, one bored dog and four unrestrained children. And they all – aside from the dog, it seems – have something to say about the trip: speeding, getting pulled over, distance to the next rest stop, safety on the highway and the time remaining (let’s see, if a car is traveling 50 mph, how long will it take to travel 32 miles?).

From now on, I’ll proudly display it in my office – a nod to packratting and in memory of those road trips from our past that always seemed too long, no matter how short.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

Sounds like a Beatles tune? In the transportation planning world, there is something called a long-range transportation plan and it outlines strategies for meeting the transportation needs of a region for a set period of time. For the Arizona Department of Transportation, we have published a draft of our long-range transportation plan for the next 25 years that outlines our state’s highway and bridge needs, and now we await final comments from you, our customers.

ADOT has undertaken two years of research and analysis, and conducted stakeholder outreach and gathered extensive public comments throughout the state in drafting our long-range transportation plan. We are required to update our long-range plan every five years. We look at available funding from state and federal resources, and project what we believe are the long-term strategies needed in meeting the transportation needs of the state. Based on the stakeholder outreach and available resources, ADOT’s long-range transportation plan will focus on preservation, safety and modernization projects, especially in greater Arizona.

You can find a copy of our long-range transportation plan at azdot.gov/WhatMovesYouArizona. Public comment runs through Dec. 21. We value the input we receive from our customers and encourage you to act by the deadline.

A long-range transportation plan is like a long and winding road. It is a process that takes time and takes you from one corner of the state to another. Eventually the plan leads to a long-term strategy of meeting the transportation needs of the citizens of Arizona.

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

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

We follow trends in transportation. It helps to know whether we are seeing a decline or increase in traffic crashes or fatalities from one year to the next – and why. It saddens me to report that Arizona is seeing an increase in the number of crashes and fatalities associated specifically with impairment due to the influence of drugs or medications. This trend is one that we, as a society, need to combat and educate drivers about the dangers associated with driving impaired on our roadways.

Here are some somber statistics: In 2016, drivers under the influence of drugs or medications were involved in 1,058 motor vehicle crashes that killed 99 people and injured 792. In 2015, there were 933 motor vehicle crashes that killed 77 people and injured 766 with drivers under the influence of drugs or medications. This trend is going in the wrong direction.

I believe ADOT has a responsibility to lend our support toward efforts that help educate the people of Arizona about the dangers associated with drug use, especially the opioid epidemic that has gripped our state.

The more we can do to educate our community to the dangers associated with drug use, driving impaired and its impact on our roadways, we will better off as a society. This effort will provide a trend in the right direction – reduced crashes and loss of life.

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

By Dustin Krugel / ADOT Communications

Where better to learn about the intersection of math and transportation – and about transportation careers – than the biggest transportation project around?

This week, several high schoolers learned about the importance of mathematics to a bridge engineer, the proper safety gear needed on a construction site and the numerous opportunities available in the transportation industry through a behind-the-scenes tour of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway project.

The Westwood High School students are part of Transportation YOU, a hands-on, interactive program that connects young women ages 13-18 with a wide variety of transportation careers. They visited a field office in Chandler to meet with several female South Mountain Freeway engineers, safety managers and communicators.

Afterward, the students donned safety gear, hopped in a bus and went on a guided tour of the Pecos segment of the South Mountain Freeway, including a stop to tour the new 17th Avenue traffic interchange.

The slideshow above shows some of the highlights.

“It’s good for the students to come out and actually see it,” said Tom Saxon, their teacher. “We talk about projects academically in engineering classes, but it’s always good for them to come out and see it in application, not only the scale, but also the people that do it. It’s really good to be able to interact with the people that really do it and connect the dots.

“Programs like this are good for them to go out and see them, and what opportunities are available.”

The future transportation leaders also have toured the Valley Metro Light Rail expansion in Mesa and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

By Caroline Carpenter / ADOT Communications

Now that this round of public meetings and the comment period have wrapped up, the Interstate 11 study continues, and we look to the future. In the video above, I-11 Project Manager Jay Van Echo recaps the study process, talks about what was learned over the course of the six public meetings on the Nogales-to-Wickenburg corridor and explains the next steps.

Over the next two years, the I-11 study will further look at the environmental, technical, social and economic impact of the interstate and what the road will do for future generations.

Visit i11study.com for updates on the study. A map of the I-11 corridor study area is also available online.

By Laura Douglas / ADOT Communications

You spoke, and we listened. When ADOT turned to the public last fall to tell us what’s most important over the next 25 years, nearly 6,000 people statewide responded through a quick and interactive online survey. Now we have the results of that survey to share with you.

First, a quick recap ...

The survey allowed participants to rank six transportation priorities: preservation, expansion, safety, technology, accessibility, and maintenance and operations. Participants worked with a budget and determined how much of it would go toward each priority. Then they decided on trade-off scenarios that further defined priorities.

And now the results, which show a mixed bag...

Safety, expansion, and maintenance and operations ranked highest, in that order. However, when it comes to allocating funds for those priorities, expansion, preservation, and maintenance and operations got the most dollars, with safety dropping to fourth.

Average Allocation of Funds

Trade-off scenarios showed that participants prefer more roads (expansion), smooth roads (preservation) and connected roads (improved accessibility).

Much like real-world transportation planning, there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to ranking and funding priorities. All survey results will help develop a draft update to ADOT’s Long-Range Transportation Plan, which will be available for public review later this year.

Please visit azdot.gov/WhatMovesYouArizona to see the full report under the documents tab.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

In transportation, we are constantly looking ahead. What needs will emerge over the next 25 years? What new technologies – like self-driving cars – will be developed to influence how our transportation system operates? How will public-private partnerships continue to help us leverage our existing transportation funds? Transportation is about looking ahead, in part because of the time, deliberation and study required to build a new highway. It’s that same sort of vision decades ago that led to today’s Phoenix-area freeway system.

The Arizona Department of Transportation looks into the future and develops a long-range transportation plan for the state, updated every five years. We call our plan, “What Moves You Arizona.” ADOT is now in the midst of updating the plan and we need your input.

ADOT has developed an interactive online survey – but it’s more like a game. It gives you the opportunity to rank six transportation priorities: preservation, expansion, safety, technology, accessibility, and maintenance and operations. You get a budget and determine how much of it you’d allocate for each priority. Then, you’ll decide tradeoff scenarios that further define your priorities. What we hope you will experience is what we face as transportation planners in setting priorities and making difficult choices with limited resources.

The survey only takes a few minutes and can be completed on a computer, smartphone or tablet. A Spanish-language version of the survey is also available.

The survey is available until Nov. 11.

It’s up to the public, policymakers and communities to tell ADOT what’s important to them through the long-range planning process. In turn, that input helps us prioritize projects and funding.

The final version of the plan is expected to be complete in 2017.

So tell us: What Moves You Arizona!

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

By Laura Douglas / ADOT Communications

Got five minutes? Your input will help guide ADOT’s 25-year Long-Range Transportation Plan.

Today the department launched a quick, easy, interactive survey that allows users to pick what’s important to them when it comes to Arizona’s transportation investment priorities from now until 2040.

The tool guides you through six investment choices for transportation infrastructure: preservation, expansion, safety, technology, accessibility, and maintenance and operations. Once you rank these priorities, you’ll be guided to a screen providing a budget and allowing you to determine how much you’d allocate for each priority. The survey finishes with trade-off scenarios that will further define your priorities.

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

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.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

Continued investment in our state’s busiest corridors and those beyond our state borders will provide better mobility and help enhance trade, commerce and economic development. With the U.S. marking the 60th anniversary of the Interstate Highway System, it seems the perfect opportunity to remind everyone of the efforts the Arizona Department of Transportation is doing with the state's Key Commerce Corridors.

I-11

I-11 is a proposed interstate corridor connecting Arizona with regional and international markets. The progress on the Interstate 11 study shows ADOT’s commitment to establish a key border-to-border corridor and trade route to Mexico that will continue our state’s efforts to boost commerce, job growth, and economic development. We are in the midst of our initial environmental study as part of the planning process in studying the corridor from Nogales to Wickenburg. We have the support of partner agencies; they realize the benefits that I-11 can bring in terms of competitiveness, regional and global connections, and business opportunities for this new freight and travel route.

I-10 Corridor Coalition

I recently had the opportunity to sign an agreement with three other state departments of transportation – California, New Mexico and Texas – to make travel on Interstate 10 safer and more efficient. This agreement builds upon our commitment to build a reliable, friction-free I-10 corridor to support Arizona’s businesses and export industries. When you combine Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas into one region, it would have the 10th largest economy in the world. We intend to share resources, best practices on safety, improve freight movement, coordinate use of technology, and promote cooperative planning. This coalition illustrates ADOT’s efforts to reach beyond our state borders for collaboration and opportunities to build a more efficient transportation system.

State Route 189

Although State Route 189 is only 3.75 miles in length in Nogales, Arizona, this particular route connects one of the busiest land ports in the U.S., the Mariposa Port of Entry, to Interstate 19. A majority of the winter produce that is consumed each year in the U.S. crosses through the Mariposa Port of Entry from Mexico. For ADOT, SR 189 is an important trade route, not just for Nogales but for Arizona’s economy as a whole. That is why ADOT is investing in improvements. I believe that investment speaks volumes to the importance of SR 189 in our system and our commitment to see the route improved to accommodate future trade opportunities with Mexico, our state’s largest foreign trading partner.

AZ-Mexico Corridor Study

Earlier this year, I had the distinct honor of signing a memorandum of understanding with my counterpart, the undersecretary of infrastructure for Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and Transport. This memorandum establishes a joint planning committee to study ways to improve the corridor along Interstate 19 in Arizona and Highway 15 in Mexico. This multi-year AZ-Mexico Corridor Study is a one-of-a-kind effort that will help us market our region throughout the world. This effort is just another opportunity where we can invest resources to enhance connectivity, economic development and job growth from transportation infrastructure improvements.

Transportation does indeed bring value to our state. At ADOT, we relish the challenges to study a future trade corridor, improve a vital interstate highway across multiple states, enhance a major trade route in Southern Arizona, and collaborate across the border. It’s an exciting time at ADOT and for Arizona!

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