PHOENIX – There are approximately 150 business days left until Oct. 1, and the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division reminds customers to get the AZ Travel ID to make it through federal TSA airport checkpoints starting on that date.

“The clock is ticking and people need to get their AZ Travel ID,” said MVD Stakeholder Relations Manager Jennifer Bowser Richards. “We don’t want to see travel plans ruined because flyers don’t have an ID that the TSA will accept. That’s a very real risk for people who don’t get an AZ Travel ID.”

Customers should begin the application process at AZTravelID.com. They can make an appointment at ServiceArizona.com to visit an MVD office, or visit an Authorized Third Party office that provides license and ID services.

In order to get the AZ Travel ID, customers need to bring in a document such as a birth certificate or valid U.S. passport to prove identity and a second document with their Social Security number. Finally, two pieces of documentation proving Arizona residency such as a utility bill, bank statement or something similar with a current name and physical address (not a P.O. Box) are also needed.

The AZ Travel ID replaces the current license or ID and resets the expiration date. The cost is $25, and under federal law, it’s valid for eight years.

Bowser Richards added, “There are customers who plan to simply use a passport even if they’re just flying to someplace like Atlanta, Denver, or L.A., which is their choice, but we suggest that the AZ Travel ID is more convenient. Other customers have told us they rarely, if ever, travel by air, but having an AZ Travel ID would be valuable in case of an unexpected trip that required air travel.”

For more information and to apply for an AZ Travel ID: AZTravelID.com

PHOENIX – Working to protect people around the country from fraud involving used cars, state investigators have broken up a major criminal operation based in the East Valley that illegally produced tens of thousands of titles for vehicles being sold in 42 states.

With seven arrests made on Wednesday, Feb. 19, this is by far the largest operation broken up since Governor Doug Ducey signed legislation in 2018 creating the Arizona Curbstone Enforcement Joint Task Force, which combines the resources of ADOT’s Office of Inspector General, Arizona Department of Revenue and Arizona Independent Automobile Dealers Association. This task force combats vehicle sales made in violation of state laws governing dealer licensing, a practice known as curbstoning.

“Our partnership with the Department of Revenue was invaluable by bringing their investigators in to assist,” said Lt. James Warriner with ADOT’s Office of Inspector General, part of the agency’s Enforcement and Compliance Division. “Together, our agencies are delivering a one-two punch to stop curbstoning and illegal vehicle sales in Arizona.”

The case involves a scheme in which individuals allegedly subscribed to one of several websites identified by investigators to obtain wholesale and retail dealer license credentials from the suspects, rather than the state, for a monthly fee, usually in the hundreds of dollars. These credentials allowed about 1,500 individuals to attend and bid on vehicles at wholesale auctions in their states.

The operation also altered vehicle titles from these subscribers for about $100 per title to make it appear as though the individuals bought the vehicles from one of the suspects’ 31 operations with dealer licenses. More than 31,000 titles were processed this way over the past couple of years, and many of the vehicles involved were never in Arizona.

The operation has generated around $7 million fraudulently over the past couple of years.

ADOT detectives and Department of Revenue investigators, joined by special agents with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, served search warrants at six locations last week, including homes in Chandler and Gilbert and at a storefront in Mesa, arresting the suspects and searching for further evidence. Each suspect is facing multiple charges, including the felonies of fraudulent schemes and artifices, money laundering and tax evasion.

Curbstoning involves selling vehicles in a way that violates the parameters set by a dealer’s license. That could mean selling more than six vehicles in a consecutive 12-month period for an unlicensed dealer, or selling vehicles away from the designated area of sale for a licensed dealer.

In this case, licensed dealers are accused of illegally consigning their licenses out to other individuals in other states, allowing those individuals to bypass paying taxes, registration fees and laws regarding vehicle dealers.

Curbstoned vehicles typically involve other violations such as title fraud, odometer fraud and covered-up flood damage. Consumers in the market for used vehicles should do their homework before handing over any money.

When dealing with cases of curbstoning, ADOT detectives will share case information with Department of Revenue investigators and even bring them along to check out curbstoning sites.

In addition to fraud by licensed and unlicensed dealers, detectives with ADOT’s Office of Inspector General investigate identity theft, fraud involving vehicle title and registration, and support investigations by state, local and federal law enforcement.

PHOENIX – It is going to be an especially busy next several months for Phoenix-area freeway improvement projects. And yes, that means closures are needed to accomplish the work.

Drivers should plan for weekend and overnight restrictions as the Arizona Department of Transportation’s current slate of construction and maintenance projects advances in a number of Valley areas.

“Warmer weather is a big reason for work gearing up now,” said Steve Boschen, who leads ADOT’s Infrastructure Delivery and Operations Division. “That’s especially true of paving work. But we also have projects at stages that involve major work and traffic restrictions.”

Freeway work in the coming weeks and months will include ongoing construction of new lanes along two sections of Loop 101, bridge work along Interstate 17 in north Phoenix and pavement maintenance in a number of areas, including work now underway along Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) in the Chandler area.

Drivers can ease some of the challenges associated with closures by staying informed, planning alternate routes and allowing extra travel time.

ADOT provides real-time information on projects, restrictions and traffic conditions via its Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) and Facebook (facebook.com/AZDOT) accounts as well as the 511 phone line and 511 app available for iOS and Android. The Arizona Traveler Information website at az511.gov allows you to receive information on travel routes you designate.

ADOT also makes good use of freeway message signs to advise motorists of upcoming planned restrictions.

ADOT’s top advice for Valley drivers? Sign up to receive the agency’s emailed project updates. It’s as easy as visiting the ADOT website at azdot.gov and clicking on “Subscribe for Updates.” You can choose among various freeways and also receive ADOT’s Weekend Freeway Travel Advisory for the Phoenix area, which is distributed on Thursday afternoons.

Valley freeway construction projects are scheduled within the Maricopa Association of Government’s Regional Transportation Plan approved by county voters in 2004. ADOT manages the construction for the region. Major projects with busy schedules heading into the spring months include:

• I-17 interchange reconstruction at Happy Valley and Pinnacle Peak roads. Older bridges are being replaced with wider structures as part of a $50 million improvement project scheduled for completion this fall.
• Separate Loop 101 widening projects along the Price Freeway between Baseline Road and Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) and the Pima Freeway between I-17 and Princess Drive. The $60 million Price Freeway project is scheduled for completion this summer while the $185 million Pima Freeway project across the north Valley is due for completion by spring 2021.
• I-10 interchange construction at Fairway Drive, east of Dysart Road in Avondale. The $21 million project featuring a new bridge over I-10 as well as freeway on- and off-ramps is scheduled for completion this spring.

Work also is scheduled to continue this year near or along the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, which opened to traffic in December. Examples of that work include landscaping and the addition of a top layer of rubberized asphalt along the freeway.

“We do our best to schedule as much work as possible at night in order to limit impacts on traffic,” Boschen said. “We also need weekend closures to accomplish more than you can in one night. That’s a big reason why we’re able to keep projects on schedule – something that many drivers will appreciate.”

PHOENIX – You’ve seen the unconventional traffic safety messages above Arizona highways on digital message boards. Beginning today, you’ll again have the opportunity to see your own message on ADOT’s Dynamic Message Signs.

That’s right; the Arizona Department of Transportation’s annual Safety Message Contest is back. Beginning today, messages can be submitted at azdot.gov/signcontest through Monday, March 2.

The contest gives Arizonans the opportunity to see their clever safety message displayed on overhead signs statewide, encouraging drivers to make better decisions behind the wheel.

“This will be the fourth time we’ve had the contest and each year the response has been tremendous with thousands of entries flooding in,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “We love seeing the creativity from so many, but we’re even more thrilled that people are thinking and talking about safe driving when coming up with their contest entries.”

ADOT displays quirky traffic safety messages, which often are related to current events and pop culture, as part of an effort to encourage drivers to change their actions behind the wheel. We all need a reminder about safe driving because more than 90 percent of vehicle crashes are caused by driver decisions, such as speeding, driving aggressively, distracted or impaired. According to preliminary data, nearly 1,000 people were killed in traffic collisions last year on Arizona’s roads.

When creating your messages – there’s no limit to the number of entries you can submit – remember these guidelines:

• The message must relate to traffic safety.
• Signs accommodate 18 characters per line, 3 lines
• #Hashtags, phone numbers and website addresses are not allowed.
• No emoji.

After the March 2 deadline has passed, ADOT will select 12 finalists. In March, the public will vote for their favorites among the finalists and the two messages that receive the most votes will appear on overhead signs above Arizona state highways.

PHOENIX – The days of Commercial Driver License (CDL) customers only being able to go to a handful of MVD offices for those services are over.

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division now offers most CDL services at all full-time MVD locations statewide. Previously, CDL customers were required to travel to a limited number of MVD locations.

“As part of our continuous improvement efforts under the Arizona Management System, we’re training all MVD Customer Service Representatives to perform commercial license transactions,” said MVD Stakeholder Relations Manager Jennifer Bowser Richards.

She added, “That means someone who needs to get a CDL or most other commercial driver service doesn’t have to go to a special CDL office anymore; they can be served at any full-time MVD office. The only exception is commercial driver road tests, which are available at many, but not all, MVD locations.”

The expansion of CDL into more MVD locations is in addition to the existing CDL system. The existing CDL offices, some of which are separate from MVD locations, will continue to operate. This change means staff at all existing CDL offices now serve as examiners who are able to provide a larger number of skills tests by appointment. 

“MVD is always looking for ways to improve customer service,” Bowser Richards added. “Adding literally hundreds of employees who can serve commercial customers will speed up those transactions and make all of MVD more efficient.”

PHOENIX – Three months after launching, the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Incident Response Unit has offered assistance nearly 4,000 times on Valley freeways, helping boost safety by getting traffic moving sooner after crashes. 

In a first for ADOT, a new sponsorship by State Farm is helping the 14-member Incident Response Unit continue this important work, which ranges from setting up traffic control to moving vehicles involved in minor crashes to removing debris – even changing a flat tire here and there.

By improving traffic flow after crashes, the Incident Response Unit sponsored by State Farm reduces the potential for secondary crashes, which often are more destructive than the initial crashes, while helping motorists get where they need to be. This work helps free Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers to concentrate on investigations and respond to other situations on Phoenix-area freeways. 

"Protecting public safety is our state's number one responsibility, and ADOT's Incident Response Unit is doing just that," said Governor Doug Ducey. "This innovative sponsorship between State Farm and ADOT will improve highway safety while saving taxpayer dollars, which means more money to build and maintain our transportation infrastructure."

In the coming weeks, Valley drivers will see ADOT Incident Response Unit vehicles wrapped with State Farm branding as part of this sponsorship.

“Our support of the Arizona Department of Transportation Incident Response Unit program embodies our ‘good neighbor’ philosophy,” said Matthew Coleman, State Farm marketing director. “It also underscores the continued commitment State Farm has to auto safety, while helping people recover from the unexpected, which is the heart of the State Farm mission.”

“State Farm is making Arizona a better and safer place by helping ensure that everyone gets safely home,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “This sponsorship is a real win-win for everyone, including motorists and Arizona taxpayers.”

About 250 motor vehicle collisions occur each day in Maricopa County, most of them requiring a response from law enforcement, fire departments, transportation crews or tow trucks.

“Our troopers feel the difference on Valley freeways, thanks to the Incident Response Unit,” said Lt. Col. Jenna Mitchell with the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s Highway Patrol Division. “When troopers are able to focus on their primary role at incident scenes, it allows them to better serve the public.

“The partnership between the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Arizona Department of Transportation is critical to traffic incident management,” Mitchell added. “The Incident Response Unit provides traffic control and assistance to motorists, allowing troopers to focus on investigating collisions and traffic enforcement, such as distracted and impaired driving, and makes Arizona safer.”

The Incident Response Unit sponsored by State Farm patrols Phoenix-area freeways from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, ready to assist state troopers and the public. In addition to providing support at crash scenes, units may be called upon to assist stranded motorists. In December alone, they responded to more than 1,400 incidents.

“Every minute counts after a crash,” said Alberto Gutier, director of the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “When a crash is minor, getting vehicles off the highway and restoring traffic flow quickly improves safety for all.”

State Farm sponsors similar patrol units in 20 other states, helping departments of transportation use limited transportation funding for other priorities.

“Safety is our top priority,” said Karla Petty, administrator for the Federal Highway Administration Arizona Division Office. “An alliance of so many safety-minded groups is another step in the right direction to keeping Arizona drivers safe.”

PHOENIX – An Arizona Department of Transportation training program that helps members of economically disadvantaged groups launch careers in transportation construction is getting ready to hold its first session just for women.

By focusing the next two-week Construction Academy, to be held March 2-13 in Phoenix, ADOT’s On-The-Job-Training Supportive Services Program is helping address underrepresentation by women in the field. Women comprise about 9 percent of construction workers nationally, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

With spaces still available, those interested in participating in this free training can get information and apply by visiting azdot.gov/Academy.

Through the years, ADOT’s Construction Academy has helped more women enter the construction trades. Of the more than 600 graduates since this pre-apprentice training began in 2014, about 35 percent have been women.

Steve Navis, a manager with ADOT’s On-The-Job-Training Supportive Services Program, said the certifications earned by Construction Academy participants are particularly beneficial for women. A candidate with those qualifications has a more powerful resume, especially because of regulations on the number of women and members of other economically disadvantaged groups contractors must employ for federally funded projects.

“However, the larger goal of the Construction Academy is helping participants view construction as a viable career and not just another job,” Navis said. “Modern technology and construction methods mean that all people with ability have places in the construction world.”

Construction Academy training also is available to minorities, veterans and members of other economically disadvantaged groups, including those who are unemployed.

Three-quarters of Construction Academy participants have gone on to work in the construction field as flaggers, commercial truck drivers, heavy equipment operators, highway surveyors, electricians, carpenters, painters, pipe fitters, concrete finishers and block masons. Depending on the position, they start out earning $14 to $24 an hour, and sometimes more.

Participants receive training in construction math, flagger certification, OSHA 10 safety certification, reading construction plans, obtaining a Commercial Driver License permit and resume building. If participants have perfect attendance, they also receive a set of tools valued at $200. ADOT offers the free two-week training through a Federal Highway Administration workforce grant.

For more information or to apply for this or future Construction Academy sessions, please visit azdot.gov/Academy, call 602.712.8125 or pick up materials at the ADOT Business Engagement and Compliance Office, 1801 W. Jefferson St., Suite 101, in Phoenix.

PHOENIX – With construction approaching on State Route 189 improvements in Nogales, an open house this week provides an opportunity to learn more about the $134 million project.

The Arizona Department of Transportation will hold an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at Nogales High School, 1905 N. Apache Blvd. The project team will make a short presentation and then be available to provide information.

Improvements along the 3.75-mile route, including flyover ramps connecting SR 189 and Interstate 19, an overpass at Frank Reed Road and a roundabout at Target Range Road, are scheduled to take approximately 18 months.

The improvements are intended to improve international commerce by creating a smoother connection to and from I-19, reduce congestion on SR 189 (Mariposa Road) and increase safety for drivers and pedestrians in the area near Nogales High School.

The work is funded in part by a $25 million investment by the Arizona Legislature and a $25 million federal TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant.

For more information, please visit azdot.gov/sr189.

PHOENIX – Ruthrauff Road has closed at Interstate 10 in Tucson for nearly two years of construction on a modern interchange that will ease commutes and improve safety. 

I-10 exit and entrance ramps also are closed, with the exception of the westbound off-ramp, which remains open so motorists can access businesses along the frontage road.

Ruthauff Road remains open east of I-10, as does El Camino del Cerro west of the freeway. The Arizona Department of Transportation will maintain access to businesses near the workzone throughout the project.

A new Ruthrauff Road bridge will open by fall 2021, allowing drivers to pass over I-10 and the railroad tracks. Ramps will connect Ruthrauff Road to the interstate by the end of 2021.

Work on the $129 million interchange began in January as part of the Regional Transportation Authority’s 20-year transportation plan. The Pima Association of Governments manages the RTA.

During the closure, drivers who normally use Ruthrauff Road can use Prince, Sunset or Orange Grove roads to access I-10. The interstate will remain open, with traffic shifted through the work during most of the project.

These restrictions and closures are now in place:

 Ruthrauff Road and El Camino del Cerro are closed to all traffic between HighwayDrive/Davis Avenue and the business entrances west of I-10.

 All ramps between I-10 and Ruthrauff Road/El Camino del Cerro are closed except forthe westbound I-10 off-ramp, which remains open to provide access to westbound I-10 frontage road businesses only.

 The eastbound frontage road is now a two-way road south of Sunset Road. There is noaccess to El Camino del Cerro from the frontage road.

 The eastbound frontage road is now a two-way road northwest of Commerce Drive. There is no access to or from El Camino del Cerro from the frontage road.

 The westbound frontage road is closed northwest of Prince Road.

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