Public Transportation Division / Arizona Department of Transportation annual report

              Public Transportation Division
Arizona Department of Transportation

Annual Report Annual

2007

Arizona Department of Transportation

Intermodal Transportation (ITD)

Motor Vehicle (MVD) Communications & Community Partnerships (CCP)

Aeronautics (AERO)

Transportation Planning (TPD)

Public Transportation (PTD)

Transportation Services Group (TSG)
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Public Transportation Division
ADOT DIRECTOR

PTD DIRECTOR Adm inis trative Services Officer II Budget/HR/Contracts/Misc.

Administrative Services Officer I File s/PO's/B TS/Trave l/ Misc.

Trans it Planning Manager 5311

Tra ns it Planning Manager 5310/5316/5317/Arizona Rides

Rail Planning Manager SSO/Rail Planning

Sta te Wide Planning Manager 5303/5304/STP

Trans it Specialist 5311 Support Training Officer RT A P

Tra ns it Specialist 5310 Support M ana geme nt Analyst Arizona Rides

S enior Transportation Planner TRP/Grant Admin./ Rail Planning

S enior Transportation Planner LTAF/STIP/SATS S enior Transportation Planner Database/W eb/Reports

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Public Transportation Division
The Arizona Department of Transportation's Public Transportation Division was formed in 2004. Its role within the state is to: Administer Federal Transit Administration (FTA) programs which provide local transit systems with capital and operating assistance. Provide technical assistance and expertise to local transit agencies and decision makers. Coordinate and fund transit and light rail planning efforts in rural and urban areas. Serve as the State Safety Oversight (SSO) agency for light rail. Insure a multi-modal approach to the problems of mobility, congestion and air quality throughout the state. Public transportation serves a variety of functions in Arizona. It gives mobility to persons without access to an automobile and to those who don't drive. It provides important links between rural communities and metropolitan areas. In urban areas, transit is important in reducing traffic congestion and air pollution by providing an alternative to the single occupant vehicle. It supports Arizona's economy by providing employers with a more mobile workforce and enhances tourism by offering visitors transportation options. The SAFETEA-LU transportation reauthorization signifies the growing importance of public transportation in rural, urban and metropolitan areas. The estimated $304 million over four years for public transportation in Arizona is key to planning and program efforts in meeting the needs of a growing and aging population. The Public Transportation Division supports all of these functions through Federal Transit grant programs and a variety of special projects. Each of these programs is described in more detail within this booklet.

& Transit Planning Elderly & Disabled Transit Program

Rural Transit Program Job Access & Reverse Commute Program New Freedom Program Rail Safety Oversight Special Projects
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Public Transportation Division Funding
The Public Transportation Division administers funding from a variety of state and federal sources. This chart shows the current level of funding from each of the primary sources: FTA Formula Funds Federal funds for rural transit, elderly and disabled transportation, job access and reverse commute, and urban/rural transit planning are allocated to the state using population based formulas and then to service providers on a competitive application basis. STP Flexible Funding Federal Highway Funds which can be "flexed" to support public transportation activities. Rail Safety Oversight Funding which Metro provides to ADOT to provide state safety oversight of the light rail system. State of Arizona State allocated match funding. LTAFII Local Transportation Assistance Fund II funded through Arizona Powerball proceeds.

Division Funds Administered FY 07
FTA Formula STP Flex Rail Safety Oversight State Total Annual LTAF II* Total FY 07 $10,283,545 $2,427,801 $152,000 $42,000 $12,905,346 $17,995,636 $30,900,982

* LTAFII Funds can significantly change from year to year.

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Public Transportation Funding
The funding received from all sources is used to support public transportation throughout the state. The chart below shows the funds distributed or administered by the Public Transportation Division in FY 2007.
$10,000,000 $9,000,000 $8,000,000 $7,000,000 $6,000,000 $5,000,000 $4,000,000 $3,000,000 $2,000,000 $1,000,000 $0 Other STP RTA P MPO FTA Formula State FTA Formula Rur al Transit $0 $927,801 $108,491 $0 $7,855,503 Elder ly & Disabled $0 $1,500,000 $0 $0 $2,011,510 Tr ans it Planning $0 $0 $0 $1,647,393 $328,654 Rail Safety Oversight $152,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 MPO STP $0 $4,072,199 $0 $0 $0

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Public Transportation Division Funding
The chart below shows the growth in funding for each public transit program. Note that the Division's role in administering the JARC and New Freedom programs did not begin until 2006 and is therefore not shown for the previous year.

Growth in Program Funding
$10,000,000

$7,500,000

$5,000,000

$2,500,000

$0 Rural Transit E&D Transit Trans it Planning JA RC New Freedom

FY 05 $4,422,624 $2,906,373 $1,453,674 $0 $0

FY 06 $8,891,795 $3,511,510 $1,856,145 $767,378 $349,260

FY 07 $9,370,112 $3,626,988 $1,976,047 $808,756 $372,352

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Public Transportation Division
Transit Planning Elderly & Disabled Program Transit Rural Transit Program JARC New Freedom

Rail Safety Oversight

Special Projects

Following is an overview of each of the Public Transportation Division's primary programs and of Special Projects currently in progress.

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Transit Planning
PTD's Transit Planning program administers federal funds available to aid in urban and rural transit planning. on an FTA-approved formula which considers population and provides 80% of the planning funds. The MPOs must provide the remaining 20% as a match. conduct balanced and comprehensive intermodal transportation planning and studies.

5303 Distribution of Funds
MPO MAG PAG YMPO FMPO CYMPO Distribution $1,245,656 $308,698 $40,686 $25,803 $26,550

Statewide Transportation Planning
The FTA Section 5304 (formerly 5313) funds are apportioned annually to the states for use in rural planning and research. ADOT received $328,654 in FY07 to provide technical assistance to communities for rural transit-planning. Current Transit Feasibility Studies include the City of Nogales and the City of Maricopa.

Metropolitan Transportation Planning
The Federal Transit Administration Section 5303 program provides approximately $1,647,000 annually to fund and to provide financial assistance to Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). There are currently five MPOs in the state which receive Section 5303 funds: Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), Pima Association of Governments (PAG), Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization (YMPO), Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning Organization (FMPO) and Central Yavapai Metropolitan Planning Organization (CYMPO). Section 5303 funding is allocated to the MPOs based

MPOs utilize the transit planning funds to support the costs of preparing long-range transportation plans and transit improvement projects for their local area. MPO's must consider a number of factors in developing their transit plans such as intermodal access, metro roads, environmental effects, and enhancement of transit services. They must coordinate with State air quality agencies in metro areas that are in non-attainment for ozone or carbon monoxide. PTD encourages MPOs to use this funding to

Urban Formula Grants
In some cases, FTA Section 5307 formula capital funding becomes available to small urbanized areas prior to organization as an MPO. In these cases, ADOT provides planning and administrative assistance to develop a transit program and purchase equipment when required.

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Transit Planning
Funding for Transit Planning
$2,500 $2,000 $1,500 $1,000 $500 $0 5304 5303

FY 00 $146 $699

FY 01 $164 $791

FY 02 $173 $834

FY 03 $185 $887

FY 04 $252 $1,229

FY 05 $241 $1,212

FY 06 $308 $1,548

FY 07 $328 $1,647

Thousands
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Elderly and Disabled Transit Program

This map shows the communities which participate in the Elderly and Disabled Transit Program. Program participants provide more than 750,000 passenger trips per year, using 300 vehicles funded through the Public Transportation Division.

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Elderly and Disabled Transit Program
Eligible recipients for 5310 are privatenon-profit (PNP) and public agencies which serve the elderly (age 60 and over) and persons with disabilities of any age. PNPs form the core of the program, and many Native American communities participate annually. In all, over 150 provider-agencies are assisted with funds from the 5310 Program. the following summer, vehicle procurement and delivery takes from 9 to 18 months.

Section 5310 Funding
The FTA Section 5310 Program, also known as Elderly Individuals & Individuals with Disabilities Transportation, is a federal grant program sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). ADOT has administered 5310 for the State for over 20 years. Unlike it's companion Section 5311 (Rural Public) Program, the 5310 Program focuses primarily on capital assistance to its grantees, i.e., mostly vehicles and related communications equipment.

ADOT undertakes a statewide application process annually, utilizing the assistance of Councils of Government (COGs) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) in rural and urban regions, respectively, to get the word out to prospective applicants and help the Department in carrying out regional review processes. The application process starts at the beginning of each calendar year--with the issuance of that year's new handbook & Application document--with the regional evaluation period occurring in February through April of each year. After the State and Federal approval processes take place

Vehicle Procurements
Once a vehicle is delivered, ADOT and the vehicle recipient jointly hold title--with ADOT as lien-holder--for 4 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first. After this period, the lien is released and the recipient may utilize the vehicle for any purpose, including sale to assist with future matching fund needs for vehicle replacement or expansion service.
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Elderly and Disabled Transit Program
ADOT purchases capital equipment on behalf of the awarded applicants. Four different types of vehicles are typically available: a wheelchair lift-equipped "maxi-van," a slightly larger dual-rearwheeled lift-equipped "cutaway," a 12 passenger maxi-van without lift, and a 7 passenger mini-van. To cover the procurement costs, a maximum local match of approximately 20% of the invoice is required of the recipientagency, and the local operator is responsible for all operating costs for the vehicle. 5310 budget is approximately $3.5 million. The Section 5310 Program has over 300 vehicles active in the field--either on lien or still providing useful "primary" service past lien. Many additional older vehicles live on to provide important back-up service for their operators. ADOT-assisted programs provide transportation services representing over 750,000 passenger trips annually throughout the state. Trip purposes range from daily medical needs to employment, shopping and nutrition programs. The percentage of elderly or senior program agencies and those providing services specifically to disabled

Elderly & Disabled Transportation Funding
$4 ,0 00 $3 ,5 00 $3 ,0 00 $2 ,5 00 $2 ,0 00 $1 ,5 00 $1 ,0 00 $500 $0 STP Flexible FTA Formula FY 00 $ 1,5 00 $ 1,0 25 FY 01 $ 1,500 $ 1,113 FY 02 $1,50 0 $1,18 1 FY 03 $ 1,50 0 $ 1,29 1 FY 04 $1,18 2 $1,64 4 FY 05 $1 ,1 82 $1 ,7 23 FY 06 $ 1,5 00 $ 2,0 11 FY07 $1 ,5 00 $2 ,1 26

Program Growth
Starting life in the early 1980s with a fledgling 10 to 15 vehicles per year, the Program has grown to over 100 vehicles per grant. With the aid of additional funds from the Surface Transportation Program (STP) Flexible Fund program--jointly funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and FTA, the current ADOT persons is split roughly 50/50.

Thousands 13

Rural Transit Program

There are 17 rural transit providers within the state, serving 37 communities. Collectively, they provide more than 700,000 passengers trips each year. The map at the right shows the providers and the communities served. 14

Rural Transit Program
The FTA Section 5311 Rural Transit Program provides capital, administrative and operating assistance for public transportation programs in rural and small urban areas. As administrator for the 5311 program, PTD funds cities, towns, Indian tribes and other transit agencies to operate rural transit systems at the local level. Approximately 2.5 million miles of passenger service are provided annually to more than 700,000 passengers in communities throughout the state. Funding for rural transit services comes from several sources: FTA Section 5311 Formula Funds FTA section 5304 Planning Funds STP Flex Funds LTAF II Funds Rural Transit Assistance Program PTD combines these sources to provide a coordinated program of rural transit planning, research, training, technical assistance, operations support and capital funding.

STP Flex Funds
ADOT has made available Surface Transportation Program (STP) flexible funds to further support the Section 5311 Program. Typically these funds are used to augment the capital procurement process. Administratively, STP funds are transferred from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for eligible recipients in the Section 5311 Program. STP funding is determined annually by the State Transportation Board.

Section 5311 Formula Funds
Federal Transit Administration Section 5311 funding supports capital expenditures (80/20% match), operating expenses (58/42% match), administrative expenses (80/20% match), and 100% of training expenditures for general public transit services in rural and small urban areas (under 50,000 population). The funding is allocated to states on a populationbased formula and the Public Transportation Division awards the funds to participating systems through an annual competitive application process.

LTAF II Funds
The LTAF II fund receives proceeds from the Arizona Powerball in years when lottery income exceeds an established threshold. These funds are distributed to cities, towns, and counties, some of whom allocate them to rural transit providers to use for capital purchases, to match federal funds or enhance operations. This funding is periodic and cannot be budgeted annually.
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Rural Transit Program
Rural Transit Assistance Program
In addition to providing funding, Public Transportation Division staff provides technical support, training and planning assistance to the rural transit providers and 5310 operators. Through the Rural Transit Assistance Program, transit providers receive training in the areas of operations, maintenance, drug and alcohol program supervision, ADA requirements and marketing. They are also provided with aid in developing Five Year Transit Plans, producing passenger information materials and carrying out vehicle and facilities procurements. Communities considering implementation of new rural transit services are provided with new-start support and technical assistance. Through the Section 5311 funding sources, PTD serves as a broad resource for the rural transit providers.

Funding History
$10,000 $9,000 $8,000 $7,000 $6,000 $5,000 $4,000 $3,000 $2,000 $1,000 $0 RTA P STP Flex FTA Formula FY 02 $86 $927 $2,148 FY 03 $85 $927 $2,367 FY 04 $90 $927 $3,259 FY 05 $90 $927 $3,404 FY 06 $108 $927 $7,855 FY 07 $119 $927 $8,323

Thousands 16

Rural Transit Program
City of Bisbee
The Bisbee Bus operates a fixed route service that deviates up to three quarters of a mile for elderly and special needs clients. The service area includes Old Bisbee, Warren, San Jose, and the Naco area. The Bisbee Bus also connects with the Cochise Commuter that operates two routes between Douglas to Bisbee and Sierra Vista. Service runs Monday through Saturday and provides over 30,000 passenger trips per year.

City of Coolidge
The Cotton Express Transit service operates a deviated fixed route and dial a ride service. The deviated fixed route has 46 stops throughout the city on three separate routes Approximately 23,000 annual passenger trips are provided using a fleet of five vehicles.

City of Kingman
Kingman Area Regional Transit (KART) operates a deviated route system on four routes and a dial a ride service for the elderly and disabled in the City of Kingman and greater Kingman-Butler area. The deviated route service has 78 stops providing a connection to medical, employment, commercial, and education centers. Over 66,000 passenger trips are provided each year.

City of Cottonwood
Cottonwood Area Transit provides demand response and deviated fixed route service within the City of Cottonwood, Verde Village, Bridgeport and the Town of Clarkdale. The service operates seven days a week and uses a fleet of nine vehicles. Demand has grown steadily and CAT now provides over 45,000 passenger trips per year.

City of Bullhead City
Bullhead Area Transit System (BATS) provides deviated fixed route and dial-aride service within the city limits and connects with the Laughlin Connection, an intercity service to Laughlin, Nevada. BATS operates six days a week and provides over 113,000 annual passenger trips with a fleet of ten vehicles.

City of Show Low and Pinetop/Lakeside
Four Seasons Connection provides deviated fixed route service within the City of Show Low, the Town of Pinetop/Lakeside, portions of Navajo County and to the Hon-Dah Resort and Conference Center. With a fleet of four vehicles, services operate Monday through Saturday and provide over 104,000 passenger trips per year.
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Rural Transit Program
City of Sierra Vista
Vista Transit services are provided through a fixed route system with five routes utilizing transfer points throughout the community. The routes are designed as neighborhood circulators that meet every half hour at the transit transfer center and provide over 115,000 trips per year. Curb to curb service is also available for the elderly and disabled with a 24 hour advance reservation. service is available to persons over the age of 65 with a 24 hour advance reservation. Over 136,000 passenger trips are provided annually.

Town of Miami
The Town of Miami provides demand response service Monday through Friday over a 40 square mile area which includes the Town of Miami, City of Globe and portions of unincorporated Gila County. The service provides over 14,000 trips per year using a fleet of two vehicles.

intercity service provides a morning and evening connection to and from the City of Cottonwood to major employers in the City of Sedona. The shuttle and intercity service utilizes trolley type buses that operate seven days a week.

Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA)
Valley Metro/ RPTA provides Gila Bend to Phoenix service operating two round trips per day, Monday through Friday. The service travels along Maricopa County Route 85 with stops in Gila Bend, Buckeye, Avondale, Goodyear, Tolleson and at the Desert Sky Transit Center in Phoenix. The service also has timed connections in Gila Bend with Pima County Department of Transportation's service for those traveling to Ajo.
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City of Lake Havasu City
City Transit Services provides a flexible fixed route and curb to curb service within the Lake Havasu City limits and Desert Hills. The fixed route service operates five routes that deviate up to three quarters of a mile off the normal route and links with all routes at a central hub every 20 and 60 minutes. Curb to curb

City of Sedona
Started in October 2006, the Sedona Roadrunner provides a fixed route shuttle service, intercity service, and a contracted para-transit service. The shuttle service is provided along a 1.2 mile corridor between uptown main street and the Hillside Shopping Gallery. The

Rural Transit Program
Pima County Department of Transportation
Pima County's rural transit program serves the communities of Ajo, Marana, Tucson Estates, Why and the San Xavier District of the Tohono O'odham Nation. Both local circulators and routes that connect these areas to the Tucson urban area are provided. Connector services are also provided from Green Valley to Tucson and Ajo to Gila Bend to Phoenix. The 11vehicle system provides over 100,000 passenger trips per year. Mesa. The service provides over 5,000 passenger trips per year.

Catholic Community Services--City of Douglas
Douglas Rides provides a deviated fixed route transit service, a commuter service called the Cochise Commuter operating round trip from Douglas through Bisbee to Sierra Vista, and a dial a ride service for passengers with special needs. The fixed route operates on three routes with a total of 59 stops throughout the city.

Navajo Nation
The Navajo Transit System provides fixed route service to residents living on or near the Navajo Nation. The service area includes the communities of Fort Defiance, Tuba City, Kayenta, Chinle, Window Rock, Farmington, Crownpoint, Gallup, and Toyei. The transit system provides more than 35,000 passenger trips per year.

Helping Hands Agency-- City of Page
The Helping Hands Agency operates the Express, a deviated fixed route service providing three routes with a total of 60 stops within close proximity to residential, commercial, social services, and senior living facilities. The routes cover the area within Page and to LeChee, Wahweap, Antelope Point, Bigwater, Greenhaven, Tuba City, and Kaibeto.

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
SRPMIC operates a dial-a-ride transit system Monday through Friday which connects the Indian Community with the Public Transportation System in Scottsdale and Phoenix. More than 19,000 passenger trips are provided using a fleet of seven vehicles.

Hopi Tribe
Hopi Senom Transit provides weekday fixed route service through three routes on the reservation and to surrounding communities. These include: Flagstaff to Kykotsmovi, Leupp, and Tolani lake Jct.; Moencopi to Kykotsmovi, Third Mesa and Old Oraibi; Keams Canyon to Kykotsmovi, First Mesa, and Second

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Job Access & Reverse Commute Program
Section 5316 Funding
FTA Job Access & Reverse Commute (JARC) program funds are provided to assist states and localities in developing new or expanded transportation services that connect welfare recipients and other low income persons to jobs, employment related services, and reverse-commute assistance to persons of any income. As designated by the Governor of the State of Arizona, ADOT is responsible for implementing the statewide JARC program for rural (less than 50,000 population) and small urbanized (50,000 to 199,99 population) regions of the state. JARC funds provide capital, operating, and planning assistance for services, equipment, facilities, and associated capital maintenance items related to providing access to jobs. Capital and planning projects require a minimum of 20% local match of the net cost of the project while eligible operating expenses require a match of no less than 50% of the net operating costs. Eligible applicants include private non-profit organizations, State or local governmental authorities, and operators of public transportation services including private operators of public transportation services. All projects funded under this program must be derived from a locally developed, coordinated public transithuman services transportation planning process. ADOT utilizes the rural Council of Governments (COGs) and small urban Metropolitan Planning Organizations
$600,000 $500,000 $400,000 $300,000 $200,000 $100,000 $0 Capital Oper ating Small Urban $17,864 $384,088 Rur al $343,093 $570,246

(MPOs) offices to assist with dissemination of information and the screening of applicants during the annual statewide application process that takes place in January through March of each year. This year's project applications were eligible for combined FY06 and FY07 JARC federal funding. The following graph reflects the dollar amount of approved projects in rural and small urbanized areas. This funding for approved projects will be administered starting in FY 08.

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New Freedom Program
Section 5317 Funding
The purpose of the New Freedom grant program is to encourage services and facility improvements to address the transportation needs of persons with disabilities that go beyond those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As designated by the Governor of the State of Arizona, ADOT administers New Freedom funds for rural areas (less than 50,000 population) and small urbanized areas (50,000 to 199,999 population) regions of the state. Funds are available to support the capital and operating costs of new public transportation service targeted toward people with disabilities or public transportation alternatives that go beyond those required by the ADA. Federal funds provide for up to 80 percent of capital projects and 50 percent of net operating projects. Eligible recipients include private non-profit organizations, State or local governmental authorities, and operators of public transportation services including private operators of public transportation services. ADOT utilizes the rural Council of Governments (COGs) and small urban Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) offices to assist with
$4 00,000 $3 00,000 $2 00,000 $1 00,000 $0 C api ta l Opera tin g

dissemination of information and the screening of applicants during the annual statewide application process that takes place in January through March of each year. This year's project applications were eligible for combined FY06 and FY07 New Freedom federal funding. The following graph reflects the dollar amount of approved projects in rural and small urbanized areas. This funding for approved projects will be administered starting in FY 08.

Sm all Urban $13 6,733 $ 94,406

R u ra l $ 96,675 $35 0,314

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Rail & Safety Oversight
The Public Transportation Division is designated by USDOT mandate as the State Safety Oversight Agency for Light Rail projects within Arizona. In this role, PTD establishes state safety standards for LRT systems statewide and monitors 21 safety functions, including: Safety Standards Security Standards Hazard Management Corrective Action Plans Safety Reviews Reporting Requirements Metro's LRT system now under construction in the Phoenix area, is currently the state's only light rail project funded by FTA. PTD staff provides program standards for safety and security that will guide affected rail transit agencies in the implementation of their respective safety and security programs. An example is the System Safety Program Plan. This plan is a document
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developed and adopted by the rail transit agency, describing its safety policies, objectives, responsibilities, and procedures. PTD also partners with other state DOTs to standardize industry safety practices sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration and the Volpe Center.

Special Projects
Arizona Framework for Coordinated Transportation
ADOT-PTD is strategizing the coordination efforts and funding of four inter-related programs that includes Arizona Rides, Job Access & Reverse Commute, New Freedom, and a State Rural Transit Needs Study. Efforts will continue to focus on coordination and funding to best meet planning requirements, funding distributions, and program implementation to meet federal guidlines. implementation grant request. The intent of FTA's 2006 United We Ride program is to support states with implementation of their action plans. The grant focused on assisting regions via their Council of Governments and Metropolitan Planning Organizations to develop regional coordination plans in support of Arizona Rides action plan objectives and in response to related federal mandates. As a support element of the Arizona Rides initiative to showcase coordination at the local level, the Pinal Rides Transportation Coordination demonstration project has also moved ahead. The Study Advisory Committee has formed into a regional coordination committee comprised of the main actors involved in the Pinal action plan elements developed over the past year. Three efforts continuing for the second year of the project include collaboration among agencies within central Pinal County on training resources and activities, including a variety of cooperative training programs, formation of a regional Coordination Council, and development of pilot routes for local connections between Florence, Coolidge and Casa Grande. In the upcoming year, PTD will be working with its state agency partners to develop mobility management guidelines to assist with inter-agency implementation of the Arizona Rides action plan. All federal transit grantees, including ADOT's Section 5310, 5311, 5316, and 5317 recipients, are being "recruited" as partners in the Arizona Rides effort to insure better cooperation and collaboration between transportation providers which serve human services and other special needs populations.

Arizona Rides
Arizona Rides, the state's response to the federal United We Ride challenge, has moved ahead. In December 2005, on the heels of the Action Plan & Statewide Assessment conducted last year, ADOT submitted a grant application on behalf of Arizona Rides to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and was awarded the full $75K for the

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Special Projects
LTAF II
Local Transportation Assistance Fund II (LTAF II) is a state-funded program designed to provide local communities with additional transit assistance. Originally based on Vehicle License Tax revenues, the formulation of the fund is now primarily General Fund revenues supplied by Powerball proceeds. When the state's Powerball proceeds reach a certain threshold, excess revenue is allocated to cities, towns and counties for public transportation purposes. The threshold for the FY 2006 and FY 2007 distribution was raised to $37M from $31M and the program's annual distribution is capped at $18M. The threshold for the FY 2008 distribution will return to the statutory amount of $31M. LTAF II funding may or may not be available in any given year and can fluctuate greatly. For example, the above graph reflects the up and down distribution of LTAF II funding during the ten year life of the program. This
$20,000,000 $18,000,000 $16,000,000 $14,000,000 $12,000,000 $10,000,000 $8,000,000 $6,000,000 $4,000,000 $2,000,000 $0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

LTAF II Distribution

includes a zero distribution in 2003. The FY07 lottery proceeds resulted in a $10.1M available distribution to be made during the second quarter of FY08. In rural communities with Section 5311 programs, funds are typically used to assist with transit programs' operations and capital needs, including local matching funds for ADOT federal grants.

While not available directly to most Section 5310 providers, private-non-profit groups and Tribal Governments can approach their proximate local jurisdictions to request all or a portion of those entities' LTAF II distributions as sub-grantees of those communities. Unlike many federal transit grants, LTAF II has few limitations on use (capital, operations, planning are all permitted), as
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Special Projects
long as the funds are spent on "public" or publicly-endorsed "special needs" transportation such as that provided by Section 5310 recipients.

Regional Transit Connector Service
RTCS is a set of four 3-year pilot projects to study and showcase the need for community transit funding throughout the state, and rural-to-urban connectivity in particular. The Regional Transit Connector projects demonstrate the needs of smaller, outlying communities for transportation connections to critical medical, employment, nutrition and shopping services available only in larger urban centers. This program utilizes a blend of federal, state and local funds and was developed by the Department in financial partnership with the cities of Flagstaff and Phoenix. The four pilot connector routes are Ajo to Phoenix, Wellton to Yuma, Kachina Village to Flagstaff, and Green Valley/

Sahuarita to Tucson. The Ajo-Gila Bend Connector (to Phoenix) was inaugurated April 2005 after a four year hiatus following funding cutbacks in 2001. It represents a unique collaborative multijurisdictional effort between ADOT, Valley Metro/Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA), Pima and Maricopa Counties. The Wellton to Yuma and Green Valley/Sahaurita to Tucson service began February 2006. The fourth connector service, Kachina Village to Flagstaff, began May 2006.

current rail infrastructure, including it's condition, it's usage, and any short-range plans to improve it, in cooperation with several other state and regional partners. The baseline assessment enables agencies and regional/local municipalities to understand current infrastructure condition and uses. The completed assessment will help to facilitate additional study work and/or initiate future improvement plans. The results of this study will be included in MAG's upcoming commuter rail study in 2007.

State of Arizona Railroad Inventory and Assessment
The Public Transportation Division, in partnership with the Transportation Planning Division completed a baseline assessment of all of the state's

Travel Reduction Program
The Public Transportation Division is host to ADOT's travel reduction program effort. The objective of this program is to meet trip reduction ordinance requirements within Maricopa County and to establish a culture of alternative travel and work place options throughout the Department. Through transit ridership, carpooling and vanpooling, bicycle and pedestrian programs, telecommuting
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Special Projects
options, alternative work schedules, teleconferencing and other methods, ADOT is contributing to improvements in air quality and traffic congestion throughout the state. In addition to ADOT efforts, the division provided Section 5304 planning dollars to Valley Metro/RPTA to cover first year operating costs of a Statewide Rideshare Program. Initial partners include Valley Metro, Pima Association of Governemnts, Pinal County, and Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority with the opportunity for other cities, counties, or council of governments becoming future partners. communities for which such options would be cost-effective. The division collected transit data for the report utilizing regional transportation planning organizations and conducted eight regional public input meetings. When released, the report will identify mass transit, commuter rail, and light rail public transportation programs that together will provide improved mobility, enhance economic opportunity, improve quality of life, advance environmental stewardship, and provide multi-modal options to address Arizona over the next two decades. year timeframe. The studies inventory current conditions for all travel modes, identify deficiencies, forecast future needs, and identify and analyze alternative solutions. The Public Transportation Division's role in the SATS program is to ensure each study effectively addresses public transit needs in the study area. Studies conducted over the past year or currently in process include Page, Verde Valley, Benson, Southern Greenlee County, Florence/ Cooldige, and Gila County.

Transportation Executive Order 2007-02
On January 8, 2007, Governor Napolitano issued an executive order directing the Arizona Department of Transportation to report on statewide transit options to serve and connect as efficiently as possible those Arizona

Small Area Transportation Studies (SATS)
Administered by the Transportation Planning Division, the SATS program objective is to develop a transportation plan for a defined local area that will guide multi-modal planning and programming on local roads over a 20-

Arizona Rural Transit Needs Study
In a partnership with the Arizona Transit Association, the Public Transportation Division conducted a year long study that focused on identifying statewide rural transit needs, service gaps, and quantifying costs of providing a more comprehensive rural transit network.

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Public Transportation Division
Arizona Department of Transportation

Jim Dickey - Director Public Transportation Division
206 S. 17th Ave, 340B Phoenix, AZ 85007 602.712.8137

www.azdot.gov/ptd

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