Executive Summary
MoveAZ
Plan
prepared for
Arizona Department of Transportation
prepared by
Cambridge Systematics, Inc.
with
Lima & Associates Partners for Strategic Action, Inc. BJ Communications, Inc.
September 2004
MoveAZ Plan
Executive Summary
prepared for
Arizona Department of Transportation
prepared by
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 555 12th Street, Suite 1600 Oakland, California 94607
September 2004
MoveAZ Plan
MoveAZ Executive Summary
The Arizona Long-Range Transportation Plan, MoveAZ, provides planning guidance for the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) for 20 years. MoveAZ builds on numerous planning studies conducted by ADOT and fits within a larger set of activities used by the agency to identify transportation needs, develop solutions, and deliver specific projects to address these solutions. MoveAZ is a unique planning process for ADOT, providing the department with policy directions, analytical tools, and performance evaluations of specific capital transportation projects. MoveAZ helps ADOT address the many transportation challenges that Arizona will face over the next 20 years by providing the department with tools to help evaluate and prioritize solutions. This executive summary provides an overview of MoveAZ. It covers the three phases of the plan, including the development of a strategic direction; the application of performance-based analytics to evaluate actual transportation projects; and the coordination with other agencies, transportation stakeholders, and the public. The following sections describe each of the nine chapters of the plan. Each of these chapters is supported, in turn, by technical appendices that provide detailed information about every aspect of MoveAZ. Table ES.1 provides an overview of the nine chapters and their links to the technical appendices. The executive summary covers: ? ? ? ? ? The development of the strategic direction; Coordination with the general public, transportation stakeholders, ADOT, and other public transportation planning agencies; The development and implementation of a performance-based planning process; The analysis of Arizona's transportation modes, including highway, rail, transit, aviation, and bicycle/pedestrian modes; and Connections between planning and programming.
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MoveAZ Plan
Table ES.1
MoveAZ Plan Chapters and Appendices
Supporting Technical Appendices A. Phase I Summary Report B. Issues Papers
Document Chapter Chapter 1. Guiding Principles ? Strategic Direction
Chapter 2. Coordination and Public Partnering Chapter 3. Policy Directions
C. Public Partnering A. Phase I Summary Report C. Public Partnering
Chapter 4. Performance Based Analysis Process
D. Performance Factors and Measures F. Project Process Evaluation
Chapter 5. Base and Future Performance
D. Performance Factors and Measures E. Demand and System Performance
Chapter 6. Project Evaluations
D. Performance Factors and Measures F. Project Process Evaluation
Chapter 7. Transportation Modes; and Chapter 8. Goods Movement
A. Phase I Summary Report E. F. Demand and System Performance Project Process Evaluation
G. Goods Movement in Arizona Chapter 9. Implementation
ES.1 Strategic Direction
The strategic direction is the foundation for the MoveAZ Plan, providing a base on which all elements of the plan are built. It was based on a thorough review of transportation issues in Arizona, as well as a review of other issues that impact the transportation system, including population growth, economic change, and increased security concerns. The strategic direction is linked to all stages of the planning process and connected to previous planning efforts conducted by ADOT, as well as by other state, regional, and local agencies.
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MoveAZ Plan
The elements of the strategic direction include a mission statement and long-range goals and objectives. The mission statement, shown in Figure ES.1, is a brief description of the desired future for transportation in Arizona.
Figure ES.1
MoveAZ Mission Statement
To support Arizona's quality of life, the MoveAZ Plan will provide a safe, reliable, and efficient transportation system for people and goods that strengthens our economic vitality; assures access to services and recreational opportunities; preserves the beauty and health of our natural environment; and blends into our urban and rural landscapes. To achieve these ends, the Move AZ Plan will: ? Be fiscally responsible; ? Provide citizens with transportation choices; ? Emphasize accountability; ? Be responsive to change; ? Harmonize with Arizona's proud heritage and unique diversity; ? Encourage coordination of transportation and land use planning at the state, regional, and local level; and ? Address air, transit, rail, highway, bicycle, and pedestrian travel.
The mission statement provides a guide to transportation planning in Arizona. From this statement, five more specific planning goals were developed that formed the basis of the strategic direction: 1. Access and mobility ? A reliable and accessible multimodal transportation system that provides for the efficient mobility of people and goods throughout the State; 2. Economic vitality ? A multimodal transportation system that improves Arizona's economic competitiveness and provides access to economic opportunities for all Arizonans; 3. Safety ? Provide safe transportation for people and goods; 4. Stewardship ? A balanced, cost-effective approach that combines preservation with necessary expansions and coordinates with local and regional transportation and land use planning; and 5. Environmental sensitivity ? A transportation system that enhances Arizona's natural and cultural environment.
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From these goals, even more detailed long-range objectives were identified, describing specific means to achieve the long-range goals. These goals and objectives were carried through the entire MoveAZ process, providing a basis for performance factors and measures that were used to evaluate the expected benefits of specific transportation projects.
ES.2 Coordination
One important goal of the MoveAZ plan was to develop a thorough coordination process that provided opportunities for other transportation agencies, stakeholder groups, and the general public to participate in the planning process. The overall coordination process is diagramed in Figure ES.2, including efforts to coordinate with internal ADOT staff, other external transportation planning agencies and groups, transportation stakeholders, and the public.
Figure ES.2
MoveAZ Coordination Process
Transportation Board
Working Group ? Regional Planning Agencies ? Arizona Transit Association ? Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona
MoveAZ Plan Management
ADOT Internal Coordination ? Transportation Planning Division ? Intermodal Transportation Division ? District Engineers
ADOT Consultation Process ? Non-metropolitan local elected officials ? Executive Boards of Regional Planning Agencies
Consultant Team
MoveAZ Public Partnering Events
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MoveAZ Plan
?
External coordination was conducted primarily through the Working Group, composed of representatives of each of the regional planning agencies in the State (Figure ES.3), the Arizona Transit Association, and the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona. This group reviewed all products developed for MoveAZ and provided direction for the plan. Internal coordination occurred through two bodies ? a steering committee and a continuity team. The steering committee, comprised of Transportation Planning Division (TPD) staff representing planning, programming, air quality, data and asset management, and each of TPD's regional planners, provided key planning data and analytical resources to the consultant team. The Continuity Team ensured continuity between the MoveAZ planning process and internal department policy and practice. This body included the ADOT Deputy Director, the State Engineer, a District Engineer, and other staff from ADOT's Intermodal Transportation Division. In addition, TPD staff made several presentations to ADOT senior management and the Transportation Board to keep them up-to-date on the development of the plan. Public partnering took place through a concerted public involvement process. Fifty public meetings were held across three phases, starting in the fall of 2002 and completing in the spring of 2004. The meetings included focus groups, regional forums, and open houses; and were designed to provide information to and solicit feedback from both the general public and stakeholders. These meetings are described in greater detail below.
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Figure ES.3
Regional Planning Agencies in Arizona
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MoveAZ Plan
Public Partnering
MoveAZ included three rounds of partnering events designed to help ADOT build stronger relationships with key public and stakeholder groups. Each round provided specific connections to the development of the strategic direction and performance-based analysis process. Figure ES.4 indicates the connections between public involvement and the other phases of the MoveAZ plan.
Figure ES.4
Connections Between Public Partnering and the MoveAZ Plan
The goals of the three rounds of public partnering events were as follows: 1. The initial partnering phase of public involvement provided public input to confirm and refine the strategic direction, and to help prioritize the long-range goals and objectives developed during Phase I. In addition, ADOT gained a greater understanding of the transportation issues facing Arizona through the concerns and suggestions presented by stakeholders and the general public. 2. The intermediate partnering phase was used to evaluate the acceptability of policies and strategies developed in response to issues, concerns, and ideas expressed during the initial partnering phase and as a result of technical analysis completed for the plan. 3. The final partnering phase consisted of 20 open houses held across the State. These events presented material from the draft MoveAZ Plan to the public. From the strategic direction through the analysis of projects, participants had an opportunity to
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MoveAZ Plan
review information about the plan through display boards, copies of MoveAZ documents, and informal discussions with ADOT representatives. Figure ES.5 identifies the cities and towns visited during MoveAZ as part of the public involvement process. In addition to these public events, MoveAZ included ongoing communication through newsletters, mailings, and a web site.
Figure ES.5
MoveAZ Public Event Locations
ES.3 Performance-Based Planning
The MoveAZ Plan is performance-based, providing ADOT with tools to help decisionmakers select transportation projects to build in the future. The plan provides a process to evaluate the long-term impacts of capital projects that grows logically from the strategic
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MoveAZ Plan
direction. The long-range goals and objectives developed as a part of the strategic direction were connected to a set of seven performance factors that provide one-word descriptions (such as mobility or safety) that capture the spirit of one or more of the goals. Using these factors as a framework, performance measures were selected that capture the spirit of the specific long-range objectives. Table ES.3 lists the performance factors and measures used to support the MoveAZ plan. Performance-based planning and the selection of performance measures are described in Chapter 4 of the final MoveAZ plan.
Table ES.3
MoveAZ Performance Factors and Measures
Performance Factor Mobility and economic competitiveness
Performance Measures ? Improvement in vehicle-to-capacity (V/C) ratio (weighted average by Person Miles Traveled) ? Reduction in hours of delay
Connectivity
? Ability to pass in major two-lane corridors ? Travel time improvement on ADOT high-priority corridors
Safety
? Improvement in crash rate (crashes per 100 million Vehicle Miles Traveled) ? Reduction in injuries
Preservation Reliability Accessibility
? Reconstruction for older roads ? Reduction in hours of incident-related delay ? Improvement in bike suitability (from bicycle/pedestrian plan) ? Added bus turnouts
Resource conservation
? Reduction in mobile source emissions ? Reduction in fuel consumption ? Added sound walls ? Project consistency with local plans
At the core of the MoveAZ Plan evaluation process is an analysis of the system performance impacts of major capital projects on the state transportation system. The primary goal of this process is to guide, assess, and prioritize long-range transportation investments. The steps of this analysis process include:
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MoveAZ Plan
? ? ?
Identifying potential projects on the state transportation system; Calculating performance on each measure and factor for each of these projects; and Weighting performance factors to reflect the greater value attached to some factors.
Projects were identified from several sources, including Corridor Profile studies and Small Area Transportation Plans that ADOT has conducted since the 1994 long-range plan; the Governor's Transportation Vision 21 Task Force; regional and local planning efforts; and others. The individual elements of these plans (such as highway widenings, new interchanges, shoulder widenings, and other projects) were grouped into project bundles for analysis. The purpose of using bundles is to provide consistent corridor-level projects that can be analyzed over the timeframe of the MoveAZ Plan. Each of the bundles was evaluated using the measures described above. Performance results were designed to show the improvement that a given project would provide over a base scenario for the year 2025. This base scenario included all the projects that ADOT has already committed to through the most recent Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program. To develop consistency in the measures, raw scores on each measure were converted into a normalized score between zero and 10 points. A zero score indicated that a given project bundle did nothing to improve a particular measure. The remaining points were assigned to project bundles relative to the raw scores of all project bundles analyzed for MoveAZ. Project bundles received a final score on each performance factor as a function of their score on one or more performance measures. Similar to the measures, each of the performance factors also used a 10-point scale. The reliability factor had only one measure, so the factor score was the same as the measure score. For all other factors, multiple measures contributed to the factor score. For most factors, the final score was calculated as the average of the measures making up that score, though there were some exceptions. Chapters 4 and 6 of the final MoveAZ plan describe the project evaluation process. Finally, the process included the development of performance factor weights. These weights indicated the relative priority of performance factors. Though each factor was important, certain factors were more closely connected to the issues and concerns raised in public involvement sessions, previous planning studies, and by ADOT's advisory bodies. Three descriptive weights were selected to describe the relative priorities of the factors: 1. Enhance was used for factors with the highest priority for ADOT. These are factors that ADOT should focus on to improve system performance. 2. Sustain was used for factors for which ADOT should try to maintain current performance levels. 3. Neutral was used for all other factors. These factors represent issues that are important, but somewhat less so than other factors. Table ES.4 lists descriptive and numeric weights used to support MoveAZ. Chapter 4 of the final MoveAZ plan provides additional information on the weighting process.
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MoveAZ Plan
Table ES.4
Performance Factors Weights
Performance Factor Mobility Reliability Connectivity Accessibility Safety Preservation Resource conservation
Descriptive Weight Enhance Neutral Neutral Sustain Enhance Sustain Neutral
Weight 1.4 1.0 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.2 1.0
Performance Evaluation Results
Performance evaluations were conducted for over 100 potential projects bundles. The results generated by this analysis were organized by funding scenario and region. MoveAZ follows current Board policy by dividing funding and conducting performance analysis independently for three major regions of the State: 1) Maricopa County, 2) Pima County, and 3) the 13 other counties. In addition, MoveAZ used three investment scenarios based upon estimates of state and Federal funds available to Arizona, as determined by ADOT Financial Management Services: 1. Constrained ? A projection of currently available funding sources through the year 2025; 2. Additional revenues ? An increase above the constrained scenario based on a reasonable increase in revenues that could be derived from Federal and/or state sources; and 3. Unconstrained ? No financial constraints, including all projects that address specific needs on the state highway transportation system, as identified in previous planning processes. Table ES.5 presents the total funding available to each region for the constrained and additional revenues scenarios. The scenarios described here include funding for major capital projects only. Funding for ADOT subprograms (such as pavement maintenance, safety, and others) are provided through existing systems used by each subprogram to identify projects. The results of the project evaluations are presented here by three groups of roadways ? interstates, other roads on the National Highway System (NHS), and other roads off the NHS. These three classifications are used because many Federal programs explicitly require states to use funds on either interstates or the NHS.
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MoveAZ Plan
Table ES.5
Funding for Major Projects by Scenario and Region
County Maricopa Pima 13 Other Counties Total
Constrained ($M) 2,830 870 1,750 5,450
Additional Revenue ($M) 626 192 387 1,205
Figures ES.6 presents the locations of interstate projects in the 13 other counties.
Figure ES.6
Interstate Project Locations for the Thirteen Other Counties.
Figure ES.7 presents the location of NHS projects in the 13 other counties.
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MoveAZ Plan
Figure ES.7
NHS Project Locations for the Thirteen Other Counties
Figure ES.8 presents the location of projects off the NHS in the 13 other counties. Figure ES.9 presents the constrained scenario projects for Pima County. All projects identified in Pima County were fundable under the MoveAZ plan constrained scenario, so these are presented together. In Maricopa County, the State Transportation Board has incorporated the MAG Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) into MoveAZ. The state highway projects recommended in the MAG RTP are shown in Figure ES.10. These projects will be funded by a combination of Federal, state, and regional sources. A complete list of project bundles for all regions can be found in Chapter 6 of the final MoveAZ plan. Detailed information about these project bundles (i.e., the specific project elements) is available in Appendix F.
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MoveAZ Plan
Figure ES.8
Non-NHS Projects for the Thirteen Other Counties
Figure ES.9
Pima County Project Locations for the Constrained Scenario
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MoveAZ Plan
Figure ES.10
Maricopa County Projects Identified in the MAG RTP.
Source:
Adapted from Maricopa Association of Governments' Regional Transportation Plan, 2003. Includes projects funded from Federal, state, and regional sources.
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MoveAZ Plan
ES.4 Transportation Modes
As a multimodal long-range transportation plan, MoveAZ addresses six modes of personal travel in Arizona ? highway, rail, transit, air, bicycling, and pedestrian ? and four modes of freight transportation ? truck, rail, air, and pipeline. Chapters 7 and 8 of the final MoveAZ plan provide detail on the extent of each the mode in Arizona, including location of facilities, types of systems, and other pertinent information; the demand for travel or utilization of the mode; and the role of ADOT in providing funding, operations, research, and other support for the mode. Figure ES.11 identifies the locations of Arizona's highways, railroads, and airports with commercial service. Chapter 7 of the final MoveAZ plan provides additional information about each of these modes, as well as transit and bicycle/pedestrian modes.
Figure ES.11 Arizona's Highway, Rail, and Air Transportation System
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MoveAZ Plan
Demand and Utilization of Transportation Modes
MoveAZ included a detailed assessment of the total travel that takes place on Arizona's transportation modes both for current conditions (2002) and in the future (2025). Table ES.6 provides a summary of the total demand or utilization of each of these modes. Results of these analyses by county are shown in Chapter 7 of the final MoveAZ plan.
Table ES.6
Demand/Utilization of Transportation Modes
Demand/Utilization 2002 2025 150,000,000 207 670 271,000 4,100 47,600 310,300 976,400 276,000,000 409 910 429,000 7,400 104,100 501,100 1,597,500
Mode Road Rail Transit Intercity Bus Urban Transit Rural Bus Aviation Bicycle Pedestrian
Metric Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT) Daily boardings Daily boardings Daily boardings Daily boardings Daily enplanements Daily trips Daily trips
ADOT's Role in Providing Transportation
ADOT has an important role to play in each transportation mode. Though these roles vary from one mode to another, ADOT is committed to working with the providers of each mode ? whether highway, transit, rail, bicycle, or other ? to ensure that each works within the state transportation system. Some of the key roles that ADOT plays in each mode include: ? Highways ? ADOT is responsible for developing and maintaining the highway system and works with regional and local jurisdictions across the State to identify needs and the projects to address them. Rail ? ADOT does not build or operate rail systems in Arizona, but works with rail providers, including Amtrak, other passenger rail companies, and freight rail operators. ADOT has supported the rail system by sponsoring key studies, such as a highspeed rail feasibility study, integrating rail issues into planning studies, evaluating the
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preservation of abandoned rail right of way for possible future uses, and examining the need to improve and/or upgrade highway grade crossings. ? Transit ? ADOT administers Federally-funded transit grant programs that provide demand responsive and targeted service to the elderly and persons with disabilities (Section 5310) and to rural public transportation organizations (Section 5311). These programs provide $13.5 million, $6.5 million of which ADOT flexes from other funding sources to help maintain these services in the State. ADOT planning studies include an examination of transit issues and ADOT will sponsor several studies to specifically examine rural transit issues through the ADOT Public Transportation Division, which was formed in 2004. Aviation ? ADOT owns the Grand Canyon Airport. The ADOT Aeronautics division is responsible for planning activities related to aviation. Excise taxes on airplane fuel, aircraft license and registration fees, and other fees are collected in an Aviation fund that is used for a variety of aviation projects across the State. Bicycle/pedestrian ? Though ADOT does not provide specific facilities for cyclists or pedestrians on state highways, many of the improvements that ADOT makes can benefit these road users as well. ADOT also supports bicycle and pedestrian travel through planning studies, such as the recent State Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan.
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ES.5 Planning to Programming
In addition to providing ADOT with tools to analyze the performance impacts of capital transportation projects, MoveAZ also addresses the relationship between these analyses and the process ADOT uses to identify specific transportation projects for funding in the Five-Year Transportation Facilities Capital Program (Five-Year Program). The ADOT programming process is designed to fund projects that will help ADOT meet its responsibilities to maintain and expand the transportation system in Arizona. These responsibilities include a wide variety of activities, such as repaving highways, providing funding to special needs transit operators, developing ADOT construction capabilities, and expanding capacity on the highway system. MoveAZ will provide information for use in developing the five-year program, primarily in the area of system improvements that address capital expansion of the transportation system. Other projects, such as pavement maintenance, safety, and others, are delivered through specific ADOT subprograms that have existing tools to identify expected improvements for specific projects. For major capital projects, MoveAZ provides tools to identify these performance improvements. As shown in Figure ES.12, MoveAZ is intended to supplement the existing programming process by providing additional information to ADOT and the State Transportation Board to help with decision-making. As such, MoveAZ provides several processes that ADOT will use for planning and programming in the future:
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MoveAZ Plan
? ? ?
A set of decision rules used to bundle projects into corridor-level projects that can be evaluated over a long timeframe, such as the 20-year MoveAZ plan; An evaluation process that estimates the performance benefits of capital transportation projects; and Detailed information about travel demand, utilization, and other data that will support these evaluations in the future.
Figure ES.12 ADOT Updated Priority Programming Process
Prrojectt Identification P oj ec Identification MoveAZ Project Bundling MoveAZ Project Bundling MoveAZ Performance Evaluation MoveAZ Performance Evaluation
IInputs nputs ? ADOT Plans ? ADOT Plans ? MoveAZ Plan ? MoveAZ Plan ? Regiional and Local Plans ? Reg onal and Local Plans ? CommuniityConcerns ? Commun ty Concerns ? Trransporrtation Board ? T anspo tation Board ? Diistrict Engineers ? D strict Engineers
Prroject Scoping P oject Scoping
Prrojectt Ranking P oj ec Ranking
AvaiilableFunding Ava lable Funding
Fiive-YearrConstruction Program F ve- Yea Construction Program ((Devellopmentand Approval) Deve opment and Approval)
Detailed information about the relationship between planning and programming can be found in Chapter 9 of the final MoveAZ plan.
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MoveAZ
Plan
prepared for
Arizona Department of Transportation
prepared by
Cambridge Systematics, Inc.
In association with
Lima & Associates
September 2004
MoveAZ Plan
prepared for
Arizona Department of Transportation
prepared by
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 555 12th Street, Suite 1600 Oakland, California 94607
September 2004
MoveAZ Plan
Table of Contents
1. Guiding Principles ? Strategic Direction.................................................................. 1.1 Why Develop a Strategic Direction ..................................................................... 1.2 How the Strategic Direction Was Developed..................................................... 1.3 Mission Statement, Goals, and Objectives .......................................................... Coordination and Public Partnering.......................................................................... 2.1 Coordination Process............................................................................................. 2.2 Public Partnering Process ..................................................................................... 2.3 Public Partnering Results...................................................................................... Policy Directions............................................................................................................ 3.1 ADOT Transportation Policies ............................................................................. 3.2 Key Policies Related to MoveAZ ......................................................................... 3.3 Policy Recommendations from Public Partnering ............................................ 1-1 1-1 1-2 1-8 2-1 2-1 2-3 2-7 3-1 3-1 3-3 3-9
2.
3.
4.
Performance-Based Evaluation Process..................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Identifying Performance Measures ..................................................................... 4-2 4.2 Identifying Projects and Creating Project Bundles............................................ 4-5 4.3 Calculating Project Performance.......................................................................... 4-7 4.4 Establishing Thresholds to Evaluate Projects..................................................... 4-9 4.5 Assessing Project Needs........................................................................................ 4-9 4.6 Normalizing Performance Measures................................................................... 4-11 4.7 Scoring Performance Factors ................................................................................ 4-11 4.8 Weighting Performance Factors........................................................................... 4-12 Base and Future System Performance ....................................................................... 5.1 Mobility and Economic Competitiveness........................................................... 5.2 Connectivity............................................................................................................ 5.3 Preservation ............................................................................................................ 5.4 Reliability ................................................................................................................ 5.5 Safety........................................................................................................................ 5.6 Accessibility ............................................................................................................ 5.7 Resource Conservation.......................................................................................... 5-1 5-2 5-3 5-5 5-5 5-6 5-8 5-9
5.
6.
Project Evaluations........................................................................................................ 6-1 6.1 Funding ................................................................................................................... 6-1 6.2 Project Performance Results ................................................................................. 6-4 6.3 State Performance Results..................................................................................... 6-13
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7.
Transportation Modes .................................................................................................. 7-1 7.1 Highways ................................................................................................................ 7-1 7.2 Railroads.................................................................................................................. 7-6 7.3 Transit ...................................................................................................................... 7-9 7.4 Aviation ................................................................................................................... 7-16 7.5 Bicycle and Pedestrian........................................................................................... 7-19 7.6 Summary ................................................................................................................. 7-23 Goods Movement .......................................................................................................... 8.1 Goods Movement System ..................................................................................... 8.2 Goods Movement and the Domestic Economy ................................................. 8.3 Goods Movement and the International Economy ........................................... MoveAZ and the Five-Year Program ......................................................................... 9.1 Existing Priority Programming Process.............................................................. 9.2 Integrating MoveAZ into the Five-Year Program ............................................. 9.3 Next Steps................................................................................................................ 8-1 8-1 8-5 8-9 9-1 9-1 9-7 9-8
8.
9.
Appendix A Phase I Summary Report Appendix B Issues Papers Appendix C Public Partnering Appendix D Performance Factors and Measures Appendix E Demand and System Performance Appendix F Project Evaluation Process Appendix G Goods Movements in Arizona
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List of Tables
1.1 1.2 2.1 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 Elements of Past Strategic Direction Efforts............................................................ 1-4
MoveAZ Goals and Objectives.................................................................................. 1-10 MoveAZ Public Partnering Events........................................................................... Comparison of HB2660 and MoveAZ Performance Factors................................. Transportation Board Financial, Procedural, and Coordination Policies ........... Transportation Board System Policies and Their Relationship to the MoveAZ Goals............................................................................................................. MoveAZ System Performance Measures ................................................................ 2-3 3-2 3-4 3-4 4-8
MoveAZ Performance Measure Thresholds ........................................................... 4-10 Performance Factor Scoring Methodology.............................................................. 4-12 Performance Factors Weights.................................................................................... 4-16 Measures Not Used in System Performance Analysis........................................... Percent of PMT by LOS and District ........................................................................ Average Delay Per Vehicle Trip by District ............................................................ Passing Ability by District (Ratio of AADT to Passing Service Volume) ........... Intercity Travel Time by Corridor ............................................................................ Unexpected Delay by District (Hours Per 1,000 VMT).......................................... Crashes Per 100 Million VMT by District ................................................................ Anticipated Change in Injuries/Fatalities by District ........................................... Percent of State Road Miles Moderately/Highly Bike Suitable by District........ 5-1 5-2 5-3 5-4 5-5 5-6 5-7 5-8 5-9
Total Mobile Source Emissions by District (Metric Tons) ..................................... 5-10 Daily Fuel Consumption by District (Gallons) ....................................................... 5-11
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(continued)
6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 8.1 8.2
Available Funding for MoveAZ by Scenario .......................................................... Annual Funding for Subprograms by Region ........................................................ Total Funding for Major Projects and Subprograms by Region, 2010-2025 (Constrained Scenario) ............................................................................................... MoveAZ Plan Projects ? Constrained Scenario ...................................................... Total Funding for Major Projects and Subprograms by Region, 2010-2025 (Additional Revenue Scenario) ................................................................................. MoveAZ Plan Projects ? Additional Revenue Scenario ........................................
6-2 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-7 6-8
MoveAZ Plan Projects (Unconstrained Scenario) .................................................. 6-10 System Performance Results for Constrained and Additional Revenue Scenarios....................................................................................................................... 6-14 Annual Passenger Rail Counts in Arizona, 2000 .................................................... Estimated Daily Intercity Rail Boardings for 2002 and 2025 ................................ 7-8 7-8
Estimated Annual Urban Bus Ridership, 2002 and 2025....................................... 7-14 Estimated Daily Rural and Intercity Bus Ridership for 2002 and 2025 .............. 7-15 Airport Enplanements in Arizona, 2000 .................................................................. 7-18 Estimated Daily Commercial Enplanements and General Aviation Operations by County ................................................................................................ 7-19 Bicycle Suitability on the State Highway Network ................................................ 7-20 Arizona-Sonora Pedestrian Border Crossings, 2000 .............................................. 7-21 Estimated Daily Bicycle and Pedestrian Trips, 2002 and 2025 ............................. 7-22 Estimated Daily Truck VMT, 2002 and 2025 ........................................................... Cargo and Passenger Volumes at Arizona Airports, 2000 .................................... 8-2 8-4
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(continued)
8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 8.10 9.1
Economic Output and Employment by Sector for Arizona in 1997 .................... High-Tonnage Commodities Produced in Arizona, 1998 ..................................... Value of Arizona Shipments by Commodity, 1997................................................ Forecast of Tons Shipped by Trip Type, 1998 and 2020 ........................................ Total Tons Moved by Mode, 1998 and 2020............................................................
8-6 8-7 8-8 8-8 8-9
Destinations for Arizona's Exports in 2002 ............................................................. 8-10 Arizona-Sonora Vehicle, Passenger, and Freight Border Crossings.................... 8-10 Inputs for Maquiladoras, 1997 (in Millions of Dollars) ......................................... 8-11 Program Resource Allocation Categories and Project Selection Method ........... 9-3
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List of Figures
1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 3.1 3.2 4.1 4.2 Regional Planning Agencies in Arizona .................................................................. Historic Population Growth and Future Estimates................................................ Projected Age Distribution of Arizona's Population ............................................. Arizona Employment by Industry ........................................................................... MoveAZ Mission Statement ...................................................................................... MoveAZ Coordination Process................................................................................. MoveAZ Regional Public Forum Locations ............................................................ MoveAZ Regional Solutions Forum Locations....................................................... MoveAZ Open House Locations .............................................................................. Connections Between Public Partnering and the MoveAZ Plan.......................... Distribution of Participant Concerns Across All Forums ..................................... Response to Survey Statement: "Cities Should Take the Lead in Planning and Developing Transit"............................................................................................ 1-3 1-5 1-6 1-7 1-9 2-2 2-4 2-5 2-7 2-8 2-9 2-9
Responses to the Statement: "The Overall Maintenance of State Roadways in this Region Is Good"........................................................................... 2-10 Strategic Recommendations by Performance Factor ............................................. 2-11 Acceptance of Changes to Transportation Services ............................................... 2-12 Primary Subject of Comments Received at MoveAZ Open Houses.................... 2-13 Transportation Board Funding Regions .................................................................. Corridor Definition Study Locations........................................................................ MoveAZ Plan Project "Bundling" Decision Guidelines........................................ 3-6 3-8 4-7
Sources of MoveAZ Factor Weights......................................................................... 4-14
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List of Figures
(continued)
6.1 6.2 6.3 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 8.1 8.2 8.3 9.1 9.2 9.3
Constrained Scenario Project Locations (Pima County and the 13 Other Counties) ...................................................................................................... Constrained Scenario Project Locations (Maricopa County) ................................ Additional Revenue Scenario Project Locations (13 Other Counties Only) ...... Arizona State Highway System by Route Type .....................................................
6-6 6-7 6-9 7-2
Federal and Tribal Land Ownership ........................................................................ 7-3 Historical and Projected VMT in Arizona ............................................................... ADOT Five-Year Program Investments, 2004 to 2008 ........................................... Railway Network in Arizona .................................................................................... 7-5 7-6 7-7
Transit Services in Arizona........................................................................................ 7-10 Phoenix Approved Light-Rail System ..................................................................... 7-11 Aviation Network in Arizona ................................................................................... 7-17 Bicycle Network in Arizona ...................................................................................... 7-20 Average Daily Truck Traffic on Arizona Highways in 2002 ................................ Arizona International Ports of Entry........................................................................ Phoenix Region Freight Infrastructure .................................................................... ADOT'S Existing Priority Programming Process................................................... ADOT Updated Priority Programming Process..................................................... 8-2 8-3 8-6 9-5 9-7
Regional Corridor Study Areas................................................................................. 9-10
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Guiding Principles ? Strategic Direction
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Chapter 1. Guiding Principles ? Strategic Direction
The Arizona Long-Range Transportation Plan (MoveAZ) provides planning guidance for the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) for 20 years. MoveAZ is one of several planning activities conducted by ADOT and fits within a larger set of activities used by the agency to identify transportation needs, develop solutions, and deliver specific projects to address these solutions. The plan has three main goals: 1. To provide a strategic direction for transportation planning in the State; 2. To conduct in-depth analysis of actual projects and programs using performancebased planning techniques; and 3. To coordinate with regional planning agencies and the general public throughout the planning process. MoveAZ helps ADOT address the many transportation challenges that Arizona will face over the next 20 years. The plan provides ADOT with tools to help evaluate and prioritize solutions to these challenges.
1.1 Why Develop a Strategic Direction
The strategic direction is the foundation for the MoveAZ Plan, providing a base on which all elements of the plan are built. It includes a process to understand transportation issues in Arizona, as well as the larger context in which the transportation system must operate. It is linked to all stages of the planning process and connected to previous planning efforts conducted by ADOT, as well as by other state, regional, and local agencies. The elements of the strategic direction include a mission statement and long-range goals and objectives. The mission statement is a general, brief description of the desired future for transportation in Arizona. The long-range goals provide additional specificity, defining several goals for ADOT to focus on in the development of MoveAZ. The objectives are statements that describe the specific means to achieve these goals. In addition to identifying a desired future for transportation in the State, the strategic direction guides the evaluation of projects and programs. The MoveAZ Plan is performance-based, providing ADOT with several tools to understand the use of the transportation system and the impact that specific projects will have upon that system.
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The strategic direction process included grouping the long-range objectives into broad performance factors. These factors ? one-word descriptions such as mobility, safety, and others ? capture the spirit of one or more of the objectives. The performance factors provide the basis for developing performance measures used to conduct specific project evaluations. The long-range objectives also inform the selection of performance measures. Performance-based planning and the selection of performance measures are described in Chapter 4.
1.2 How the Strategic Direction Was Developed
The MoveAZ Plan has not been developed in a vacuum. Instead, it has been integrated with previous planning efforts conducted both by ADOT and other agencies in the State. The strategic direction provides one clear link between previous planning and MoveAZ. The strategic direction is based on a review and evaluation of previous planning processes in Arizona and similar experiences from other states. ADOT identified recurrent themes and issues from these sources and, through review with internal and external advisory bodies and the general public, developed a mission statement and long-range goals and objectives that constitute the strategic direction. The first step in developing the strategic direction involved reviewing the following major planning efforts: ? ? Transportation and vision-based plans conducted by ADOT and regional and local transportation entities in Arizona; Planning documents and policy analyses conducted by state agencies and research institutes with mandates other than transportation, such as economic development, land use, and commerce; Similar transportation planning activities in Southwestern and Rocky Mountain states, as well as in states that have pioneered vision-based planning efforts; and Four papers commissioned for the MoveAZ Plan that examined specific issues relevant to the future of transportation in Arizona.
? ?
The second step in the development of the strategic direction was a review of this material by ADOT and the Working Group, an advisory committee convened for the MoveAZ development process. The Working Group consisted of the chief executives and head transportation planner for each of the regional planning agencies in the State (Figure 1.1), as well as a representative of the Arizona Transit Association (AZTA) and the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona (ICTA). The Central Yavapai Metropolitan Planning Organization was formed in December 2003 and joined the Working Group at that time. This group was consulted throughout the planning process and reviewed all key documents produced for the plan, including the strategic direction.
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Figure 1.1 Regional Planning Agencies in Arizona
The final step in the development of the strategic direction was public review of the assembled material and draft strategic direction. Chapter 2 describes the public partnering process used by MoveAZ. The material produced for review by the Working Group and the public covered two subjects: 1) the key transportation issues to be addressed in a long-range plan, and 2) the general issues and trends that shape the overall environment within which the transportation system operates. The remainder of this section provides a summary review of these subjects. Appendix A contains a more comprehensive review of previous planning efforts.
Summary Review of Transportation Plans
One source of the strategic direction was previous planning efforts, including plans developed by ADOT, the Governor's Office (notably the Transportation Vision 21 Task Force), metropolitan planning organizations, councils of governments, and AmericanIndian reservations. These plans provided raw material that was shaped into the mission statement, goals, and objectives. MoveAZ included a review of over 100 plans that revealed several important factors that must be part of the strategic direction for Arizona. Table 1.1 presents a summary of the
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elements raised in previous planning efforts by the type of agency that produced the plan (ADOT statewide and corridor plans, ADOT small area transportation plans, regional plans, tribal plans, and other plans). For each cell of the table, a mark indicates how frequently plans of a given type mentioned particular transportation issues or concerns, such as mobility, safety, and funding.
Table 1.1 Elements of Past Strategic Direction Efforts
Small Area
Element General Elements Balanced/multimodal Transportation Elements Accessibility, mobility Safety Funding flexibility, local control Stable, equitable funding Connection to Other Factors Land use connection Environmental Economic development Tourism, recreation Social issues Community character ? A few mentions; Source:
ADOT
MPO
Tribal
Other
? Several mentions; and ? All or nearly all plans mention.
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Plans from most levels of government encouraged the development of a balanced, wellintegrated multimodal transportation system. The features of this system clearly included connections to land use, environmental planning, and economic planning. Additionally, past efforts make note of the need to provide a safe, accessible system that ensures easy mobility in both urban and rural areas. Rural areas often have different needs than urban areas, and the MoveAZ Plan is sensitive to these differences. American-Indian reservation plans, in particular, tended to raise somewhat different, though overlapping, concerns than other plans.
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The Arizona Context
In addition to reviewing past transportation and other planning efforts in Arizona and other key states, the MoveAZ strategic direction drew from an assessment of major trends and issues facing the State, including population growth and change, economic change, environmental issues, quality of life, and urban-rural differences in Arizona.
Population Growth and Change
Arizona has been among the fastest growing states in the U.S. every decade since the 1960s. The State has grown from only 250,000 people in 1950 to over five million in 2000. The Phoenix region has added over two million new residents since 1970, and is currently home to nearly three million people. Population projections developed by the Arizona Department of Economic Security show Arizona adding another 2.5 million people by 2020 (Figure 1.2). Future population growth will continue to be centered in Phoenix, but the number of metropolitan areas in Arizona is growing. With the Prescott area recently certified as the Central Yavapai Metropolitan Area, continued growth in Yuma and Flagstaff, and several other areas likely to achieve metropolitan status by 2025, Arizona will face a host of new and emerging transportation needs and concerns.
Figure 1.2 Historic Population Growth and Future Estimates
Population (Thousands) 12 , 000 10 , 000 8 , 000
6 , 000 4 , 000 2 , 000 0 19 40 195 0 1 960 197 0 1 980 1990 20 00 2 010 20 20 2 030 204 0 20 50
Source: Arizona Department of Economic Security, 2002.
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The composition of Arizona's population is changing as well. Like many states in the southwest, Arizona is a major destination for Mexican and other Latin American immigrants. On average, these immigrants have somewhat less education, are younger, and have larger average household sizes than Arizona's historical population base. In addition, Arizona's population has been aging, a trend that is expected to continue in the future (Figure 1.3).
Figure 1.3 Projected Age Distribution of Arizona's Population
Population (Thousands) 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 2000 65+ 45-64 20-44 15-19 0-14
2005
2010
2015
2020
Source:
Arizona Department of Economic Security, 2002.
Population growth and change have significant implications for land use planning and its relationship with the transportation system in Arizona. Encouraging coordination between land use and transportation planning could improve Arizona's ability to address the transportation needs of millions of new residents over the next 20 years. Population growth puts pressure on all aspects of government, not least the transportation system. Phoenix already faces serious congestion problems that may intensify over the next 20 years. As other areas of the State grow, new problems will emerge.
A Changing Economy
Economic growth has largely maintained pace with population growth in Arizona. As with population, over 70 percent of jobs, personal income, and sales are generated in the Phoenix metropolitan area; an additional 15 percent is generated in the Tucson metropolitan area. Phoenix and Tucson are manufacturing centers attempting to attract hightechnology development. Other urban areas, such as Flagstaff and Sierra Vista, are also
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pursuing high-technology and "new economy" knowledge-intensive jobs. Economic development elsewhere in the State, in contrast, is generally quite different. Outside of the major urban areas, recreation-based employment, tourism, and services for retirees are key. Agriculture and mining also continue to play important roles, as they have throughout the State's history. The opportunities for international trade are growing, both along the Mexican border and also with major partners overseas. Figure 1.4 provides an overview of recent shifts in employment by industry.
Figure 1.4 Arizona Employment by Industry
Percentage 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1993 2001
Source:
Arizona Department of Economic Security, 2002.
Population and economic growth, combined with national and international changes in goods production and movement, make freight movement a major issue for Arizona. Arizona is positioned to capture a large share of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) traffic, and could develop strategic linkages of suppliers to Maquiladora factories in Mexico. Maquiladora factories manufacture or assemble products for sale in the U.S., using inputs to their manufacturing processes from the U.S. At the same time, Arizona's largest trading partners are overseas, making Arizona (like all U.S. states) heavily reliant on the state and national transportation system to supply Arizonans with commodities. In addition, growth in small parcel shipments and overnight shipping means different types and numbers of trucks on the road.
W tio ho n le sa le Tr ad e Re ta il Fi Tr na Re ad nc e al Es e, I ta ns te ur an ce , G ov er nm en t A gr ic ul tu re
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Environmental Pressures
One of Arizona's greatest assets is its varied natural setting. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has actively pursued programs to improve the State's environment. Since the early 1990s, air quality has improved; and, today, few areas of the State are out of compliance with Federal air and water quality standards. The continuing influx of residents and economic activity will increase pressure on Arizona's environmental resources. As the population center of the State, the Phoenix region faces the greatest challenge to maintaining air and water quality. The main markers of poorer environmental conditions are in Phoenix, where air pollution has reduced visibility in the region over the past several years. However, there has been no violation of the carbon monoxide and one-hour ozone standards since 1996. The state and local governments have implemented a wide variety of air quality measures to keep pace with growth. Land preservation and sustainable growth are also major concerns in Arizona. The State has passed several laws in recent years aimed at preserving open space and improving the planning process, implementing a form of "smart growth" that has become increasingly popular in the United States.
The Urban/Rural Dichotomy in Arizona
Nearly two-thirds of Arizona's population live in metropolitan Phoenix. Arizona's five established metropolitan areas (Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Flagstaff, and Prescott) account for over 85 percent of the State's population. Compared to other similarly-sized Western states, Arizona's population is much more highly concentrated. Only Nevada, with over three-quarters of the population in Las Vegas and 95 percent in Las Vegas and Reno combined, is more centralized. Similarly-sized states in the South and Midwest exhibit different development patterns, with only 20 to 30 percent of their populations living in the largest metropolitan area. State transportation planners should remain cognizant of two fundamentally different sets of issues and challenges facing urban and rural Arizona ? persistent challenges to rural transportation systems and evolving challenges to existing and emerging urban areas. Mobility and other issues in rural Arizona remain on the agenda, and the State will need to be aware of its efforts to address them.
1.3 Mission Statement, Goals, and Objectives
The strategic direction is an attempt by MoveAZ to address the major transportation issues and concerns facing the State. The review described above presented key themes that are reflected in the mission statement, goals, and objectives. These include a focus on
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quality of life; the need for mobility; and an attempt to address the variety of issues raised by previous plans, the general public (see Chapter 2), and the Arizona context. The strategic direction consists of three basic elements: 1. The mission statement provides a brief description of a desired future condition or set of conditions that is dependent on the outcomes of transportation policies and decisions, usually among a broader set of policies. 2. The long-range goals reflect the spectrum of major goals or desired outcomes expressed by both the mission statement and numerous planning efforts from around the State. 3. Performance factors may help describe multiple goals, but suggest different, more specific long-range objectives and strategies for action. These objectives are grouped into broad performance factors (e.g., "reliability" or "equity") that can be described and evaluated with more detailed performance measures (see Chapter 4). This section of Chapter 1 provides the final strategic direction that resulted from the review of plans, analysis of major issues, consultation with internal and external advisory committees, and public involvement.
Figure 1.5 MoveAZ Mission Statement
To support Arizona's quality of life, the MoveAZ Plan will provide a safe, reliable, and efficient transportation system for people and goods that strengthens our economic vitality; assures access to services and recreational opportunities; preserves the beauty and health of our natural environment; and blends into our urban and rural landscapes. To achieve these ends, the Move AZ Plan will: ? Be fiscally responsible; ? Provide citizens with transportation choices; ? Emphasize accountability; ? Be responsive to change; ? Harmonize with Arizona's proud heritage and unique diversity; ? Encourage coordination of transportation and land use planning at the state, regional, and local level; and ? Address air, transit, rail, highway, bicycle, and pedestrian travel.
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Table 1.2 MoveAZ Goals and Objectives
Long-Range Goal Access and Mobility. A reliable and accessible multimodal transportation system that provides for the efficient mobility of people and goods throughout the State. Mobility Factor ? ? ? Maintain and enhance levels of circulation (e.g., reduced congestion) on highways, arterials, and major collectors. Maintain and enhance the ability of goods to move through and around urban areas with minimal delay. Encourage the development of transit options for economically-disadvantaged populations. Long-Range Performance Objectives
Reliability Factor ? ? ? Improve the availability and quality of real-time information to increase the ease of use and attractiveness of both highways and public transportation. Reduce delay caused by at-grade highway-railroad crossings. Develop and implement an access management program to preserve the reliability of the state highway system.
Accessibility Factor ? ? ? ? ? Encourage the development of effective public transportation, ride share, and related options, where appropriate, and cost effective. Support Title 6 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance for access by disadvantaged groups to all transportation services. Integrate transit, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities into highway improvements, where feasible. Maintain and enhance connections to major commercial, residential, and tourist destinations by both highways and public transportation. Maintain and expand border crossing facilities.
Connectivity Factor ? ? ? ? Economic Vitality. A multimodal transportation system that improves Arizona's economic competitiveness and provides access to economic opportunities for all Arizonans. Maintain and enhance intermodal passenger connections between air and surface (highway and transit) transportation modes. Maintain and enhance intermodal freight linkages for truck-rail and truck-air transfers. Continue necessary expansion and connection of Arizona's metropolitan highways and high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Ensure the connection of rural communities to the state highway network.
Economic Competitiveness Factor ? ? ? Maintain and expand freight transportation and intermodal linkages. Increase coordination of transportation planning with the economic development activities of state, regional, and local governments. Equitably distribute transportation to all areas of the State.
Accessibility Factor ? ? ? Maintain and improve truck linkages between Arizona, other states, and Mexico. Maintain and improve access to major tourist destinations. Encourage the development of transit services that provide access to job centers.
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Table 1.2 MoveAZ Goals and Objectives (continued)
Long-Range Goal Safety. Provide safe transportation for people and goods. Safety Factor ? ? ? ? ? ? Reduce the rate of crashes, fatalities, and injuries for motor vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Design new transportation facilities to minimize accidents. Improve the safety of commercial vehicles, public transportation vehicles and facilities, and where modes intersect. Upgrade at-grade railroad crossing protection. Increase ADOT's support and use of incident management on the state highway system. Coordinate with Federal, regional, local, and tribal officials to provide redundancy of access for emergency response and evacuation situations (e.g., bridge crossings, multiple access routes to airports and other key transportation facilities, etc.) Improve safety and security for rural area travelers. Long-Range Performance Objectives
? Stewardship. A balanced, costeffective approach that combines preservation with necessary expansions and coordinates with local and regional transportation and land use planning.
Preservation Factor ? ? ? ? Preserve and maintain existing transportation infrastructure. Develop and implement an access management program to preserve the functionality of the state highway system. Coordinate planned transportation system expansions with future funding capabilities. Increase efficient coordination of state transportation planning and programming processes with local and regional land use planning processes.
Mobility Factor ? Increase and/or protect capacity of the existing transportation system through increased use of traffic operation and management strategies, including Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) methods.
Environmental Sensitivity. A transportation system that enhances Arizona's natural and cultural environment.
Resource Conservation Factor ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Increase energy conservation and the use of recycled materials and costeffective alternate energy sources. Give preference to use of native or indigenous species in transportation-related landscaping projects. Encourage the development of smart growth policies in coordination with state, regional, local, and tribal planning processes. Increase proactive coordination of transportation planning with Federal, state, and regional environmental agencies. Minimize the contribution of transportation investments to air, water, and noise pollution in all areas of the State. Ensure that negative environmental impacts of transportation investments do not fall disproportionately on disadvantaged groups. Minimize the impact of transportation investments on natural habitats, animal travel corridors, historic sites, and endangered species
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Coordination and Public Partnering
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Chapter 2. Coordination and Public Partnering
Coordinating with the public and stakeholders affected by transportation decisions is critical to the success of any transportation planning effort. Planning is the first stage in the development of transportation projects that can have major impacts on communities. As such, it is vital that the public be involved throughout the entire process. MoveAZ included extensive coordination with regional planning agencies, local elected officials, transportation stakeholders, and the general public. This chapter describes the overall coordination and public partnering process and the links between public partnering and the other phases of the MoveAZ plan.
2.1 Coordination Process
As shown in Figure 2.1, the MoveAZ Plan included extensive coordination within ADOT, between ADOT and other regional and local planning agencies, and between ADOT and the general public. The coordination process included meetings with advisory bodies and other groups. The following four coordination techniques were used to support the MoveAZ plan: 1. External Coordination ? The Working Group is a body composed of each of the regional planning agencies in the State, the Arizona Transit Association, and the ITCA. This group met throughout the development of MoveAZ and reviewed all material produced for the plan. The Working Group met 15 times between late 2001 and spring of 2004 to review deliverables and provide guidance in the development of the plan. 2. Internal Coordination ? MoveAZ included internal coordination through two bodies ? a steering committee and a continuity team. The steering committee was comprised of Transportation Planning Division (TPD) staff representing planning, programming, air quality, data and asset management, and each of TPD's regional planners. This group met 15 times in coordination with the Working Group meetings described above. The Continuity Team is a body composed of internal ADOT staff (including the ADOT Deputy Director, the state engineer, and a district engineer) and other staff from ADOT's Intermodal Transportation Division. This group helped ensure that MoveAZ was consistent with existing ADOT policy and practice. The Continuity Team met six times over the period beginning in 2002 through spring of
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2004 for progress briefings and to ensure coordination of the plan with other ongoing ADOT activities. 3. Public Partnering ? Fifty public meetings were held across three phases, starting in the fall of 2002 and completing in the spring of 2004. The specific meetings are described in detail in this chapter. 4. Consultation Process ? ADOT consults with the executive boards of regional planning agencies and other agencies that request information about ADOT planning and other activities. In addition, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requires ADOT to consult with non-metropolitan, local-elected officials regarding planning. These activities occur independently of the MoveAZ Plan, but were also used during the MoveAZ process to provide information to these groups. ADOT conducted over 20 meetings with local-elected officials and the boards of regional planning agencies to discuss MoveAZ. These meetings are part of an ongoing coordination process that overlaps the MoveAZ plan.
Figure 2.1
MoveAZ Coordination Process
Transportation Board
Working Group ? Regional Planning Agencies ? Arizona Transit Association ? Inter Tribal Council of Arizona
MoveAZ Plan Management
ADOT Internal Coordination ? Transportation Planning Division ? Intermodal Transportation Division ? District Engineers
ADOT Consultation Process ? Non-metropolitan local elected officials ? Executive Boards of Regional Planning Agencies
Consultant Team
MoveAZ Public Partnering Events
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2.2 Public Partnering Process
Partnering events were opportunities to build stronger partnerships with key public and stakeholder groups. These events were formulated around three key phases of the MoveAZ Plan: 1. The definition of strategic directions, goals, and objectives; 2. The evaluation of alternative policies and projects; and 3. The creation of the draft plan. Each of the three phases included multiple partnering events, as shown in Table 2.1. The following subsections describe the purpose of each phase and event.
Table 2.1
MoveAZ Public Partnering Events
Dates Fall 2002 Events Regional Public Forums Focus Groups
Partnering Phase Initial
Intermediate
Spring 2003
Regional Solutions Forums Focus Groups
Final
Spring 2004
Open Houses
Initial Partnering Events
The initial partnering phase of public involvement provided public input to confirm and refine the strategic direction, and to help prioritize the long-range goals and objectives developed during Phase I. In addition, ADOT gained a greater understanding of the transportation issues facing Arizona through the concerns and suggestions presented by stakeholders and the general public. Two events were held in this phase: 1. Regional Public Forums, intended to assess the transportation issues and concerns of the general public (Figure 2.2); and
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Figure 2.2
MoveAZ Regional Public Forum Locations
2. Focus Groups, providing targeted assessment of the perspectives of specific stakeholders. These groups included: a. Aviation; b. Transit providers and users; c. Bike and pedestrian interests; d. Commercial vehicle operators, railroads, and distribution firms; e. Economic development interests (economic development organizations, industry associations, chambers of commerce); f. Health and human services providers; g. Native American communities; h. Pipeline and utility representatives; and i. Environmental concerns (state and national parks and forest service, air quality planners).
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A detailed report describing the initial partnering events can be found in Appendix B.
Intermediate Partnering Events
The intermediate partnering phase was used to evaluate the acceptability of policies and strategies developed in response to issues, concerns, and ideas expressed during the initial partnering phase and as a result of the research completed. The intermediate phase provided additional public input and built a level of confidence to move forward in the development of the draft plan. Nine regional solutions forums were held throughout the State, as shown in Figure 2.3. A second round of stakeholder focus groups was also held with the following groups: ? ? ? Native American communities; Transit providers and users; and Commercial vehicle operators, economic development, and aviation interests.
Figure 2.3
MoveAZ Regional Solutions Forum Locations
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The insight gained as a result of the focus groups and forums will be used in discussions and debates regarding potential policies and strategies to improve the performance of the overall system. The intermediate partnering phase provided important input for the development of weights that were applied in the performance analysis process (described in Chapter 4). Participants at the forums also had the opportunity to identify potential projects and policies for the State's future transportation system. Chapter 3 includes a review of the key policy suggestions received during these and other events. A detailed report describing the intermediate partnering events can be found in Appendix C.
Final Partnering Events
The final partnering events consisted of 20 open houses held across the State, as shown in Figure 2.4. These events presented material from the draft MoveAZ Plan to the public. From the strategic direction through the analysis of projects, participants had an opportunity to review information about the plan through display boards, copies of MoveAZ documents, and informal discussions with ADOT representatives. The open houses provided a forum to discuss the performance-based analysis process with the public, as well as gauge public response to the overall planning process. A detailed report describing the final partnering events can be found in Appendix D.
Communication Plan
In addition to the three rounds of public events, MoveAZ included an ongoing communication plan. Regular communication through newsletters, mailings, and a web site provide additional avenues for the public to learn about planning and to comment on MoveAZ. The communication plan included the following strategies: ? Press releases were provided to newspapers, chamber of commerce newsletters, radio stations, and other local and regional publications. This provided broad media coverage of the events and a general invitation to the events. Direct mailings provided an opportunity to specifically invite interested individuals to the public partnering events. Individuals who participated in early events were invited to subsequent events in their area. A brochure was created to describe the overall purpose of the plan and the basic outline of the strategic direction. This brochure was available at all public partnering events.
?
?
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Figure 2.4
MoveAZ Open House Locations
? ?
A newsletter was produced to provide information to the public about the plan. Finally, a web site, http://www.moveaz.org, was regularly updated to provide information on the plan to the public. The web site was also the central repository for all planning documents.
2.3 Public Partnering Results
This section describes key results from the public partnering events. These events provided two main benefits: they helped educate the public about transportation planning in Arizona and they helped ADOT understand the general priorities and strategies the public preferred. Each round of public partnering events was intended to inform a particular phase of the MoveAZ Plan, as shown in Figure 2.5.
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Figure 2.5
Connections Between Public Partnering and the MoveAZ Plan
Initial Partnering Results
The initial partnering events focused primarily on finalizing the strategic direction. Participants provided information about their best transportation experience, major transportation issues in their region and the State as a whole, and reacted to a preliminary set of long-range goals. In addition to the interactive discussion, each participant received a survey with 15 questions that provided another opportunity for participants to describe their concerns about transportation in Arizona. As shown in Figure 2.6, comments received during the initial partnering phase reflect many of the long-range goals identified for the plan. Participants also identified issues outside the scope of the plan, such as the availability of funding. In addition, the priorities of Arizonans began to emerge in this first phase. Several of the key concerns expressed in the first phase warrant closer attention. Mobility was a key issue in the regional public forums and all other events. Arizonans understand that the State is growing rapidly and must address congestion and mobility issues. Similarly, participants at public forums expressed considerable concern about their ability to move easily between major cities.
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Figure 2.6
Stewardship 6% Safety 6% Planning and Coordination 12% Funding 19%
Distribution of Participant Concerns Across All Forums
Other 4% Access, Mobility, Connectivity 30%
Transportation Options 20% Environment 3%
A second major issue that arose in the forums and focus groups was the need for transportation options, such as transit or improved air service. These concerns were spread across several modes and reflected a growing interest in alternatives to the automobile. As shown in Figure 2.7, most participants felt that cities should take the lead in planning and developing transit options. (ADOT's role in transit, air service, and other modes is discussed in detail in Chapter 7.)
Figure 2.7
Response to Survey Statement: "Cities Should Take the Lead in Planning and Developing Transit"
Strongly Disagree 3%
Disagree 15% No Opinion 14%
Strongly Agree 26%
Agree 42%
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Stewardship and preservation issues were not mentioned as frequently as other issues in the public forums, but this may reflect the existing quality of Arizona's road system. When surveyed about the maintenance of the roads in Arizona, two-thirds of participants believed the system was well maintained (Figure 2.8).
Figure 2.8 Responses to the Statement: "The Overall Maintenance of State Roadways in this Region Is Good"
Strongly Disagree 4% Disagree 21%
Strongly Agree 7%
No Opinion 8%
Agree 60%
Intermediate Partnering Results
In the intermediate phase, participants suggested strategies and solutions related to the performance factors that are part of the strategic direction. Participants identified their preferred project and policy solutions through facilitated discussions, and then voted on all comments together. Participant statements were coded by the relevant performance factor, and these results were tabulated to provide a rough understanding of priorities of Arizonans. Strategic recommendations by performance factor are shown in Figure 2.9.
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Figure 2.9
Resource Conservation 5% Reliability 2% Preservation 11% Environment 3%
Strategic Recommendations by Performance Factor
Safety 12% Access 17% Connectivity 9%
Economic Vitality 2%
Mobility 39%
Source: Cambridge Systematics, Inc., 2003.
The priorities gathered from the regional forums supported the development of performance factor weights. Participant comments suggested that mobility was the primary concern, with other major concerns including accessibility, safety, and preservation. The process for developing weights used participant ranked priorities, as well as information from ADOT and the Transportation Board. Chapter 4 provides a more detailed description of the development of performance factor weights. To provide additional information about priorities, the regional solutions forums included a survey that asked participants to make tradeoffs between different policy and project solutions. One of the key questions asked what changes participants would most likely accept if less funding were available (Figure 2.10). Overall, participants were reluctant to accept reductions in services, with over threequarters of respondents indicating they would prefer to pay more, through taxes or user fees, to retain services and maintain system performance. Funding issues were also frequently raised during facilitated discussions. Policy issues related to funding and other issues are described in detail in Chapter 3.
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Figure 2.10 Acceptance of Changes to Transportation Services
Accept rougher roadways Accept reduced rural and disabled transit service Accept more congested roadways Accept more unpredictable travel times and speeds Accept less landscaping and aesthetics Accept closure of some general aviation airports Pay more, rather than reduce services 0% 25% 50% 75%
Reaction to the Draft Plan
The final partnering phase provided open house participants with an opportunity to react to the draft plan. At the open houses, a series of stations, or booths, were set up to address the various aspects of the plan, including the strategic direction, public partnering, performance-based analysis, and project evaluations. Participants had an opportunity to provide comments at each of the stations, as well as general comments about MoveAZ. In addition, ADOT representatives held informal discussions with open house attendees. ADOT received over 200 comments at the open houses. Over one-quarter of these comments were made in reference to either the MoveAZ planning process or public involvement process. These comments largely thanked ADOT holding open houses and other events in their communities. Many of the other comments received at the open houses reflected concerns raised during the initial and intermediate partnering events (Figure 2.11). These concerns include the need to pursue multimodal transportation options, such as improved transit and increased air service to rural areas of the State; the need to improve the safety of the state transportation system; and the importance of mobility to support the economic well being of the State and its residents.
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Figure 2.11 Primary Subject of Comments Received at MoveAZ Open Houses
Other 18% Clarifications 6% Funding 3% Safety 11% Mobility, Economics 11% MoveAZ Public Events 28% Multimodal Options 15% Environment 8%
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Policy Directions
MoveAZ Plan
Chapter 3. Policy Directions
The MoveAZ Plan was developed to be consistent with policies and procedures adopted by the Arizona legislature and the Arizona Transportation Board, the two bodies that set policy for transportation in the State. This chapter describes the relationship between ADOT's current transportation policies and the MoveAZ Plan, identifies key policy decisions made during the development of the plan, and discusses the policy suggestions received during MoveAZ public partnering events.
3.1 ADOT Transportation Policies
Both the legislature and the Transportation Board provide policy direction for the MoveAZ Plan. Although the legislature vests the Board with ultimate authority over the projects and programs to be funded in Arizona, key laws identify specific procedures that ADOT must follow in planning and delivering projects. This section describes the legislative requirements that shape the plan and the relationship between Transportation Board policies and MoveAZ.
Legislative Requirements
Both Federal and state legislation require ADOT to develop a long-range transportation plan. For the State, House Bill 2660, adopted into law in the 2002 legislative session, sets several guidelines on the development of a long-range plan: ? The updated law governing ADOT explicitly requires the use of performance-based planning in both the long-range plan and the five-year capital program. The five-year program is the mechanism ADOT uses to identify specific capital projects to be constructed. The updated law identifies several performance factors that ADOT must address in planning. These are discussed in more detail below. The updated law requires consistency with local planning, including requiring the long-range plan to use local and regional land use plans; to facilitate, not direct, growth; and to coordinate with regional planning efforts. It also requires local and regional agencies to submit a standardized report of their transportation needs to ADOT each year.
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MoveAZ was designed to be consistent with these requirements. It is a 20-year plan that uses performance measures to evaluate major capital projects, as described in Chapter 4. It uses official population projections from the Arizona Department of Economic Security. It includes a process to coordinate with regional planning agencies, including a procedure for using estimates of land-use patterns and traffic growth developed by regional planning organizations, where these were available. Finally, MoveAZ incorporates the specific performance factors required by House Bill 2660. These performance factors are described below.
Performance Factors
The updated law now requires ADOT to address specific performance factors. The relationship between these required factors and the MoveAZ performance factors is shown in Table 3.1.
Table 3.1
Comparison of HB2660 and MoveAZ Performance Factors
Relevant MoveAZ Performance Factor(s) ? Preservation ? Mobility ? Accessibility ? Connectivity; accessibility ? Economic competitiveness; accessibility ? Safety ? Resource conservation ? See Note 1 ? Mobility; reliability; preservation (see Note 2) ? See Note 3
HB 2660 Performance Factor ? System preservation ? Congestion relief ? Accessibility ? Integration and connectivity with other modes ? Economic benefits ? Safety ? Air quality and other environmental impacts ? Cost effectiveness of a project or service ? Operational efficiency ? Project readiness Notes:
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Although MoveAZ does not include a specific factor for cost effectiveness, it uses tools that allow for basic cost/benefit analyses. In addition, cost estimates were made for each project that allow a comparison of the "cost per performance gained" of each project. Operational efficiency may be defined in several ways, including 1) the efficient movement of people and goods, 2) the ability to reliably plan a trip on the transportation system, and 3) the minimization of replacement costs through proactive maintenance. These three definitions of operational efficiency are addressed, respectively, by the mobility, reliability, and preservation performance factors. Project readiness is more applicable to the programming process than to the development of a 20year plan. This factor is used in transitioning from MoveAZ to the five-year program, as described in Chapter 9.
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Transportation Board Policies
The Transportation Board also adopts policies that guide transportation-related activities in the State. The Board has an existing policy statement, updated periodically, that is relevant to transportation planning. This statement, most recently updated in August 2003, addresses four basic types of policies: 1. System policies, which describe the functional goals that ADOT would like to achieve and are similar to the goals outlined in the MoveAZ strategic direction. More detail on the overlap of the system policies and the strategic direction is provided below. 2. Coordination policies, which propose improved coordination with Federal, state, regional, tribal, and local agencies. These policies are reflected in the coordination effort that was part of the MoveAZ development process (see Chapter 2). 3. Procedural policies, which describe the process that ADOT should use for planning, as opposed to the specific substantive outcomes addressed by the system policies. These policies include requirements for public involvement, performance-based planning, and non-discrimination in contracting. 4. Financial policies, which state the Board's position on financial matters. They include recommendations on ways to acquire additional funds for transportation investments and requirements that ADOT follow Governmental Accounting Standards Board accounting principles. ADOT's coordination, procedural, and financial policies, shown in Table 3.2, helped guide the development of the MoveAZ Plan. They provided general guidelines for coordinating with other agencies, working with the public, identifying funding constraints, and addressing other relevant policies and procedures. In addition, MoveAZ addresses each of the system policies. Table 3.3 describes the relationship between the system policies and the MoveAZ long-range goals.
3.2 Key Policies Related to MoveAZ
During the MoveAZ process, several specific policies were adopted or refined that affected the development of MoveAZ. These policies included a new statewide transportation planning policy, a regional funding policy, a Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), and specific corridor definition studies to support future planning in and adjacent to the MAG region. Each of these policies is examined in more detail below.
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Table 3.2
Transportation Board Financial, Procedural, and Coordination Policies
Short Policy Description (Policy Number) ? Increase funding, issue debt (19, 32) ? Practice fiscal restraint (27, 31, 32) ? Encourage local and private funding (28) ? Comply with GASB standards (35)
Policy Type Financial
Procedural
? Transfer bypassed road segments to local control (16) ? Consider requests to name or rename highway features (17) ? Develop a performance-based, long range plan and five-year program (2, 20, 21, 22) ? Ensure non-discrimination in contracts (33, 34) ? Encourage public participation in transportation decisions (2, 36)
Coordination
? Coordinate with regional governments, stakeholders (3, 21, 37) ? Work with Federal, state, and international agencies (3, 37, 38)
Table 3.3
Transportation Board System Policies and Their Relationship to the MoveAZ Goals
Short Policy Description (Policy Number) ? Prioritize highways that connect Arizona, its regions, and population centers with other states and with Mexico (5) ? Provide HOV lanes and related facilities, consider congestion pricing and high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes (14) ? Facilitate and encourage public transportation, bicycling, walking, and the interconnection of modes (1, 4, 6, 7, and 24) ? Encourage effective and efficient operation at ports of entry (23) ? Support regional and interregional public and special needs transportation planning (23)
MoveAZ Goal Access and mobility
Stewardship
? Establish minimum standards, make investments based on classification of highways by purpose and importance to the system (11) ? Preserve the functional integrity of the state highway system through a comprehensive access management program (12) ? Implement effective and efficient planning and construction processes, including value engineering, design build, and other mechanisms (29) ? Implement asset management systems and methods (30)
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Table 3.3
Transportation Board System Policies and Their Relationship to the MoveAZ Goals (continued)
Short Policy Description (Policy Number) ? Facilitate goods movement throughout the State to maintain a strong state and national economy; work with rail, truck, and shipping industries to identify opportunities to increase efficient transport (8) ? Consider preserving rail corridor property threatened by abandonment as an important resource for future transportation purposes (9) ? Support effective and efficient operations at Arizona's ports of entry to ensure enforcement of Federal and state laws (15)
MoveAZ Goal Economic vitality
Environmental sensitivity
? Integrate air quality concerns in all processes (10) ? Use Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) improvement funds for transportation projects and programs in non-attainment and maintenance areas that reduce transport-related emissions and congestion (25) ? Support early partnering with resource agencies in planning, design, and construction of transportation facilities and services (38) ? Promote projects that provide amenities beyond roadway projects (26) ? Provide a safe, efficient, and effective transportation system (3) ? Encourage public transit that improves the safety and efficiency of the state transportation system (6) ? Provide rest areas for motorist services and safety (13)
Safety
Statewide Transportation Planning Policy
The law updated by House Bill 2660 requires the Transportation Board to adopt a longrange planning policy for the State. Working with ADOT, the Board reviewed and adopted the MoveAZ strategic direction as this long-range transportation planning policy. The strategic direction addresses the key goals and objectives that ADOT would like to achieve through long-range planning. It also identifies performance factors consistent with those required by House Bill 2660. The policy statement is the same as the strategic direction presented at the end of Chapter 1.
Regional Funding Policy
For several years, the Transportation Board has distributed funding around the State in accordance with recommendations from its Resource Allocation Advisory Committee (RAAC). As shown in Figure 3.1, the RAAC recommended that capital funding used for
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the last several cycles of the five-year Transportation Facilities Construction Program be split among three major regions of the State: 37 percent for Maricopa County, 13 percent for Pima County, and 50 percent for the 13 other counties. This funding split has been adopted for the MoveAZ Plan. The financial forecasts, described in Chapter 4, utilize this split among the three regions.
Figure 3.1 Transportation Board Funding Regions
Maricopa Association of Governments Regional Transportation Plan
As described in Chapter 2, the MoveAZ process included close coordination with regional planning agencies throughout the State. In the Maricopa region, this meant working with MAG, the metropolitan planning organization for Maricopa County. In November of 2003, MAG completed a comprehensive 20-year RTP. Both the MAG plan and MoveAZ use performance-based planning methods to evaluate transportation conditions in their respective jurisdictions. The methods developed were overlapping and complimentary, each one tailored to its specific situation. MoveAZ covers the entire State,
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but addresses state-owned transportation facilities and services only. The MAG plan covers Maricopa County only, but addresses all transportation facilities and services, including arterial streets, transit, bicycle paths, and other systems, as well as state highways. As a result, MAG includes several performance measures that are tailored to specific transportation modes or roadway functional classes. As part of the coordination process designed for MoveAZ, the Transportation Board voted in November 2003, to support the MAG RTP. The funding available to Maricopa County (37 percent of ADOT capital funds) will be available to support the RTP. Like MoveAZ, MAG used a performance-based process to be consistent with the requirements of the law, as updated by House Bill 2660.
Corridor Definition Studies
MAG has authority over regional transportation planning in Maricopa County, but the Phoenix metropolitan area is rapidly growing to include portions of Pinal County. House Bill 2292 requires the MAG RTP to consider the impact of growth on roads in contiguous counties, such as Pinal. To support this effort, MAG, the Central Arizona Association of Governments (CAAG), and ADOT conducted a Southeast Maricopa/Northern Pinal County Area Transportation Study, published in September 2003. This study identified four potential corridors extending from within the MAG region into Pinal County for additional study: 1. The U.S. 60 Freeway Extension would extend the freeway portion of U.S. 60 from its current terminus at Goldfield/Baseline Road in Maricopa County to Ray Road in Pinal County. Built on state-owned land, this seven-mile highway would parallel the current U.S. 60 to the south. Projected traffic volumes range from an average of 35,000 to 65,000 vehicles per day in 2025. The cost of constructing the freeway extension is estimated at $117 million. 2. The Williams Gateway Freeway would connect Loop 202 in Maricopa County eastward to U.S. 60 in Pinal County. This corridor would extend for approximately 15 miles, with traffic volumes ranging from an average of 60,000 to 100,000 vehicles per day in 2030. Construction costs are estimated at $750 million, of which $325 million has been identified in the MAG RTP for the six-mile segment in Maricopa County. 3. The East Valley Corridor would be a new corridor that parallels or overlaps the Hunt Highway along the southern boundary of Maricopa County. Extending approximately 31 miles from I-10 eastward to U.S. 60 in Pinal County, it would carry between 64,000 and 110,000 vehicles per day in 2030. The cost of the new facility would be $1.4 billion, if constructed as a freeway; and $310 million, if constructed as an expressway/controlled access arterial. 4. The Apache Junction/Coolidge Corridor would be a new corridor, entirely in Pinal County, that would follow SR 87 about 36 miles from Coolidge northward to U.S. 60 in
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the vicinity of Apache Junction. If built as a freeway, the corridor would carry between 46,000 and 110,000 vehicles per day in 2030 and cost $1.6 billion to construct. The Transportation Board has directed ADOT to develop studies to examine the need for each of the four proposed corridors, their ability to accommodate anticipated future growth, and the performance impacts of each corridor on other regional and state roads. The four corridors for future studies are shown in Figure 3.2. The figure shows the general location of the four corridors, not the precise route. The studies will identify the need for the corridor and potential alternative routes. The studies are expected to begin in the summer of 2004, and will be conducted by ADOT in conjunction with MAG, CAAG, Pinal County, and the local communities concerned.
Figure 3.2 Corridor Definition Study Locations
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3.3 Policy Recommendations from Public Partnering
At each of the public partnering events, ADOT received suggestions for updated and transformed transportation policies. During the intermediate partnering events, participants were explicitly asked to identify policy solutions to their transportation concerns, and were provided with an opportunity to vote and rank the key policy solutions they suggested. ADOT received nearly 300 individual policy suggestions at these forums. The policy suggestions covered a wide range of issues, but several key policy issues emerged more frequently than others, including funding, transportation options, and system stewardship. This section documents the policy suggestions received at the intermediate partnering events. The policies suggestions described are for informational purposes, and are not endorsed by ADOT.
Policies Related to Funding
More than 60 percent of the policy recommendations were related to funding. Participants showed great concern over how Arizona's transportation projects and programs will be funded during the next 20 years. Multiple comments suggested that current funding methods will not be adequate in the future. Participants encouraged ADOT to identify creative new ways for funding transportation projects, examine the distribution of funding throughout the State, and support funding of various modes of transportation. Many similar recommendations were reiterated across forums: ? To generate funding, participants recommended policies, such as instituting toll roads and vehicle-related user fees (e.g., mileage-based user fees and fees for commercial vehicles). Of the funding recommendations made, over 10 percent supported increasing the state gas tax. Several participants suggested that Highway User Revenue Funds (HURF) should only be allotted to capacity projects, and not be made available to other agencies, such as the Department of Public Services. Participants also suggested that HURF funds not be restricted to highways only (as they currently are), but also be available to fund alternate modes, especially transit. A number of participants recommended that additional funding opportunities be available for Indian tribes.
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Policies Related to System Stewardship
Many participants noted that roads currently are well preserved and maintained, and that preservation and sustainability of current resources should be a major priority for the state transportation system. At the Sierra Vista forum, over one-half of the policy recommendations were related to preservation. Many participants across the State agreed that a certain level of funding should be earmarked annually to maintain the current system. Participants throughout the State also identified the need for more coordination between transportation and land use planning, and encouraged increased cooperation between state and local governments as a way of meeting that need. Several participants suggested giving regional governments control over both land use and transportation to provide more consistent development.
Policies Related to Transportation Options
Many of the policy recommendations, as well as issues identified during the initial partnering phase, called for increased transportation options. Participants supported policy developments that would encourage increased mobility throughout Arizona for both people and goods. Participants in Prescott and throughout the other forums urged ADOT to take the lead in advocating and developing alternate modes of transportation, and to develop a separate transit department within ADOT. Some of the specific recommendations included: ? ? ? ? ? ? Studying rail as a viable transportation option for the State; Restoring funding to the Local Transportation Assistance Fund, a mechanism to provide operating funding to rural transit operators; Supporting additional bicycle and pedestrian services by increasing regional funding for bicycle facilities and considering bicyclist and pedestrian needs in roadway design; Developing multimodal corridors with right of way provided for transit, rail, and bicycles; Protecting the Aviation Trust Fund from other uses; and Ensuring that rural airports be able to provide emergency response and evacuation services.
Many participants suggested that the key to creating a multimodal system that serves the entire State depends upon securing legislative support. Participants in the Phoenix forum, for example, strongly recommended that funding in urban areas be reallocated toward transit development, suggesting this could be handled at the legislative level, possibly through the development of a regional transit authority. Participants in rural areas recommended that Congressional changes be pursued to increase the percentage of funding
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allocated to transportation funding and, specifically, the amount designated for rural transportation infrastructure.
Other Policy Recommendations
Various policy recommendations were made that either did not fall under the categories of funding, transportation options, or preservation; or that were not broadly supported across all forums. ? Many policy recommendations referred to increased safety measures, such as increased coordination with the Office of Homeland Security for evacuation routes and additional public education and outreach; Some participants suggested improved coordination with Arizona Department of Game and Fish in the development of roadways to address wildlife issues; Several comments were made regarding the structure of ADOT and the state transportation board, usually supporting the current structure of the ADOT Board; Participants in several forums mentioned the need for increased cooperation and communication between state organizations and communities; Participants encouraged ADOT to be the leader in facilitating communication with the State's council of governments, regional planning organizations, and Indian tribes; and During the consultation process, conducted concurrently with MoveAZ public events, several non-metropolitan, local-elected officials raised concerns about litter along state highways, and suggested that the legislature increase funding for roadside maintenance.
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4.
Performance-Based Evaluation Process
MoveAZ Plan
Chapter 4. Performance-Based Evaluation Process
At the core of the MoveAZ Plan evaluation process is an analysis of the system performance impacts of major capital projects on the Arizona transportation system. While the primary goal of this process is to guide, assess, and prioritize long-range transportation investments, several other important goals were identified by ADOT for incorporation. These included: ? Building accountability and political support in the planning process by streamlining the management and associated decision-making about the allocation of resources for transportation investments. Performance-based planning ensures accountability in decision-making, not only from the ADOT technical perspective, but also from the perspective of the Arizona Transportation Board. Providing better, more accurate information to decision-makers with defensible, robust, and consistent analytical tools using system performance outcomes as the basis for identifying transportation investments. This process provides ADOT and the Arizona Transportation Board with a rigorous technical method that prioritizes projects based on system performance impacts and benefits. Providing a mechanism to monitor and track the success of transportation projects in meeting stated system performance goals and objectives. Once projects are constructed and operational, this process provides ADOT and its Board with a mechanism to monitor the actual effects of performance on the transportation system. ADOT will then be able to refine and adjust the process to better meet transportation system performance goals. Developing linkages between short- and long-range major capital project investments. The initial MoveAZ Plan evaluation process provides ADOT with a list of prioritized capital projects that forms the basis of the State's long-range capital program. By 2010, this process will be integrated into both the short-range, Five-Year Capital Program and ADOT's planning to programming (including scoping) process. Refining the methods used by ADOT to allocate resources among programs and capital projects and to potentially assess the tradeoffs of allocating funds by program and project area. The process provides ADOT an opportunity to conduct tradeoff analysis to better utilize and allocate funds.
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The MoveAZ Plan evaluation process involves identifying the expected future performance improvements of projects on the transportation system. The basic components of the process include: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Identifying performance measures; Identifying projects and creating project bundles; Calculating system performance; Establishing thresholds to evaluate projects; Assessing project needs; Normalizing performance measures; Scoring performance factors; and Weighting performance factors.
Because the process was implemented with the understanding that all currently programmed projects (through 2008) would be built, programmed projects were not considered for evaluation. Each component of the MoveAZ Plan evaluation process is presented in the following sections.
4.1 Identifying Performance Measures
Performance measures used to support the MoveAZ Plan were selected to identify and monitor system performance and gauge the ability of proposed projects to satisfy ADOT's goals. These goals can be described by the following performance factors: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Mobility; Economic competitiveness; Connectivity; Preservation; Reliability; Safety; Accessibility; and Resource conservation.
Performance measures were organized according to the performance factors to which they apply (mobility and economic competitiveness were grouped together, as performance measures for those factors apply to both). Performance measures were identified, assessed, and finalized using input from the MoveAZ Steering Committee, MoveAZ
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Working Group, and the MoveAZ Performance Measures and Factors input team. The measures are summarized below by performance factor.
Mobility and Economic Competitiveness
Mobility and economic competitiveness are captured by similar measures, because mobility is a key component to the economic well-being of Arizona. As Chapter 8 describes in greater detail, goods movement on the state transportation system is a major component of the State's economy. Providing for mobility will increase the economic competitiveness of the State. These factors considered two measures: 1. Percent of person-miles traveled (PMT) by level of service (LOS); and 2. Average delay per trip. Percent of PMT by LOS provides a broad systemwide perspective of how much travel is occurring under congested conditions. It also provides a visual representation of system conditions by different roadways (interstates and arterials) and areas (urban and rural). Average delay per trip measures the additional travel time the average traveler requires to reach a given destination. It measures mobility from the traveler's perspective, rather than from the systemwide perspective.
Connectivity
The following two connectivity measures consider the availability of efficient highway connections between Arizona cities and towns, particularly in more rural areas of the State: 1. Passing ability; and 2. Intercity travel time connectivity. Passing ability identifies the ability to overtake slower moving vehicles on two-lane state highways. Passing ability is a function of sight distances, roadway grades, traffic volumes, and other related factors. Intercity travel time connectivity evaluates the circuitousness and travel time of existing state routes in the Arizona's high-priority corridors. The evaluation considers assessing the potential for travel time savings in these priority corridors associated with the project improvements.
Preservation
ADOT uses pavement and bridge management systems to determine future pavement and bridge conditions. As pavement and bridge maintenance and construction are
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funded separately within ADOT, only the reconstruction need measure was computed in the MoveAZ Plan evaluation process. This measure can be updated by more detailed measures of pavement and bridge conditions as ADOT implements more advanced management systems. The preservation performance measures include: ? ? ? ? ? Reconstruction need; Pavement condition; Vehicle miles of travel (VMT) by pavement condition; Bridge condition; and Vehicle trips by bridge condition.
Reconstruction need assesses roadway segments requiring total reconstruction, with an average year of last reconstruction before 1970. This measure is used in the MoveAZ Plan to evaluate projects that improve deteriorating roadways, but do not affect roadway capacity. The pavement condition and VMT by pavement condition measures rate the smoothness of state highway lane miles and associated vehicle movements on a scale from zero ("very poor") to five ("excellent"). The bridge condition and vehicle trips by bridge condition measures identify the number or percentage of deficient bridges on state highways and the vehicular movements on those deficient bridges. A seven-point rating is used, with seven being excellent.
Reliability
Additional unexpected delay was examined to understand how incident-related delay (e.g., vehicular-related crashes, spills) and non-recurring delay (e.g., special events) impact vehicle movements and travel times on state roadways.
Safety
The safety performance factor includes two measures: 1. Crashes per million VMT by roadway type; and 2. Anticipated reduction in fatalities and injuries. Crashes per million VMT identifies the likelihood that crashes will increase as the number of vehicles on Arizona's roads increases. The anticipated reduction in fatalities and injuries identifies specific locations that have a high absolute number of crashes and the types of projects that could be implemented to reduce these crashes.
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Accessibility
The following measures were used to examine accessibility by bus, bicycle, and HOV: ? ? ? Park-and-ride spaces; Bus turnouts; and Bike suitability.
The number of park-and-ride spaces helps determine access to the state transportation system for carpoolers and bus riders. The number of bus turnouts on state highways with transit or school bus service determines bus accessibility. Bike suitability considers the percent of state roadways suitable for bike usage based on ADOT definitions of bike suitability in the recently completed Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan. Existing roadways can often be made more suitable for bicycle travel without the need for costly new construction projects.
Resource Conservation
Resource conservation considers the following measures: ? ? ? ? ? Total mobile source emissions; Percentage of air quality improvement projects selected; Noise exposure; Projects listed in RTPs; and Fuel consumption.
Total mobile source emissions gauge systemwide environmental performance, as well as the environmental impact in areas whe
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