Arizona State and Local Government Documents Collection

Over the past 15 years, the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport has been in a continual planning and development program, responding to the dynamic air travel market in the Phoenix metropolitan area. A study was done to develop a phased, revenue generating land use and ground transportation plan for an approximate 660 acre parcel, with an adjoining 31 acre privately-owned parcel, both located in the Northeast Area of the Airport. This report presents the analysis, findings, and recommendations in support of those objectives.

The purpose of this guidebook is to serve as a reference tool to provide tribal governments and tribal planning departments assistance in understanding the transportation planning and programming processes and how to work with ADOT to receive positive benefits. Specifically, this guidebook discusses the ADOT statewide, regional and rural area transportation planning process.

A benchmark survey was conducted by MAG and ADOT in December of 2006 to determine initial attitudes and awareness of litter issues in Arizona and to evaluate littering behavior. A follow-up survey was then conducted in July 2008, at the end of the first two years of the campaign, to determine if any changes in awareness, attitudes or behavior were realized. Subsequent follow-up studies focused on Maricopa County residents.

ADOT is the primary decision maker for federal-aid transportation plans and investments in nonmetropolitan areas with populations below 50,000. However, ADOT understands the importance of consulting with local governments before, during and after the decision-making process to ensure participation results in improved transportation system planning, performance and project development. Therefore, ADOT has developed guidelines that outline the consultation process and define how and when outreach will occur with officials from rural areas.

The primary guidelines for state consultation with nonmetropolitan local officials are contained in the FHWA and FTA joint rulemaking, statewide and metropolitan planning: Part 450 Planning Assistance and Standards. (Federal Register: Feb. 14, 2007, Part III). According to 23 CFR 450.210(b), at least once every five years (as of Feb. 24, 2006), the state shall review and solicit comments from nonmetropolitan local officials and other interested parties for a period of not less than 60 calendar days regarding the effectiveness of the consultation process and any proposed changes. A specific request for comments shall be directed to the state association of counties, state municipal league, regional planning agencies or directly to nonmetropolitan local officials.

It is intended that this document is subject to review and revision every five years. In the event that Congress enacts new transportation language, this document will be subject to immediate revision.

The Ganado-Burnside Area is a rural community located on the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona. Ganado was formally established in 1901 as the location for a Presbyterian Church Mission, a school and hospital. Later the community served as a center to distribute various types of Bureau of Indian Affairs services. Today, the community area serves as a major center for housing, education, health and government operations. Also in the Burnside area, the Ganado School District recently established a new high school and sports venue to accommodate track and field, baseball, and basketball activities.

There are four main roadway corridors that intersect the study area: State Route 264, US Route 191, Navajo Route 27 and Navajo Route 15. There are also county gravel roads and private and community dirt roads that intersect SR 264, the main traffic corridor. Within these routes there is substantial multimodal activity generated from the area schools, medical facilities, transit operations, government entities, utility providers and social programs. The principal focus of this study project is to address the most critical transportation planning needs identified by the Ganado Chapter and Apache County. This will include, but is not limited to, a comprehensive needs analysis of multimodal movements and traffic circulation as well as safety issues for the project area corridors. The major product of the study will be a final report, which contains a Plan for Improvements. Taking into consideration received public input, the Plan will span over five-, 10- and 20-year periods, incorporating both roadways and the multimodal needs of the area.

The Ganado-Burnside Area Traffic Circulation Study will also be conducted according to a cooperative planning process that involves stakeholders that include public agency staff, elected tribal officials and tribal community members. Throughout the study, information will be presented to and solicited from stakeholders through individual interviews and to the general public through public meetings and other means of communication.

The Mexican gray wolf subspecies was listed as endangered in 1976. In 1998 a nonessential experimental population was established in New Mexico and Arizona. Eleven captive-born and reared animals were released into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area. In June 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contracted with D.J. Case and Associates to assist in planning and implementing public input for a scoping process to identify issues to consider in developing alternatives preparatory to development of a new Environmental Impact Statement for the Mexican gray wolf introduction program.

The proposed action is the construction and operation of a new multilane freeway in the metropolitan Phoenix area extending approximately 22 to 24 miles from Interstate 10 west of Phoenix to Interstate 10 southeast of Phoenix. The facility would be the final extension of State Route 202L, an element of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ adopted Regional Freeway and Highway System, as outlined in its Regional Transportation Plan.