The State of the System Report is a compilation of the physical inventory and status of the Maricopa County Department of Transportation’s infrastructure. It addresses roadway congestion, traffic safety, low volume road paving, bridges, and pavement conditions. Also, included are recommendations for future improvements within each of the infrastructure categories. The SOS report has been produced annually since 1998.

The result of an application to the Arizona Department of Transportation Planning Assistance for Rural Areas (PARA) Program to conduct a multimodal transportation study to address transportation issues in the community. The purpose of the study is to identify the most critical multimodal transportation infrastructure and service needs within the Picture Rocks study area and recommend a program of short-range (0-5 years), mid-range (6-10 years), and long-range (11-20 years) improvements.

The information in this report is based on telephone interviews with 700 registered voters. One random sample of 500 registered voters was selected from all registered voters living in Arizona. This sample was proportionately stratified so that voters in each of Arizona’s 15 counties were included in the sample. An additional sample of 100 interviews with registered voters living in Pima County was also interviewed. A third random sample of 100 registered voters living in the more rural counties also was interviewed. The purpose of selecting the two smaller samples was to create sub-samples of Pima County and rural voters that could be compared with the opinions of voters in Maricopa County.

Transportation excise tax money is statutorily restricted to street and highway purposes or transportation projects. Gila County demonstrated that it spent excise tax monies during calendar years 2009 through 2013 to address traffic safety and congestion issues and deteriorating road conditions. Also, in January 2014, the County completed the Gila County Transportation Study, which identified the most critical future transportation infrastructure needs and recommended projects to address those needs. We also determined that the County spent its excise tax monies solely for street and highway purposes or transportation projects as required by Arizona Revised Statutes §28-6392(B), and implemented all but one of our prior audit recommendations.

Fast Growth in Metropolitan Phoenix is the first product of a comprehensive effort to describe and analyze the region’s growth. The Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy in Washington, D.C. presented the opportunity for this project to Morrison Institute for Public Policy. The story of growth in metropolitan Phoenix is a complicated, often surprising, tale. There is much to be proud of in the region. Yet there is also much to worry about, and much that needs to be done. Hits and Misses will have been successful if it becomes a catalyst for getting started.