The consultant is tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the potential for passenger rail utilizing area trackage of the Arizona Eastern Railway. This Report represents the findings of the project, including the railroad operating costs obtained from Arizona Eastern Railway in Chapter 2 and a summary of Excursion Rail operation best practices in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 presents an estimate of transit demand, together with the findings of a sketch estimate of potential excursion rail ridership and characteristics of the Arizona tourism market, Chapter 5 presents draft rail service scenarios including a proposed operating season, a fare structure, and a set of timetables for different route configurations. Chapter 6 presents draft operating pro-formas for the six candidate operating scenarios, together with the recommended scenario that resulted from the discussion that took place at the Stakeholder Workshop and the input provided to the consultant.

The Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan was developed in response to the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 for the at-risk communities and unincorporated areas in southern Gila County, Arizona, located south of the Rim Country CWPP area and the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. Public lands within the CWPP analysis area are administered by the US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Gila District Office, Tucson Field Office; the Tonto National Forest; and the National Park Service Tonto National Monument.

The principal purpose of the Gila County Transportation Study is to identify the most critical transportation infrastructure needs within Gila County and recommend a program of improvement projects to address these needs. Transportation needs were grouped into the following elements: roadway, safety, pavement management, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and transportation finance.

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.