The Planning Assistance for Rural Areas program is sponsored by the Arizona Department of Transportation Multimodal Planning Division, and provides federal funds for the purpose of conducting transportation planning studies. Lake Havasu City first participated in another ADOT program for local governments, the Small Area Transportation Study program, in 1991. Under the SATS program the Lake Havasu City government successfully developed a citywide roadway plan, and then took part in the SATS program to update the plan in 1997 and 2005. The PARA program is flexible and allows for studies of neighborhoods or sub-areas within jurisdictions. The subarea program provision made it possible for the City to apply for and receive PARA funding for the North Havasu Study Area.

The Graham County, Safford, Thatcher, Pima Small Area Transportation Study was initiated by Graham County, in conjunction with the Arizona Department of Transportation, to develop a countywide, long-range multimodal transportation plan for this growing rural Arizona community. The project sponsors selected the PB Americas team to conduct this study under the direction of a Technical Advisory Committee, which included representatives from Graham County, City of Safford, Town of Thatcher, Town of Pima, Southeastern Arizona Governments Organization, and ADOT.

The Arizona Department of Transportation assisted the Town of Clarkdale to develop the Clarkdale Transportation Study through the Planning Assistance for Rural Areas program. The PARA program assists counties, cities, towns, and tribal communities to address a broad range of multimodal transportation planning issues including roadway and non-motorized modes of travel. Existing multimodal needs and deficiencies, or those projected as a result of future growth and development, were identified through the analysis of existing transportation conditions, stakeholder input, and review of existing plans and studies.

In October 2009, the San Carlos Apache Tribe completed an update to their Long-Range Transportation Plan. One of the recommendations from the LRTP was for the Tribe to conduct an extensive transit feasibility study to evaluate the existing services and identify improvement opportunities. In addition, the Tribe is seeking support in preparing the required documentation to assist in the development of Federal and State transit funding grants. The San Carlos Apache Transit Services applied for, and received funding from the ADOT Multimodal Planning Division to conduct the Transit Feasibility Study. This Five-year Implementation Plan represents the second phase of the Study.

In October 2009, the San Carlos Apache Tribe completed an update to their Long-Range Transportation Plan. One of the recommendations from the LRTP was for the Tribe to conduct an extensive transit feasibility study to evaluate the existing services and identify improvement opportunities. The San Carlos Apache Transit Services applied for, and received Planning Assistance for Rural Areas program funding from the Arizona Department of Transportation Multimodal Planning Division to conduct the Transit Feasibility Study. The study consists of two separate phases: The first phase focuses on the feasibility of expanding and enhancing the San Carlos Apache Transit Services operation, and the second phase is the development of a five-year plan for implementing the recommended enhancements and service expansion. This is the Final Report for the first phase of the study.

The purpose of the study was to develop a multimodal transportation plan that outlines the City’s transportation priority projects. The transportation plan created a path to help the City achieve its vision and goals for a future transportation system in a manner that is closely aligned with the lifestyle and the values of the community. Additionally, it will address the City of San Luis mobility needs for the future population, commercial growth, the transportation needs due to the opening of the new San Luis commercial Port of Entry, and the reconfiguration of the original San Luis Port of Entry I. The City of San Luis Small Area Transportation Study is a joint effort of the City of San Luis and Arizona Department of Transportation.

The Decision Center for a Desert City at Arizona State University—funded by the National Science Foundation since 2004—conducts research relevant to water resources and urban climate dynamics under multiple uncertainties. This report summarizes and synthesizes research findings and achievements of DCDC after almost a decade of research and science-policy interactions. Water resource decision-making is complicated by climate change and variability, population growth and economic development, diverse stakeholder interests and fragmented governance. While these factors generate various uncertainties and complexities for decision-makers, DCDC pursues research to create a more sustainable future. The DCDC contributes to water management and urban sustainability by conducting basic science and collaborating with policymakers and stakeholders to solve real-world problems. As detailed herein, DCDC research, education, and community outreach have made substantial contributions to improving water-resource governance and climate adaptation.

DCDC II is focused on developing, implementing, and studying an integrated decision-support process for environmental decision making based on social science principles. Through an integrated approach to research and education, DCDC will train a new generation of scientists who can work successfully at the boundaries of science and policy, and produce innovative solutions to society’s pressing environmental challenges. To accomplish these goals, DCDC II will build a dynamic bridge between ASU and local policy communities and seek global solutions for urban climate adaptation. This plan articulates DCDC’s vision and mission, describes key tasks and outlines a process of evaluation based on both standard and innovative metrics.

The purpose of the SR-80 and US-191 Oversize Load Study is to identify roadway conditions that restrict travel by oversize vehicles on the SR-80 and US-191 study routes. The study also recommends infrastructure and related improvements that will eliminate or mitigate restrictions to the safe and efficient flow of oversize vehicles. Restrictions on I-10, as well as destinations in the SouthEastern Arizona Governments Association (SEAGO) region and in Mexico, require oversize vehicles to use SR-80 and US-191 in Cochise County in southeastern Arizona. In addition, restrictions on SR-80 and US-191 result in detours onto county roads that are not designed to accommodate oversize vehicles. As a result, the county roads experience damage to pavement and infrastructure and disruption of traffic flow.