The Transportation Needs Study is a planning effort undertaken cooperatively by Yuma County and the Multimodal Planning Division of the Arizona Department of Transportation. It has been funded and supported through the Planning Assistance for Rural Areas program of ADOT. The Study addresses the needs of multiple jurisdictions, as well as the needs of neighborhoods within these jurisdictions. It encompasses a mix of uses within developed and undeveloped zoning areas of the Mesa Del Sol and Foothills areas.

This Plan defines visionary, yet pragmatic, investment choices Arizona will make over the next 25 years to maintain and improve its multimodal transportation system. The Plan is not rigid or fixed. It is part of a continuous process of planning, implementation, operation, and preservation and will evolve over time to reflect and be responsive to future changes in needs, resources, and priorities. This Plan is strategic in nature, examining investment types for ADOT’s capital program; it does not examine nor recommend any specific projects.

The historical advantages of Grand Avenue and the railroad that led to the development of the West Valley cities have become a detriment to the further development or redevelopment in the past few decades. There is general agreement that significant improvements are needed for the Grand Avenue Corridor. Identified transportation funds provide an opportunity to develop a more modern transportation corridor along Grand Avenue. This study addresses these concerns by developing, evaluating, and recommending transportation investment options.

The Sahuarita/El Toro Corridor Study is a joint effort by the Town of Sahuarita and the Arizona Department of Transportation. The purpose of the study is to assess the feasibility of a transportation corridor that will provide adequate capacity for the potential future growth of the Town of Sahuarita and surrounding areas as well as increase local and regional connectivity in Pima County. The study is being funded by Federal Highway Administration’s State Planning and Research Program and administered through ADOT’s Multimodal Planning Division. In the completed Town of Sahuarita Transportation Study, it was recommended that El Toro Rd be constructed as a six-lane parkway to alleviate the severely congested principal thoroughfares due to the future growth identified in that study.

The proposed Meridian Road Corridor Study is needed to support the continuing development and growth, occurring and anticipated, in the East Mesa, West Apache Junction, and within Pinal County. The purpose of the Meridian Road Corridor Study is to document conditions along the existing roadway and to develop alternatives that will increase the safety and future level of service of Meridian Road. This study will also establish a roadway footprint and develop the ultimate right‐of‐way requirement for the corridor. Finally, the study will be utilized as a guide for local agencies and future development along the corridor. The study area for the Meridian Road Corridor Study is approximately 13 miles in length.

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.

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.

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.

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.