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 Arizona Department of Transportation, in cooperation with Lake Havasu City, conducted a long-range corridor study for Mesquite Avenue, McCulloch Boulevard, and Swanson Avenue (referred to in this document collectively as the Corridor). The study looked at ways to support and enhance this revitalization by developing a vision for the Corridor that balances the City’s Main Street Uptown District goals with the need to accommodate future travel demand along each road in the Corridor.