The La Paz Transportation Planning Study was conducted as part of the Planning Assistance for Rural Areas program sponsored by the Arizona Department of Transportation Multimodal Planning Division. This Study developed 5, 10, and 20-year transportation plans, as well as an implementation program, to guide the County, Towns, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes in meeting transportation needs for the Study Area into the future.

ADOT, in cooperation with the City of Kingman and Mohave County, initiated the Kingman Area Transportation Study Update to update the 2005 Kingman Area Transportation Study. The study provides a plan of improvements for 5-year (short-range), 10-year (mid-range), and 20-year (long-range) transportation planning horizons. The recommendations are multimodal, considering roadways, nonmotorized transportation modes (bicycles and pedestrians), and transit components.

In 2011, Drachman Institute contracted with the Arizona Department of Housing to develop a public education project about sustainable communities and transit-oriented development along the Metro Light Rail in Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa, Arizona. The resulting reports present neighborhood analyses and transit-oriented development issues for eight light rail stations selected by the Arizona Department of Housing and the Sustainable Communities Working Group, providing base information on the square half mile area surrounding these sites.

At a “micro” level, the study developed information and provided recommendations to assist each of the paratransit programs in the region to operate services in the most efficient and effective manner possible. At the “macro” level, the study considered alternative regional service designs and developed a regional service plan for the area that would improve mobility for people with disabilities and satisfy the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

With the agency integration of Valley Metro and Valley Metro Rail, the budgets for each agency are developed with a unified staffing plan but are maintained as two separate financial entities, with fund and project accounting to segregate revenues and expenses. Each Operating and Capital Budget has been prepared with the goal of delivering a fiscally prudent, balanced budget. FY 2006/2007 was the first full year of Proposition 400 Public Transportation Fund revenues; FY 2005/2006 reflected only five months of PTF revenues.

In fiscal year 2011, Kingman Unified School District’s student achievement was similar to peer district averages, and it operated efficiently with lower costs than peer districts’, on average. The District operated its administration with lower per pupil costs because it employed fewer administrative staff per pupil than peer districts, on average. In addition, the District’s plant operations cost per square foot and food service cost per meal were lower than peer districts’ averages. The District’s transportation program cost per pupil was higher than the peer districts’ average, but the program was efficient, with lower per mile costs. However, the District should improve some of its administrative practices. In particular, the District should strengthen controls over its cash handling, culinary arts program, and computer network and systems.

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 Committee selected the following environmental goal: A goal with the purpose of showing continued progress through 2018 by; 1) improving visibility to move days now in the poor/very poor categories up to the fair category, and 2) moving days classified as fair to the good/excellent categories. A progress
assessment will be conducted every 5 years through 2018. The members concluded that this option provides a clear, long term method to track visibility trends in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Additionally, the Committee reached general agreement that the index should not be used to affect short term actions because other programs, such as the High Pollution Advisory Program, are currently in place.