The state government general fund shortfall in the current fiscal year is projected to be between about $550 million and $1 billion. This shortfall will need to be eliminated through spending cuts and/or revenue enhancements. The Legislature has demonstrated a preference for spending cuts. However demand does not decline during a recession for most public-sector services, including university services. Any reduction in funding for universities will have a negative and direct effect. A reduction in state government spending for universities of around $200 million would cause direct and indirect job losses of approximately 4,000. A substantial decrease in state government funding for universities will have negative consequences beyond these short-term effects.

A comprehensive research program for the characterization of storm water runoff from an Arizona highway was conducted from January through December 2007. The study area covered a portion of the Loop 202 freeway west of Mesa Drive to a retention basin east of Lindsay Road in Mesa, Arizona. Storm water samples were collected from two storm water detention basins and a discharge point to the Salt River. The study was conducted by manually collecting storm water samples with passive automatic samplers and analyzing them for various roadway constituents. A primary objective of this research effort was to establish baseline values of constituents in ADOT highway runoff, aiding in the evaluation of related best management practices. A total of 16 storm water samples was collected from the research area between January 2007 and December 2007.

This project required the completion of Construction Data Forms for the Strategic Highway Research Program's (SHRP's) Specific Pavement Studies (SPS) Experiment Number 5, The Rehabilitation of Asphalt Concrete Pavements, and Experiment Number 6, The Rehabilitation of Jointed Portland Cement Concrete Pavements. In Arizona, the SPS-5 experiment construction was done in the eastbound travel lane of Interstate Highway 8, between mileposts 159 and 161 in southwestern Arizona. Eleven test sections were constructed for the experiment, with eight as set forth in SHRP guidelines. In addition, two additional sections were constructed, and one designated as the control section, for a grand total of eleven sections.