AASHTO Journal, 03 July 2015
The Arizona State Transportation Board adopted a five-year construction plan for the Arizona Department of Transportation that uses a combination of expansion, preservation and modernization projects. ADOT Director John Halikowski used the program announcement to also warn about the investment outlook.
ADOT said the 2016-2020 program reflects a major focus on preserving the existing state highway system while moving some high-priority expansion projects forward.
However, the plan also reflects a funding squeeze, as the agency said it “must prioritize projects due to continued low revenue from the gas and vehicle license taxes and from decreased federal funding.”
The announcement said ADOT’s continued focus on preservation allows the department to protect its investment of $19.7 billion in the state highway system.
“ADOT and its partners are striving to reduce fatalities, increase mobility and improve the economy by balancing infrastructure needs all while using a funding source that continues to erode due to inflation, fuel economy and alternative fuels,” Halikowski said.
“While fuel economy and alternatives to gasoline are good for the consumer and the environment, necessary expansion and maintenance of our transportation infrastructure is not keeping pace with needs,” he added. “Appropriate investment is necessary for expansion and maintenance of our infrastructure, not only for safety and efficiency, but also to compete in today’s global economy.”
The five-year plan lists major projects ADOT will work on for greater Arizona, the Maricopa Association of Governments region and the Pima Association of Governments. The announcement noted that both the Maricopa and Pima county regions have independent revenue streams established through voter-approved sales tax increases, which allow for more expansion projects and more overall transportation funding.
The plan both serves as a blueprint for future projects and spells out how much local, state and federal funding is allocated for them. Each annual update to the program begins with a long-range visioning process, moves into a more realistic 20-year plan and finally yields each five-year program.
The state and local funding is generated by the users of transportation services, primarily through gasoline and diesel fuel taxes, and the vehicle license tax.