By Terri Jo Neff |
What will Arizona’s highways and other roadways look like 25 years from now, and what will the transportation needs be across the state?
Those are the key questions the Arizona Department of Transportation must answer as the agency begins updating its 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan, and state officials are turning to the public for help with the answers.
ADOT has launched a survey to seek the public’s input on what priorities should be included in the Long Range Transportation Plan for how ADOT should invest limited resources to meet future transportation needs across the state. The survey is available here and will be open through Dec. 21.
The Long Range Transportation Plan, which ADOT expects to be finalized in May 2023, is not project-specific. Instead, it establishes the strategic priorities, goals, and objectives which will guide ADOT’s transportation investments based on anticipated funding levels. The plan will also identify projected funding gaps to meet transportation system needs.
According to ADOT, the plan will include recommended investment choices, which will define how ADOT intends to allocate future resources across three major investment types:
- Preservation: Activities to maintain the current state highway system, such as replacing, repairing, or maintaining pavement and repairing or replacing aging bridges.
- Modernization: Activities to improve safety and operations of the existing state highway system, such as adding shoulders and implementing smart road technologies.
- Expansion: Activities to add new highways, add lanes to existing highways, or add interchanges.
More information about the plan is available here. The website also includes an option for being added to the mailing list for future updates.
