by Matthew Holloway | Jun 27, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
After 28 years, the sound of passenger trains arriving in Phoenix could return as soon as 2030. The Federal Railroad Administration has approved the essential scoping documents that will allow the Arizona Department of Transportation to create a Service Development Plan, completing the first stage of the Phoenix-Tucson Intercity Passenger Rail Corridor Study.
The effort will propose passenger rail service along a 158-mile corridor between the greater Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas and will include re-routing the Amtrak Sunset Limited back through Phoenix according to ADOT.
According to Federal Railroad Administration’s FY22 Corridor Identification and Development Program Selections, “The proposed corridor would reconnect Phoenix (Buckeye) to Tucson, AZ, with multiple daily frequencies. The proposed corridor would reinstate service on an existing alignment over which Amtrak discontinued service in 1997, rerouting the long-distance Sunset Limited to a more southerly alignment through Maricopa, AZ (the corridor would use the same route as the existing Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle between Picacho and Tucson, AZ). The corridor sponsor would enter Step 1 of the program to develop a scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing, completing, or documenting its service development plan.”
Step 1, as described by the 2022 document, has now been completed.
The Sunset Limited Route, and Amtrak service overall, was diverted from Phoenix following the attack that resulted in the derailment of the train at 1:35 a.m. on October 9, 1995, near Palo Verde, Arizona, 70-miles southwest of Phoenix.
The infamous derailment caused the death of an Amtrak employee and serious injuries to 12 others, along with minor injuries to 100 of the 258 passengers aboard. It remains one of the most famous cold cases in FBI history with no suspects despite a $310,000 reward still offered by several agencies for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the attacker.
Since 1997, Phoenix has remained disconnected from the Amtrak Intercity Rail system with riders required to use buses or drive to the Amtrak depot in Maricopa, Arizona, 38-miles to the south, or about an hour’s drive in traffic.
Democrat Congressman and former Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton hailed the announcement in a post to X writing, “I’ve been fighting to restore Amtrak service to Phoenix for a long time, and today it’s one step closer to becoming a reality.”
In a written statement, current Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs commented, “This is a big step forward for Arizona. I am committed to creating a bright transportation future for our state that fosters economic growth, creates jobs and expands transit opportunities for working people and families.”
The second stage of the process, the creation of a Service Development Plan, is expected to take two to three years after a crucial federal grant is approved, which is anticipated in the weeks to come per ADOT. The study, already funded with a $10.6 million budget, will include technical analysis of “capital and service requirements for passenger rail service; preliminary engineering and costs for capital improvements, such as stations, parking lots and trains; station locations; [and] service scenarios based on ridership potential.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Daniel Stefanski | Feb 13, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A bill to help bolster communications between law enforcement officials and Arizonans with disabilities is advancing through the state legislature.
Earlier this week, the Arizona House of Representatives Committee on Public Safety & Law Enforcement passed HB 2330, which was sponsored by State Representative Julie Willoughby. If signed into law, this proposal would “direct the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) to allow individuals to voluntarily disclose if they or their vehicle have a communication disability, ensuring that this information is accessible to law enforcement officers during traffic stops and other interactions.”
In a statement that accompanied a press release to announce the bill’s progress, Willoughby said, “Public safety means making sure all Arizonans – especially those with unique needs – are understood and protected in interactions with law enforcement. HB 2330 is a commonsense step to give officers the tools they need to respond appropriately while giving individuals with communication disabilities the opportunity to self-identify in a way that can help de-escalate situations.”
Representative Willoughby added, “This bill aligns with the House Republican Majority’s commitment to secure communities, ensuring law enforcement has the resources and information they need to do their jobs effectively and safely.”
According to Willoughby’s release, “Under current law, ADOT provides a medical code designation on a driver’s license but does not retain it in records unless specifically requested.” This bill “improves on this by allowing individuals to voluntarily disclose communication disabilities in both driver and vehicle records, ensuring that first responders have timely access to this critical information.”
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from the Town of Gilbert, City of Goodyear, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, League of Arizona Cities & Towns, City of Chandler, and Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police, endorsed the proposal from Representative Willoughby.
HB 2330 sailed through the House committee with an overwhelmingly bipartisan 15-0 vote. It will soon be considered by the full chamber.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Aug 27, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
One Arizona Republican is thinking about improvements to the state’s infrastructure in the intermission between legislative sessions.
This week, State Senator David Farnsworth issued a press release, announcing his intent to look for “responsible ways to financially support necessary improvement projects with future legislation for a smoother commute down the road.”
Farnsworth shared that “according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), current funding from all state and federal sources only allows for the repaving of about 1% to 2% of all lane miles per year. As a result, these surfaces are only receiving necessary rehabilitation every 50 to 100 years! In 2012, pavement conditions on nearly 60% of ADOT’s statewide road system were classified as ‘good.’”
The release added, “However, ADOT reported that number has consistently dropped over the years, and in 2022, just 29% of pavement conditions were classified as ‘good,’ while 65% were classified as ‘fair,’ and 6% as ‘poor.’ According to ADOT’s estimate, in order to just maintain a ‘good’ classification for only 29% of the state’s lane miles, repaving would need to increase to 5% of all lane miles annually, costing an additional $1 billion.”
“Maintaining our transportation system should be a top government function, but this principle has fallen by the wayside for many years, creating a bumpy and hazardous drive for hardworking Arizonans and the truckers bringing goods into our state,” said Senator Farnsworth. “While we’ve seen vast technological advances in the automotive and trucking industries over the past decade, we’ve also witnessed a mass migration of new residents to Arizona, and with the evolution of the electric vehicle, there has been increased wear and tear on our roads requiring immediate attention. It’s critical we take a deep dive into potential policy reforms in the coming months to enhance the funding stream for our transportation system to function as necessary and appropriate.”
Senator Farnsworth serves as his chamber’s Transportation Committee chairman.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Aug 28, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A recent audit from the Arizona Auditor General has bad news for a division within the Arizona Department of Transportation.
On Thursday, the Arizona Auditor General released a report on the Arizona Department of Transportation – Motor Vehicle Division’s (MVD) Oversight of Third Parties. The overview of the report summarized that “MVD failed to ensure authorized third-party companies consistently issued vehicle titles, driver licenses, and identification cards only to qualified and/or authorized individuals/entities, increasing public safety risks such as unsafe drivers, vehicle and identity theft, fraud, and terrorism.” The report was delivered by the Auditor General, Lindsey Perry, who transmitted the findings to Members of the Arizona Legislature, Governor Katie Hobbs, and the Director of the Arizona Department of Transportation.
The purpose of this audit was to “determine whether MVD effectively oversaw third parties to ensure they issued vehicle titles, driver licenses, and identification cards only to qualified and authorized individuals/entities.”
Out of more than 17 million documents (vehicle titles, registrations, driver licenses, and identification cards) issued in Arizona, 36% have been disseminated by third parties. The Arizona Department of Transportation has 96 third parties across 175 locations.
Through a review of a 130-transaction sample from third parties between March and October 2022, the Auditor General discovered that 25 of these records “lacked documentation that confirmed that the individuals/entities who received vehicle titles, driver licenses, and identification cards were qualified and/or authorized to receive them.” Twenty-two of those results were exposed as having “high-risk errors according to MVD guidance.”
The report warned that “fraudulently obtained identification documents may facilitate criminal activity, including fraud, identity theft, and terrorism,” noting that “individuals who fraudulently obtain identification documents may do so to commit other crimes, such as fraud of acts of terrorism.”
The Auditor General made six recommendations to MVD, which Perry told state officials that “the Arizona Department of Transportation agrees with all the findings and plans to implement all the recommendations.” The recommendations for MVD were as follows:
- Ensure its third-party contract performance measurement attachment includes clearly defined performance requirements;
- Ensure third parties issue vehicle titles, driver licenses, and identification cards only to qualified and/or authorized individuals/entities by developing and implementing written policies, procedures, and guidance for its third-party quality assurance process;
- Develop and implement training on its quality assurance policies and procedures for all applicable MVD staff who support the third-party quality assurance process to ensure adherence to established oversight policies, procedures, and guidance;
- Develop and implement training for all third parties or their authorized representatives, and verify their completion of the training;
- Conduct an initial analysis of transactions the third parties were provided for self-review dating back to February 2022 to assess third-party compliance with statutory minimum quality standards and MVD’s quality assurance process, and continue to complete a monthly analysis thereafter up until MVD implements a revised third-party quality assurance process as described in Recommendation 2;
- Identify and implement changes to align its third-party quality assurance process more closely with its quality assurance process for MVD field offices, including conducting a staffing and workload analysis, and taking action as needed to ensure sufficient staffing resources are allocated to third-party oversight.
The State’s Department of Transportation was called out for its inconsistency in upholding the recommendations made by the Auditor General in 2015. The Auditor General highlighted that its office had “recommended MVD ensure any changes to its processes did not weaken its oversight of third parties, with specific recommendations to improve its oversight of third-party transaction accuracy and to take corrective actions against third parties with serious errors or patterns of problems.” The Auditor General followed up with the Department two years after the audit, finding that MVD had successfully implemented the recommendations. However, that adherence apparently came to an end a handful of years later when “MVD established a new quality assurance process in February 2022 that is inconsistent with recommended practices for monitoring and overseeing third parties’ performance.”
According to the Arizona Auditor General, its mission is to “provide independent and impartial information and specific recommendations to improve the operations of State and local government entities.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Terri Jo Neff | Jan 16, 2023 | News
By Terri Jo Neff |
The day before five people died Thursday in a horrific vehicle fire on Interstate 10 near Riggs Road, Arizona officials learned that the U.S. Department of Transportation denied a request for $360 million to widen another dangerous stretch of the interstate through Pinal County.
Last year the Arizona Legislature approved $400 million for the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) as part of a project to widen 26 miles of the interstate to three lanes in each direction from Casa Grande and Chandler.
The three-year project, which will include a new bridge over the Gila River, was funded enough with the allocation and other state money to complete about 20 miles.
Meanwhile, ADOT applied for $360 million through the National Infrastructure Project Assistance grant program. Those funds would have ensured the widening work and other safety improvements extended farther south into Pinal County, an area which has experienced a high rate of residential and commercial growth in recent years.
Arizona Sen. T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge) and Rep. Teresa Martinez (R-Casa Grande) were disappointed to learn the grant application was denied. Both say they intend to introduce new legislation to use state funds to cover the $360 million so the full project can be completed.
The lawmakers are also encouraging ADOT to seek other funding options which could lower the amount of the second allocation.
One of the biggest advocates for the interstate improvement project is Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland, who believes construction must begin sooner than later.
“We can’t wait for us to get all the money and begin the process,” McFardland said, adding he is looking forward to feedback on why ADOT’s grant application was rejected.
Various guesses have been put forth by some parties for rejection of the application, which had the support of U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly. Some are pointing to the fact Arizona was seeking nearly one-third of all the funding available nationwide in the current award round.
Others suggest the Biden administration is prioritizing more “green” transportation projects. More information is expected to be released soon, including possible tips on what ADOT can do differently if it reapplies for the next funding cycle.
Kelly issued a statement affirming his support for the I-10 improvements.
“Arizonans rely on the I-10 to connect them to jobs, educational opportunities and their families, which is why improving and expanding this highway is still a top priority for me,” the statement reads.
Terri Jo Neff is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or send her news tips here.
