For 2050, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has about a third of the funding needed to implement all of the state highway agency’s plans between now and then.

On Wednesday night at the Flagstaff Aquaplex, ADOT unveiled its long-term plans in a face-to-face public meeting. The conference is one of three of his conferences held this week across the state to engage members of the community in the broader mission, vision, and goals of multimodal transportation for decades to come. I was.

The plan will guide the policies of ADOT, which manages Arizona’s highways, approximately 8,500 bridges, two urban transit systems (Phoenix and Tucson), and 67 public airports.

This plan does not detail ADOT’s specific projects or operations. It is intended to provide a policy framework that planners will use in maintaining and creating the state’s transportation system infrastructure from now until 2050.

Wednesday’s meeting was intended to provide an opportunity for public comment and introduction of the plan.The draft will not be finalized until May, and the plan itself will not be adopted until July.

About 54% of the public feedback that ADOT has received on the plan so far has come from Maricopa County and only 3% from Coconino County.

Still, government agencies heard from responding residents that their top three priorities should be enhanced safety, mobility access, and system upkeep and maintenance.

The plan reflects that input.

In an ideal world, ADOT would be guided entirely by the goals set out in the long-range plan for operating the state’s transportation system, according to regional planning manager Jason James.

This goal presents both ambitious hopes for the future of Arizona’s public transportation system and a hefty price tag.

According to ADOT data, Arizona has about 7.7 million registered vehicles, and 85% of people drive on interstate highways. The 7,000 miles of centerline highways managed by ADOT account for 70% of the agency’s budget and resource needs.

James said the plan focuses on maintaining and maintaining the highway in its current state, repairing damage and potholes, and improving the overall drivability and safety of the highway. .

He said the focus is on reducing congestion and working with engineers to make highway designs safer. In his four of the last five years, more than 1,000 people have died in car crashes on state highways.

James said self-driving cars and electric vehicles (EVs) are inevitable and an innovation the state hopes to create infrastructure to handle. That infrastructure will require more robust cybersecurity and safety measures to address the new technology’s vulnerability to hacking, James added.

Since the 1980s, the state’s population has grown steadily at an annual rate of approximately 2.4%. Today, the Grand Canyon State is home to more than 7 million people, and that number is projected to rise to well over 10.5 million by 2055.

As such, climate adaptability is integrated into ADOT’s long-term strategy. Government agencies need to anticipate fire and flood hot spots in a rapidly changing climate and develop resilience plans. ADOT can then account for and prepare for the impact of extreme weather on state roads and bridges.

According to James, ADOT will also create a climate adaptation study to identify “breaking points” on emissions, which could play a role in helping highway officials reduce Arizona’s greenhouse gas emissions. I would like to investigate a place.

The plan also details a desire to support equitable access to the transportation system. On that front, James said, the agency will reach out to his 22 tribal nations in the state and meet with 12 nations to improve accessibility for travelers traveling from tribal lands to state highways. I found a way.

The plan’s goals are ambitious and costly, with James saying, “We’re always playing from behind.”

He noted the large gap between the resources ADOT needs to meet these goals and the actual cash it has access to.

ADOT Transportation Systems Management and Operations’ Scott Beck said ADOT will need about $215 billion in total funding to maintain and develop its infrastructure over the next few decades.

“We don’t have $215 billion in revenue,” Beck says.

ADOT estimates that the agency will actually spend between $48.4 billion and $87.5 billion.

Even if the state received the maximum possible funding from the Federal and Local Highway Fund programs, alongside revenues from the vehicle registration and the Highway Revenue Fund (gasoline tax), it would still be less than half the $215 billion figure. I guess.

In 2021, $1.6 billion of ADOT’s budget will come from state sources. Most of that year’s budget of $4.1 billion (80% of ADOT’s revenues) was generated by vehicle registrations, vehicle ownership, license taxes, fuel taxes, car carrier taxes, and capital and contributions.

James said Arizona’s gas tax hasn’t been raised since the 1990s. Most motorists pay a tax of 18.1 cents on the pump, while a business traveler is charged a tax of 24 cents on the purchase of a diesel. Beck said if the tax was raised, improvements to transportation infrastructure would be easier to implement.

ADOT plans to address the gap between ideally needed funds and expected returns.

To view the ADOT Long Term Plan, please visit: https://www.adot2050plan.com.

Public comments are welcome by email at LRTP@azdot.gov and 855-712-8530.