Bills that could provide about $330 million for rural road projects prioritized by local organizations (including about $35 million for projects in Mojave County) continue to pass the Arizona legislature, attracting a wide range of bipartisan voters. Got approval.
House Bill 2543 has already passed the House, and on Monday the Senate Transportation Technology Committee gave the bill a recommendation of “pass” in a 5-1-1 vote. All three Democrats and two Republicans on the committee voted in favor of the bill. Only Sen. Anthony Kahn (R. 27th) voted against the bill, and Sen. Jake Hoffman (R. 15th) was not at the meeting on Monday.
HB2543 was introduced by Rep. Tim Dunn (R-Yuma) and has a total of 15 co-sponsors, including 11 Republicans and 4 Democrats. Rep. Leo Biacicucci (R-City of Lake Havasu) and Rep. John Gillette (R-Kingman) are both co-sponsors of the bill.
The measure allocates just over $330 million to specific rural road projects statewide, involving all counties except Maricopa and Pima counties. The bill includes projects in Lake Havasu City ($9,826,652 total), Kingman ($21,110,054), Bullhead City ($1,560,000), Colorado City ($1,200,000), Mojave County ($1,050,000), and La Paz County ($5,597,442).
Supporters of the bill told a Senate committee on Monday that all projects in the bill have been identified by rural urban planning organizations and government coalitions throughout Arizona, such as the Lake Havasu MPO and the Western Arizona Government Coalition, which provides transportation plans. Described the entire Mojave County.
“I think you all know the value of the Metropolitan Planning Organization and what they bring,” Dunn told the commission. “This is the culmination of the work that these appointed and elected members are doing across the state.
Sen. Rosanna Gabaldon (District D 21), a co-sponsor of the bill, was the only committee member to explain her vote on Monday.
“All these projects are very important,” she said. “I loved what our speaker said today that you have to travel through at least one rural county to get to Maricopa. It brings agricultural produce, so our roads are very important, and I know we’re focused on two counties, but we need to focus on Arizona as a whole.Sponsor this measure. I am very proud to be.”
At the hearing, eight people spoke in support of the bill, including Lake Havasu City Councilman Nancy Campbell. Campbell is a representative of the Havasu Council of Local Transportation Advocates, which is working to support the bill.
Campbell told the commission that nearly $10 million for the city of Lake Havasu under the bill would be equivalent to 30 years’ federal budget for the Lake Havasu MPO. She said Havasu gets about $1 million in state-share revenues annually through the Highway Passenger Revenue Fund, but it’s not enough to keep up with the road work needed across the city. rice field.
“Sadly, with lower fuel taxes and rising inflation, our city’s roads are crumbling,” Campbell said. “Excessive pavement maintenance is causing unsafe crosswalk conditions, uneven driveways, and low, dangerous curb heights. Developed a budget of $10 million, with state consensus to significantly expand the scope of work, including repairing worn-out underground infrastructure and improving the condition of pedestrian crossings. A YES vote on HB2543 will ensure that all local roads in Mojave County and Arizona are improved.A YES vote is a concrete decision that we are all proud of.”
Other backers of the bill included RTAC’s Kevin Adam, former Lake Havasu MPO director and current Director of Central Yavapai MPO Vincent Gallegos, and representatives of Graham, Coconino and Yuma counties. .
The bill passed the House of Representatives on March 8 by a majority of 50-8-2.
In the House, a total of 23 Republicans and 27 Democrats voted for the bill, and eight Republicans voted against it. His two Democrats in the House paid attention to the vote.
The bill has received broad bipartisan support so far, but even if it passes the Senate and is signed into law by Gov. must be incorporated. Distributed as the bill suggests.
HB2543 has also been assigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate Rules Committee.
Proposed Project in Northwest Arizona
$1,690,593 – Restoration of an industrial thoroughfare from Lake Havasu Avenue to London Bridge Road.
$2,095,644 – Renovation of Lake Havasu Avenue from Palo Verde Boulevard to Mesquite Avenue.
$1,992,698 – McCulloch Boulevard Rehabilitation from Lake Havasu Avenue to Smoketree Avenue
$693,418 – Refurbishment of S. Palo Verde Boulevard from Lake Havasu Avenue to London Bridge Road.
$1,768,477 – Renovation of Mesquite Avenue from Lake Havasu Avenue to Acoma Blvd.
$1,585,822 – Restoration of Swanson Avenue and improvements from SR-95 to Smoketree Avenue.
$2,634,640 – Improvements to Airway Avenue
$8,045,021 – Improvements to Eastern Street
$10,430,393 – Transportation interchange improvements on I-40 and Rancho Santefe Parkway between Santa Rosa Drive and Louise Avenue.
$1,560,000 – Repave Hancock Road from Colorado Boulevard to California State Route 95.
$750,000 – Fully paved Bank Street and other improvements between Grace Neal Parkway and Castano Road.
$300,000 – Restoration of London Bridge Road between Mileposts 4 and 8.
