Arizona Rail Passenger Association

ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
For Immediate Release December 23, 2003
Contact: Doug Nintzel or Matt Burdick
www.dot.state.az.us

ADOT forms new Public Transportation Division to facilitate federal and state transit programs

Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) Director Victor Mendez today announced the creation of a Public Transportation Division to facilitate federal and state transit programs.  ADOT has long been involved in supporting urban, rural and special needs transit programs throughout Arizona.

“I am very pleased that ADOT is creating a Public Transportation Division,” said Governor Janet Napolitano.  “In Arizona’s modern urban centers, public transit plays an integral role in ensuring responsible, sustainable growth.  Adding this Division is good for Arizona’s future.”

The Public Transportation Division better positions ADOT to support public transit planning around the state.  The agency will work with urban and rural regional partners to facilitate the development of transit programs across jurisdictions and regions.
“Transit is part of the multi-modal solution needed to maximize Arizona’s transportation system,” said State Transportation Board Chairman Ingo Radicke.  “This is an important step to prepare for the state’s growth and give people more choices in how they travel our state.”

“It is exciting to see ADOT’s commitment to changing the way the state views public transportation and providing choices in the future for all who live, work or visit Arizona,” said John Anderson, Executive Director of the Arizona Transit Association.

ADOT provides technical expertise to state and local decision makers about transit programs.  The agency distributes planning, operational and capital funding for local transit programs in rural areas.  ADOT also administers federal grants for transit planning in metropolitan areas and will perform state regulatory safety oversight for the Valley light rail system.

“This is an exciting step forward for the future of Arizona transportation,” said Phil Gordon, City of Phoenix Mayor-Elect.  “This positive change will guarantee not only Phoenix’s future, but the future of the entire Valley and State by unifying and integrating all modes of transportation into Arizona’s transportation infrastructure.”

“Governor Napolitano and ADOT should be commended for taking this significant step toward addressing the future transportation needs of the State,” added Tempe Mayor Neil Giuliano, chairman of the Maricopa Association of Government’s Transportation Policy Committee.

The Public Transportation Division joins ADOT’s existing structure consisting of Intermodal Transportation, Motor Vehicle, Transportation Planning and Aeronautics divisions.

Today, November 6, 2003, was the official groundbreaking for Valley Metro Rail. Phoenix Mayor “Skip” Rimsza accepted a plaque thanking him for his part in making the rail line possible. Construction of the entire system should take five years.

Phoenix Mayor Rimsza accepts plaque from Valley Metro's Wulf Grote

The Ceremonial Groundbreaking

The impact of state population growth on transportation is forcing a new, regional perspective–especially for those who regularly make the dreary commute to Phoenix.While Interstate 10 construction gets worse, old ideas are resurfacing, particularly in the Phoenix-Tucson transportation corridor. It’s that stretch of highway where a commuter train was proposed along the Union Pacific tracks and then shelved on the count of sloth.

Now, the proposal’s back…

“There is a movement underway for a commuter rail as opposed to light rail in both the East and West (Phoenix) Valley,” says William Lindley, treasurer and past president of the Arizona Rail Passenger Association. Those commuter lines would connect Phoenix to such towns as Goodyear, Avendale, Buckey and others.

“Commuter rail is what you need to move people from the suburbs to the cities,” says Lindley. “But inter-city rail is also needed to move people over longer distances…”

Rest of the story in the Tucson Weekly

Digging out of congestion at the Canyon by Jon Talton, Arizona Republic. QUOTE: [The Grand Canyon Railway] “express rail proposal would operate modern trains every hour during peak season between Williams and the South Rim. Running time would be an hour and a half, 45 minutes faster than the current steam trains and easily competitive with drive-and-sit times.”