Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Dear Friends,
Every time you sit, stuck in traffic on congested streets and highways, you are paying a hidden price - it’s something I call the “time tax.” It is an especially ugly tax, because it pulls time away from the things you value most: your family, your home, your community.
We now know that Arizona is the fastest growing state in the nation, and no county in this state is untouched by that growth. Keeping up with this demand and developing smart alternatives is a challenge we face together.
Over the past four years, we’ve done a lot. We added more than 500 additional lane miles of freeway throughout Arizona and directed millions of dollars to improve road safety and increase capacity. Last year, with the help of the legislature, an additional $307 million went towards accelerating highway construction and this year, one of my budget proposals generates $400 million for transportation projects throughout the state. We’ve made progress, but we can’t stop there.
Earlier this year, I issued an Executive Order directing the Arizona Department of Transportation to look at transportation alternatives besides freeways. Can we add light rail at the state level? What about commuter rail? Are there other new ideas to explore? What will it take to make those ideas work?
Those are the kinds of questions that will be answered when the ADOT report is presented to me in just a few weeks. I look forward to sharing that information with you, and to begin working with our communities toward a comprehensive, statewide transportation plan that makes sense.
As Arizona continues to flourish and grow, we will need to ‘play it smart,’ and invest our precious dollars where they will count the most. Together, we will build an Arizona that acknowledges growth, coordinates between government and the private sector and embodies an exceptional quality of life.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please contact my office at 1-800-253-0883 and ask to speak to Constituent Services.
Yours very truly,
Janet Napolitano
Governor
