Freeway Acceleration Plan Slated for Action

PHOENIX (March 22, 1999) — Millions of dollars worth of transportation projects that will accelerate the Regional Freeway System, construct improvements along Grand Avenue and add HOV lanes to the Superstition Freeway will go before the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Regional Council Wednesday.

The Regional Council will vote on whether to approve the draft Fiscal Year 2000-2004 MAG Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and the MAG Long Range Transportation Plan (Plan) during its regular meeting Wednesday, March 24th at 5:00 p.m. Meetings are held at the MAG offices, 302 N. 1st Avenue, Phoenix, in the Saguaro Room on the second floor.

If approved, the TIP and Plan will then undergo a conformity analysis to determine if they meet standards set forth by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The TIP serves as a five-year regional guide for the preservation, management and expansion of public transportation services, including highways, ridesharing, transit facilities and air quality improvement projects.

MAG Regional Council member and Phoenix Mayor Skip Rimsza says the projects included in this year's TIP provide improvements region-wide because of the additional federal highway money MAG will receive under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21).

"These are exciting times for the Maricopa Region in the area of transportation," says Mayor Rimsza, who will preside over Wednesday's meeting. "We're poised to deliver a regional freeway system seven years ahead of schedule, and to complete other important projects that have been at the top of the priority list for a long time."

Among the projects included in the TIP and Plan are constructing eight grade-separate interchanges on Grand Avenue, adding HOV lanes on the Superstition and Squaw Peak Freeways, and widening State Route 85 from Interstate 10 to the Gila River.

"This plan was developed cooperatively with all of the region's local governments," said MAG Executive Director James Bourey. "It is a culmination of a long process that began with our efforts to obtain an equitable amount of funding for the region. The business communities were instrumental in working with MAG in this process."

Also at its meeting Wednesday, the Regional Council will consider a resolution supporting current legislative efforts to provide the funding mechanisms necessary to complete the accelerated system. Two similar bills, HB 2572 and SB 1201 are being considered by the state legislature.

"We believe the passage of these bills are crucial to enabling us to meet our goal of completing the system by 2007," says Bourey.

The Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) is a regional organization that develops policies and makes decisions in areas such as transportation, air quality, water quality, solid waste and human services. MAG is made up of Valley communities working together to ensure a better quality of life for nearly three million residents in the Maricopa region. The region encompasses metropolitan Phoenix and includes the many cities, towns and Indian communities within Maricopa County. Governed by a Regional Council that includes 24 city mayors and other lead elected officials, MAG is the forum for ensuring an effective allocation of regional resources.

For more information about the meeting or to arrange interviews, please contact Kelly Taft at (602) 452-5020.