Agencies Provide Opportunities
for Transportation InputPHOENIX (February 22, 1999) — Valley citizens will have two opportunities in the coming days to tell decision makers what they think about key regional and state transportation plans.
Agencies Provide Opportunities
for Transportation Input
PHOENIX (February
22, 1999) — Valley citizens will have two opportunities
in the coming days to tell decision makers what they think about
key regional and state transportation plans.
The first opportunity will be at a Transportation Fair to be held Thursday, February 24, 2000. The fair will be held from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. at the Central Station Transit Center (northeast corner of 1st Avenue and Van Buren) in Phoenix. The second opportunity will be at a Joint Agency Public Hearing to be held at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 2, 2000 at the MAG offices, 302 North 1st Avenue, Phoenix, Second Floor, Saguaro Room.
The events mark the first time input has been sought jointly by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), and the Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA) under a new, cooperative regional planning process.
"In the past, these agencies have developed plans on separate schedules, meaning input was being gathered at different times by different agencies," said MAG Executive Director James M. Bourey. "Now the planning and programming processes have been integrated, with the goal of creating a single, seamless process for many different types of transportation."
Participants at both events will be able to learn more and provide input on several plans, including:
MAG FY 2001-2005 Transportation Improvement Program
(five-year plan),
which includes three key components:
MAG FY 2000 Long Range Transportation Plan (20-year plan)
The Transportation Fair will be an informal opportunity for citizens to see displays, ask questions, and provide input into the above plans. The Joint Agency Public Hearing on March 2nd will be a formal hearing with a court reporter in attendance to create a transcript. The panel will not be able to answer any questions posed at the hearing.
The joint hearing will be the only one that the entire State Transportation Board holds in the region before adopting ADOT's five-year construction program for inclusion in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
"We believe the new process makes it much easier for the agencies to develop transportation plans efficiently and fairly," said Bourey. "What's more, it provides a huge convenience for transportation users who want their ideas heard by all agencies, who now need attend just one meeting instead of two or three."
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. MAG is governed by a Regional Council that includes 24 city mayors and other lead elected officials, and is the forum for ensuring an effective allocation of regional resources.
For more information about either event or to arrange coverage, please contact Kelly Taft at (602) 452-5020.