Regional Council Activity Report
May 11, 1999
Executive Director’s Report
If ever there was a white-knuckle month for the Maricopa Association of Governments, April was it. MAG staff worked non-stop to deal with issues relating to air quality conformity, the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program, freeway financing, elimination of the region’s ability to extend the half-cent sales tax, a debate over HOV lanes, and more. But while April came in like a lion and seemed to want to stay that way, its closing days finally brought us a few desperately-needed lambs.
Perhaps the most significant development came when the U.S. Department of Transportation reaffirmed approval of the October 20, 1998 conformity finding for the MAG regional transportation plan and FY 1999-2003 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The reaffirmation was based on several factors, including MAG’s submission on April 22, 1999 of a supplemental conformity analysis which demonstrated conformity, an April 27, 1999 letter to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) which outlined transportation and emission models used in the conformity findings, and a description of the public process involved. Additional help came from a letter by the Environmental Protection Agency to the FHWA agreeing with the supplemental analysis. Had the conformity finding not been reaffirmed, all regionally significant federally-funded and non-federally-funded transportation projects would have been at risk. Huge praise needs to be heaped on MAG air quality and transportation staff, who put in many long hours scrambling to put together the documentation needed to avert a conformity lapse. This sudden and unexpected workload came directly on the heels of the preparation of the Air Quality Plans for Carbon Monoxide and PM-10, for which staff had already worked overtime for weeks to put together these 3,000-page documents. I am extremely proud of our employees for continually going the extra mile to serve this region.
Another important victory was finally reached in the halls of the state legislature, with the passage of House Bill 2254 to extend the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program through July 1, 2009. The EPA had notified the region that our Long Range Transportation Plan, which covers a 20-year time frame, could not take credit for the VEIP as part of its air quality conformity plan because the legislation authorizing the program included a three-year sunset clause. Thanks to strong support from the Governor’s Office and MAG member agencies, the extended sunset was passed May 5th.
We had mixed success in the passage of Senate Bill 1201. While it provided the freeway financing mechanisms necessary to accelerate the Regional Freeway System, it included an amendment to eliminate the region’s ability to extend the half-cent sales tax. This could be a significant roadblock to our ability to provide an adequate transit system in the region in the coming years. Some difficult choices may lie ahead in determining how we will best meet our transit needs.
Our final major issue of the month came in seeking the passage of our five-year, $3.5 billion Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and 20-year Long Range Transportation Plan. After a thoughtful debate over how to best manage future congestion, the Regional Council voted to approve the TIP and Plan for conformity analysis. The vote came after lengthy dialogue centering on whether the plan should include High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes along the Superstition Freeway. (See Meeting Report below).
Council Approves TIP and Plan Following Debate
The main agenda items for the April 28th Regional Council meeting
centered on the draft Fiscal Year 2000-2004 MAG Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP) and the MAG Long Range Transportation
Plan (Plan) for conformity analysis. About a dozen residents from
the City of Tempe showed up at the meeting to voice their opposition
to the plan, saying that adding the lanes would require widening
the freeway near their homes and cause noise and safety concerns.
Council members maintained that the addition of the HOV lanes
would encourage carpooling and express bus ridership, which are
critical to reducing congestion and improving air quality. In
addition, it was pointed out that removal of the Superstition
HOV project could jeopardize the region’s ability to meet
federal air quality standards. The Council voted 23-3 to approve
the program as recommended, including the HOV lanes.
For more information, contact Dennis
Smith, Assistant Director, (602) 254-6300.
Letter of Concern to be Sent to Census Bureau
The Regional Council agreed to forward a letter to the Census
Bureau expressing concern with delays to Census Bureau programs
related to Census 2000. The Bureau has missed a number of deadlines
for distributing essential information to cities and towns that
will be needed to prepare for the Census. This includes boundary
and annexation surveys, address files, and maps of census geography.
The letter encourages the Census Bureau to eliminate delays and
implement the measures necessary to achieve a successful census.
For more information, contact Harry
Wolfe, Socioeconomic Program Manager, (602) 254-6300.
Parties Agree to New Transportation Planning and Programming
Process
In light of the changes to the planning and programming responsibilities
resulting from the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century,
on April 30th representatives of the Arizona Department of Transportation,
Councils of Government (COGs) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations
(MPOs) from across the state met in the city of Casa Grande to
discuss implementation of a new regionally-based transportation
planning and programming process. Attendees included MAG, the
Arizona Department of Transportation, the Pima Association of
Governments (PAG), the Northern Arizona COG, the Central Arizona
Association of Governments, the Western Arizona COG, the South
Eastern Arizona Governments Organization, the Yuma MPO, the Flagstaff
MPO, the Regional Public Transportation Authority, PAG Area Transit,
and the Federal Highway Administration.
The parties agreed to establish a revenue allocation process
with representation from ADOT, Traffic Management Areas, MPOs/COGs
and transit operators. They also pledged to move ahead aggressively
with the development of a statewide Long Range Transportation
Plan. The recommendations, known as the “Casa Grande Resolves,”
also identified the guiding principles to be used under the new
process. Formal presentations on the principles and the process
will be presented to the MAG Management Committee April 12th,
and to the Regional Council May 26th.
For more information, contact Dennis
Smith, Assistant Director, (602) 254-6300.
Draft Regional Domestic Violence Plan to be Presented to
Council
The MAG Domestic Violence Subcommittee has finalized draft recommendations
to be included in the Regional Domestic Violence Plan, after reviewing
public comment received during a public hearing held at MAG March
23rd. The plan contains 41 recommendations proposed by a group
of 150 professionals and individuals who spent four months working
on the plan. The recommendations will be presented to the Regional
Council May 26th. The plan was originally slated to be considered
at the April 28th Regional Council meeting, but was delayed because
of the lengthy discussion of other agenda items.
For more information, contact Carol
Kratz, MAG Human Services Manager, (602) 254-6300.
Y2K Forum Focuses on Communication
On April 22nd, the Maricopa Association of Governments held the
first of a series of forums dealing with issues surrounding the
Year 2000 computer problem. The forum featured presentations by
three speakers. Danny Murphy, Director of the Information and
Technology Department for the City of Phoenix, reported on some
of the significant strides taken by the city in addressing Y2K
issues. Toni Maccarone, Public Information Officer for the City
of Phoenix, explained how public information representatives across
the Valley were working together to provide accurate and consistent
information to the public and to answer citizens’ most frequently
asked questions. And Roy Levenda, Chairman of the MAG 9-1-1 Oversight
Committee, discussed regional efforts to address any impact on
fire and emergency services.
Future forums will focus on how the Y2K problem may affect
banking, utilities, health care, pharmaceutical companies, grocery
stores, human services, and police, as well as how to prepare
for potential legal issues.
For more information, please contact
Kelly Taft at (602) 254-6300.
MAG Selected as Demonstration Community for Clean Air Campaign
The Maricopa Association of Governments has been selected to participate
as a demonstration community in “It All Adds Up to Cleaner
Air,” a new federally-sponsored public education and partnership-building
initiative on the connection between transportation choices, congestion
and air quality. The federal partners, including the Federal Highway
Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s
Office of Mobile Sources and the Federal Transit Administration,
received more than 70 proposals for this unique campaign. MAG
is one of only fourteen communities selected to participate, and
will receive a $25,000 grant to support program implementation.
For more information, contact Kelly
Taft, MAG Public Communications Program Manager,
(602) 254-6300.
Pedestrian Projects Receive Funding
Safety, mobility and accessibility are the focus of three pedestrian
projects recommended to receive funding by the MAG Regional Council.
Three projects in Gila Bend, Peoria and Phoenix will receive $150,000
in design assistance. The funding comes as part of an ongoing
commitment by MAG to encourage the development of pedestrian facilities.
The three projects to receive funding include: $25,000 to the
Town of Gila Bend for Central Pedestrian Way; $65,000 to the City
of Peoria for a Pedestrian Crossing at Grand Avenue and the rail
line of the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe near Peoria Avenue; and
$60,000 to the City of Phoenix for the Laveen Watercourse/Greenbelt
Pedestrian Trail.
For more information contact Dawn
Coomer, Transportation Planner, (602) 254-6300.
Next Regional Council Meeting
The next Regional Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, May
26, 1999 at 5:00 p.m. Agenda items will include a presentation
of the new transportation programming process defined by Casa
Grande Resolves; a recommendation to adopt the FY 2000 MAG Unified
Planning Work Program and Annual Budget; and a presentation for
approval of the MAG Regional Domestic Violence Plan.
For more information, contact Dennis
Smith, MAG Assistant Director, (602) 254-6300.