Category Archives: Phoenix

New pedestrian-activated crosswalk on US 95 (Main Street) in San Luis to be active tomorrow

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Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon

SAN LUIS — The first pedestrian-activated signalized crosswalk in Yuma County, located at the intersection of US 95 (Main Street) and Urtuzuastegui Street in San Luis, will be operational starting Wednesday morning, May 20.

The specialized traffic light, known as a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon, is part of an ongoing Arizona Department of Transportation improvement project in the downtown San Luis area to improve traffic flow to and from the U.S.-Mexico Port of Entry, enhance bicyclist and pedestrian safety, and improve access to downtown businesses.

This special type of traffic light, which has been deployed in the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas and across the nation to improve safety for pedestrians, is a system of indicator lights and signs that controls vehicle traffic to assist pedestrians in safely crossing a major street or highway at a marked crosswalk that does not have a standard traffic signal.

Motorists and pedestrians are urged to become familiar with how a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon operates. Printable instructions may be downloaded at azdot.gov/PHB.

The light is activated after a button is pushed by a pedestrian. Traffic is alerted to stop with a flashing yellow light followed by a solid yellow light and then by two solid red lights, providing motorists with an unmistakable message to stop. At this point, the pedestrian is signaled to walk safely across the street and the associated pedestrian countdown signal indicates how much time is left to cross the street. During this period, motorists are required to stop and remain stopped until pedestrians have finished crossing the street, and then motorists may proceed with caution when the red lights begin to flash alternately and also the crosswalk is clear of pedestrians.

Steps for Activation:

  • When there is no pedestrian waiting to cross, drivers see that all indication lights are dark; the pedestrian will see a “DON’T WALK” symbol. A pedestrian who wants to cross the street will need to push the button to activate the system.
  • When a pedestrian pushes the button, approaching drivers will see a FLASHING YELLOW light for a few seconds, indicating that they should reduce speed and be prepared to stop. Pedestrians will continue to see a “DON’T WALK” symbol and should wait.
  • Drivers will see a STEADY YELLOW light, warning drivers the indication will soon turn to a STEADY RED light. Pedestrians will continue to see the “DON’T WALK” symbol and should continue to wait.
  • Drivers will see a STEADY RED light, which requires them to STOP at the stop line. At this point, the pedestrian receives a “WALK” symbol to cross.
  • As the pedestrian crosses the street, drivers will see ALTERNATING FLASHING RED lights, indicating that they need to STOP and remain stopped until pedestrians have finished crossing the street. Drivers may proceed with caution if the crosswalk is clear. Pedestrians will see a flashing countdown that indicates how much time they have to cross the street.
  • At the end of the flashing countdown, drivers will see that all indication lights are dark; the pedestrian will see a “DON’T WALK” symbol. Drivers may continue to proceed through the crosswalk if it is clear; pedestrians waiting to cross will have to push the button to re-activate the system.
  • Motorists traveling on US 95 (Main Street) should be alert for the change in traffic control at the Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon that allows pedestrians to stop vehicles traveling in both directions.

The $11 million San Luis Street Improvements Project, which started in October 2014, is slated to be completed by the end of next month.

For more information on the project, visit azdot.gov/sanluisimprovements.

Phoenix and ADOT open Loop 101 interchange at 64th Street

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PHOENIX — The Loop 101 interchange at 64th Street in northeast Phoenix opened to traffic as planned today (May 18) following a city of Phoenix project to construct a new section of 64th Street between Mayo Boulevard and the Pima Freeway.

The Phoenix Street Transportation Department worked with the Arizona Department of Transportation on final preparations before crews opened the Loop 101 on- and off-ramps at 64th Street.

Phoenix activated new traffic signals at 64th Street and Mayo Boulevard last week. Traffic on the 64th Street Bridge is regulated by “all-way” stop signs.

The city’s contractor completed sign installation and lane-striping along eastbound Loop 101 approaching the interchange on Sunday.

The Loop 101 interchange at 64th Street was completed in 2008 as part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan approved by county voters in 2004. The opening of the on- and off-ramps was contingent upon the city’s plans for constructing 64th Street between the freeway and Mayo Boulevard.

ADEQ Awards $135,850 in Grants to Reduce Polluted Runoff into Upper San Pedro River

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PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today two grant awards totaling $135,850 to Curtis Ranch and Sands Ranch to undertake measures to protect the Upper San Pedro River in Cochise County.

The funds will be used to restore grassland and remove brush. The project work––enhancing more than 3000 acres—will improve ground cover, reduce soil erosion, increase water filtration, and slow runoff containing E. coli, which improves water quality. ADEQ’s models estimate an annual 40 percent reduction in sediments in runoff could be achieved through implementing these measures.

A 17-mile stretch of the Upper San Pedro River from the mouth of Babocomari Creek, a tributary of the San Pedro, to Dragoon Wash is listed as an impaired waterway by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency because of elevated levels of E. coli. Septic tanks and cattle grazing operations in the area are believed to be the source of this pollution.

“This grant money will help restore water quality in one of the most beautiful and important riparian areas in the state,” ADEQ Director Henry Darwin said.

Grant recipient, Curtis Ranch L.L.C. Managing Member Forrest Metz stated, “We welcome collaboration with ADEQ’s watershed initiative to support efforts to improve the water quality of the San Pedro River through the reduction of impairments.”

These grants are two of six in Arizona this year administered by ADEQ’s Water Quality Improvement Grant program (WQIG) to reduce polluted runoff from many different sources. ADEQ’s WQIG program is funded through a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act.

Road work starting on SR 264 east of Ganado

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The Arizona Department of Transportation will begin an improvement project on Monday, May 11 to reconstruct nine miles of State Route 264 between Ganado and Window Rock (mileposts 450-459).

The $12.3 million project, which is scheduled for completion this fall, will include the following:

  • Overlaying the existing pavement with new asphalt
  • Widening existing shoulders and installing new guardrail
  • Installing new cattle guards and barbed wire fencing
  • Extending existing drainage pipes for the widened roadway
  • Construction of a new Fish Wash Bridge to replace the existing one

Work days will be Monday through Friday sunrise to sunset. Flaggers and pilot cars will be used to guide vehicles through the work zone in alternating directions and drivers should anticipate delays of up to 30 minutes.

A traffic signal may be used to regulate traffic across Fish Wash Bridge in alternating directions. If the signal is used, motorists will experience short delays as the signal transitions through its cycle. There will be narrow traffic lanes, wide load restrictions and a reduced speed limit through the work zone.

ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

Chino Valley to host third public hearing for ADOT’s Tentative Five-Year Program

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is preparing to hold its third and final public hearing next week for the 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program. The public comment period began in March and provides ADOT with the opportunity to reach out to the public and communities statewide for their input on the direction of the program over the next five years.

The third public hearing for the Tentative Five-Year Program is scheduled for 9 a.m. on May 15 in Chino Valley. The meeting will be held in the Town of Chino Valley Council Chambers, 202 N. State Route 89. The monthly State Transportation Board meeting will follow the public hearing.

The 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Program lays out proposed projects and improvements to the state highway system over the next five years, with a major focus on preserving existing infrastructure to ensure that it remains in good condition, while providing a reliable transportation network for drivers. It can be a tough balance, as constrained funding simply cannot meet all the transportation needs around the state.

The Five-Year Program is updated annually and designates how much local, state and federal funding is allocated for projects. This includes highways, bridges, transit and aviation.

Limited funding amid growing statewide transportation needs continues to be the biggest challenge over the next five years. Fewer dollars dedicated to transportation is a result of less revenue from traditional sources of transportation funding, like the state gas tax and vehicle license tax, which support the Five-Year Program. The state gas tax is currently 18 cents per gallon and has not been increased for more than 20 years.

These transportation funding challenges have signaled a shift to a strong focus on the preservation of the state highway system, to protect a system valued at $19.7 billion. If ADOT did not invest in preservation, it would cost approximately $200 billion to replace our existing highway infrastructure, should it fall into disrepair. ADOT is committed to moving major expansion projects forward as well, but with less transportation dollars to stretch, fewer expansion projects make it into the Five-Year Program.

The 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Program is available for public review and comment at azdot.gov/fiveyearplan. ADOT has developed a “how to read it” guide and welcomes feedback at fiveyearconstructionprogram@azdot.gov. A phone number is also available for public comments at 1-855-712-8530.

The State Transportation Board will consider all public comments received by May 26. Public hearings have been held in Tucson in March and in Phoenix in April. The third and final public hearing will be held on May 15 in Chino Valley. The board is expected to adopt the final 2016-2020 Five-Year Program at its June 19 meeting in Pinetop-Lakeside.

Below are the details for the May public hearing and the June board meeting:

May 15 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the Town of Chino Valley Council Chambers, 202 N. State Route 89, Chino Valley, AZ 86323

June 19 at 9 a.m.: Board meeting at the Pinetop-Lakeside Town Hall, 1360 N. Niels Hansen Lane, Lakeside, AZ 85929

Availability of energy-efficient vehicle license plates has ended

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2014-0731-energyPHOENIX – The availability of energy-efficient license plates for owners of qualified vehicles has ended as the maximum number of plate applications has been reached, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division announced today.

In May 2014, 1,800 energy-efficient license plates became available as previous owners of the plates turned them in due to moving out of state, selling their qualifying vehicle or other reasons.

Plates were available on a first-come, first-served basis and were exclusively distributed through ServiceArizona.com.

The energy-efficient plate program was established by the federal government. The program, which offers a maximum of 10,000 license plates in Arizona, allows owners of qualifying plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to receive a plate and use the HOV lane during rush hours regardless of the number of passengers.

While the energy-efficient plate program is suspended until further notice, ADOT will continue to update the list of eligible vehicles pending resumption of the program. Also, those vehicle owners who already have an energy-efficient plate can still transfer the plate to another currently qualifying vehicle they own while the program is suspended.

Future improvement projects along US 60 near Globe to cause heavy delays

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PHOENIX — Motorists who travel regularly on US 60 between Globe and Phoenix need to be aware of a series of upcoming improvement projects that will impact traffic on the highway this summer.

The Arizona Department of Transportation is investing nearly $65 million in four critical projects in Pinal/Gila counties that will start this year and build upon efforts to upgrade the US 60 corridor, which is a major transportation route connecting the Phoenix metropolitan area and the communities of Florence Junction, Superior, Globe, Miami, San Carlos and Show Low.

“Improvement projects planned this summer along the US 60 corridor will ultimately enhance safety for motorists,” said ADOT Globe District Engineer Jesse Gutierrez. “Some of the projects will require significant traffic restrictions, so it will be important for motorists to allow extra travel time and plan ahead when construction starts.”

ADOT will work to minimize the traffic impacts by scheduling work hours on overlapping projects at different times of the day as much as possible. A detailed schedule of traffic restrictions will be released to the public prior to the start of construction.

The first project along US 60 will start in June, when ADOT will build a new westbound climbing lane and widen shoulders along a 13-mile stretch of US 60 from the Oak Flat area to the town of Miami (mileposts 229-242).

This $13 million safety improvement project will make it easier for motorists to pass large trucks and slow-moving vehicles whose speed drops because of the sustained grades along this stretch of highway from Devil’s Canyon to the Oak Flat area (mileposts 230-232).

When this project starts, blasting operations will require intermittent full closures of the highway.

Later in the summer, ADOT will convert the last remaining two-lane roadway segment on US 60 between Phoenix and Superior into a modern, four-lane divided highway. The $45 million US 60 Silver King/Superior Streets project just west of Superior (mileposts 222-227) is expected to take two years to complete and will include improving the urban section of highway in Superior. The five-mile-long widening improvements will improve traffic flow and enhance safety on US 60.

East of Superior at milepost 228, ADOT will replace the antiquated lighting in the US 60 Queen Creek Tunnel with a new light-emitting diode (LED) lighting system. This will be the first tunnel in Arizona to have this LED technology.

The new lighting system will improve visibility within the tunnel, which was originally built in 1952, by using an adaptive control system that will adjust the lighting level based upon ambient light and weather conditions outside the tunnel.

ADOT expects to replace the lighting system beginning this summer, which will require new conduit and wiring in the quarter-mile-long tunnel. The total project cost is estimated to be $3.8 million.

The final project on US 60 is a $3 million rock mitigation project along mileposts 228-229, where crews will remove loose boulders along this very rocky and steep section of highway adjacent to the Queen Creek Tunnel.
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ADOT receives environmental award for San Pedro bridge replacement near Sierra Vista

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adot-logo-03aPHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation has been recognized for its environmental protection efforts while rebuilding the San Pedro Bridge through a sensitive conservation area on State Route 90 east of Sierra Vista.

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation’s annual Globe Awards this month highlighted ADOT’s work to protect the natural environment during a nearly two-year reconstruction.

Throughout the project, ADOT employed a biologist to monitor construction impacts on the river as well as the more than 200 animal species and 250 migratory bird species in the area.

While the bridge replacement began in October 2012, work halted the following April through October to avoid disrupting the migratory bird season in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.

Other environmental mitigation measures included a containment plan to prevent debris from contaminating the San Pedro, along with lead paint abatement before the old bridge was demolished. Also, the project included re-seeding vegetation and planting trees.

“ADOT worked to be good stewards of the environment from the planning all the way through the construction of the new San Pedro Bridge,” said Safford District Engineer Bill Harmon. “This environmental award demonstrates ADOT can preserve nature while improving the area’s transportation system.”

The Globe Award recognizes transportation agencies that do an outstanding job protecting the environment in the planning, design and construction of infrastructure projects. The recognition was in the category of bridges costing less than $10 million.

The San Pedro Bridge is an important link between the communities of Sierra Vista, Tombstone and Bisbee. The old bridge, built in 1955, was replaced with a structure featuring wider travel lanes, emergency shoulders and greater clearance over the San Pedro River. The $6.2 million project was completed in March 2014.

Overnight work Sunday night on Interstate 17 for pavement work

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The Arizona Department of Transportation will perform routine pavement maintenance overnight on northbound Interstate 17 at the Sunset Point traffic interchange (milepost 252) on Sunday, May 3 between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m.

Drivers traveling through the work zone will be required to use the off and on-ramp at Sunset Point to continue on northbound I-17 during work hours. Minimal delays expected.

Crews will also be working on southbound I-17 near the Bumble Bee traffic interchange (mileposts 246 to 249) on a three-mile segment for pavement repair on May 3 that will require a lane restriction between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The speed limit through the work zones will be reduced to 45 mph during work hours.

Official briefing at Big Spring sheds light on Jade Helm

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UPDATED: 4/20; 8:19 p.m.

BIG SPRING, Tx — An official briefing of the City Council of Big Spring surfaced on YouTube that sheds new light on the upcoming operation called Jade Helm 15. The briefing was conducted by Tom Mead, a contractor working for the United States Special Operations Command and planner and exercise designer for the Jade Helm Project. Mead explained that the purpose of the meeting was to obtain permission from the city officials. The video is edited greatly, but the portions remaining raise many questions.

Big Spring is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Texas, United States, at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 87 and Interstate 20. With a population of 27,282 at the 2010 census, it is the largest city between Midland to the west, Abilene to the east, Lubbock to the north, and San Angelo to the south. Big Spring was established as the county seat of Howard County in 1882; it is the largest community in the county. (Wikipedia)

We are seeking written invitation and approval from local officials to conduct a realistic military training exercise within the jurisdiction of the City of Big Spring.

We’re not training for Afghanistan and Iraq—the things that we’ve done in the last fifteen years. We’re looking forward and we want to make sure these guys are trained properly.

He explained that the operation would be ongoing for five- to five-and-a-half weeks. The eight week time period would include time to prepare for the exercise in Florida and Mississippi. He also said that Texas would see the bulk of the exercise.

Mead explained that they would be asking for civilian participation.

We look for people who are willing to transport our guys, because they have to move around in a clandestine manner. For example, in the back of a horse trailer in the middle of the night so nobody can see them. These are ways they have to operate in foreign countries when they’re not supposed to be in those countries.

The video shows questions from council members.

Council man: Mr. Mead, how often do you do a operation like this? Is this done annually, or…
Mead: Yes, Sir, so, um, the Jade Helm project is a new project that has come along from General Cleveland, uh, from his staff at United States Army Special Operations Command. … Um, this operation is planned to be conducted yearly.
We conduct an exercise that’s similar to this. I say similar because the scope and the breadth of the exercise is nowhere comparable to what we do here. But they conduct that exercise six times a year in North Carolina.

COUNCILMAN: I just have to ask, how does FBI and DEA work with the military on an operation like this?
MEAD: Well, generally speaking, Sir, the FBI and DEA provide us liaison officers up at our command level, depending on how the scenarios written. One of the ways the FBI and DEA are working with us, here, is in Arizona they will actually do some questioning for us at one of the airports in Arizona.

COUNCILMAN: Do y’all use any personnel from NATO, UN, or…
MEAD: No, no, Sir. Currenly for Jade Helm it is US only. We… That has been one of the discussions that, I’m not sure if it has occurred yet, but… [Edited]

The operation that he refers to in North Carolina is probably Robin Sage. [Wikipedia] Robin Sage, however, is a confined exercise giving special forces groups specific scenarios, such as rescuing downed pilots. It does not include rounding up people and carting them off.

From the video, we derive that the operation is a new design to train troops to go into countries where they are not supposed to be. They are training to get rides from the local populace in the back of wagons. They will drive around in civilian vehicles without being noticed even though they are supposed to be wearing arm bands during the operation.
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