Tag Archives: ADOT

MVD expands number of online road test appointments

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PHOENIX – It’s goodbye to guesswork. If you need to take a road test to get your driver license, the number of available online appointments at Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division offices just went up more than 30 percent.

There are now more than 900 daily appointments available statewide every business day at the MVD offices that conduct road tests. Of those, more than 600 are available at locations in metro Phoenix and Tucson – the busiest areas for MVD.

Those numbers represent the full capacity for road testing based on MVD hours of operation and the time it takes to perform a road test, which is typically between 15 and 30 minutes.

“The MVD began offering online appointments for road tests in 2016, and it’s been a tremendous success,” MVD Director Eric Jorgensen said. “One of our goals in 2017 was to fully implement this program so that people who need to take a road test can go to one of our locations with the confidence that they’ll get it done at a time that’s convenient for them. This is all about serving our customers well, making the MVD offices run more efficiently and fulfilling our vision to get people out of line and safely on the road.”

Scheduling an online appointment is as easy as going to servicearizona.com, clicking on the “MVD Office Appointments” button and selecting a time and location for the road test. Not all MVD offices conduct these tests, but locations are well distributed throughout Arizona.

MVD will still serve walk-in customers for road testing based on availability that may be limited due to high demand.

For a map of MVD offices and services provided, please visit azdot.gov/mvd and check for MVD hours and locations.

Freeman no longer a free man

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WILLIAMS – All three suspects who fled police this morning are now in custody.

At approximately 10:45 AM, a Yavapai County Sheriff K9 attempted to stop a maroon 4 door sedan for a traffic violation east I-40 in the Ash Fork area. As the vehicle failed to yield, a male passenger appeared to be thrown from the vehicle and was detained.
The k9 unit pursued the vehicle at speeds in excess of 100 mph. The vehicle apparently became disabled and pulled off at milepost 165 near the Bearizona attraction and crashed into a culvert.

One of the remaining two suspects was apprehended almost immediately at the ADOT yard on Route 66 near the Bearizona Wild Life park. The suspect identified as John Dale Freeman fired shots at deputies and fled beginning a six-hour manhunt with units of the Yavapai County and Coconino County Sheriff’s Departments, the Williams Police Department and the Department of Public Safety including the DPS helicopter. The Arizona Department of Transportation also assisted and Kaibab Forest Rangers may have also participated. None of the search party were injured in the event.

Arizona DPS helicopter flies over Williams searching for suspect.


Schools in Williams were locked down as was Bearizona. Guests of Bearizona were gathered in the Gift Shop and Restaurant area for a couple of hours. They were eventually allowed to evacuate the park. Parents of Williams were required to pick up their kids from schools early and kids in outlying areas were bused home at the regular time.

Freeman in custody.


Various reports of sightings of Freeman occurred in Williams with none being confirmed. The search continued in the forested areas around Bearizona until about 3:30 p.m. when Freeman was reported captured outside of Bearizona. The other two suspects have not yet been identified.

Freeman turns from camera while in police vehicle.


Citizens around Williams reported recognizing Freeman as frequenting the Williams area. Others in Flagstaff reported on the Facebook page of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Department that they recognized him around Flagstaff. Freeman may have lived in Williams according to some accounts. Our research shows that Freeman may have a criminal past.

ADOT focuses on patching potholes in northern Arizona after winter storm

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PHOENIX – A late winter storm this week and more precipitation expected next week have Arizona Department of Transportation maintenance crews in patrol-and-patch mode as they address pavement-repair needs on Interstate 40 and Interstate 17 in the high country.

Potholes can pop up quickly when moisture seeps into and below asphalt, which in northern Arizona can be stressed by the combination of freezing overnight temperatures and daytime thawing. The Flagstaff area usually experiences more than 200 daily freeze-thaw cycles each year. Add heavy traffic, and this stressed pavement can break away.

After weeks of making permanent repairs, including laying asphalt over rough stretches of pavement, crews over the next week will be out patching any potholes that have formed as a result of the latest storms. Forecasted rain showers and snow in the high country will delay other work.

ADOT responds aggressively to the annual challenge of potholes from winter weather. Crews make temporary and then permanent repairs to potholes as soon as possible.

ADOT has two projects coming later this year along I-40 between Flagstaff and Williams that will add a new layer of pavement in both directions.

Lane restriction on Interstate 40 needed near Williams

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Motorists traveling along a two-mile segment of Interstate 40 near Williams should allow extra travel time while a right-lane restriction is in place between Devil Dog Road (milepost 156) and Country Club Road (milepost 161). The restriction will affect westbound travel first and then eastbound travel in the same stretch.

The lane restriction, needed to prepare for pavement repairs, will be in place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, through Friday, March 24, along with a 12-foot width restriction. There is a possibility that weather will require a continuation of this restriction early next week.

Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions and closures, but it’s possible that unscheduled impacts might occur because of weather or other factors. For the most current information about highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Traveler Information site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except while driving.

Crews continue pavement repairs on northern Arizona highways

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PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Transportation maintenance crews are continuing pavement repairs along northern Arizona highways after winter storms.

Next week, crews will lay asphalt over existing pavement to smooth sections of Interstate 40 at milepost 156 westbound and continue this work between mileposts 169 and 172 eastbound, about 10 miles east of Williams. Patch work and asphalt overlays also will continue on State Route 89A in Oak Creek Canyon.

Potholes can pop up quickly when moisture seeps into and below asphalt, which in northern Arizona can be stressed by the combination of freezing overnight temperatures and daytime thawing. The Flagstaff area usually experiences more than 200 daily freeze-thaw cycles each year. Add heavy traffic, and this stressed pavement can break away.

ADOT has two projects coming later this year along I-40 between Flagstaff and Williams that will add a new layer of pavement in both directions.

National Household Travel Survey continues in Arizona through April

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PHOENIX – Over the past year, thousands of Arizonans have helped inform how we’ll all get around in the future by accepting invitations to participate in the National Household Travel Survey. With the survey wrapping up at the end of April, some are still getting letters asking them to take part.

The Arizona Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration are sending these invitations, most of them to households outside of metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson. The survey, conducted every five to seven years, provides an essential snapshot of transportation behaviors and trends by asking how members of a household get around on one day.

It’s important that as many households as possible participate because the answers will help state, local and federal officials decide when, where and how to invest limited transportation funding to improve roads, public transportation, sidewalks, bike paths and more.

Participation is voluntary and involves just a few easy steps. The first requires filling out a brief survey that comes with the invitation letter and returning it in a prepaid envelope. That takes about 10 minutes. Participants receive travel logs to record where members of their household go on an assigned travel day. Then they provide the information online or by phone, a process that usually takes 20 to 25 minutes.

Using a federal grant, ADOT has commissioned extra survey responses from beyond the Phoenix and Tucson areas to learn more about travel behaviors and trends in Greater Arizona. The goal is for about 80 percent of all participants to live beyond the Sun Corridor.

By law, all information provided is kept confidential, will be used only for research and cannot be sold. Names and other identifying information aren’t linked with the survey data used to create statistical summaries.

For those who aren’t invited to participate in the National Household Travel Survey, ADOT has created an online travel survey available at azdot.gov/NHTS. Information gathered through this survey will also help create a more valuable transportation system for all.

Create your own luck: Drive sober on St. Patrick’s Day

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Don’t rely on luck or four-leaf clovers to stay safe on St. Patrick’s Day.

If your plans include an evening out, have fun, but make smart decisions before getting in a vehicle. Designate a driver or call a taxi or rideshare service.

Did you know that alcohol-related crashes in Arizona historically spike on St. Patrick’s Day?

To promote smart driving decisions, ADOT will display this St. Patrick’s Day-themed safety message on Dynamic Message Signs statewide.

While leprechauns might be difficult to find, state and local law enforcement will be easy to spot. The Arizona Department of Public Safety will have an enhanced presence on highways, targeting impairment and other dangerous driving behavior, and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is working with State Troopers, police officers and deputy sheriffs on a statewide DUI enforcement campaign.

New virtual tour of South Mountain Freeway is online now

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PHOENIX – As the Loop South Mountain Freeway moves toward completion in late 2019, a new flyover animation reflects updated plans for the 22-mile-long corridor.

The six-and-a-half minute virtual tour of the South Mountain Freeway, the largest single freeway project in state history, is available at SouthMountainFreeway.com.

It updates a 2013 video completed in conjunction with the publication of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement by the Arizona Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration, and before much of the final design work had been completed.

Some of the key design modifications and additions highlighted in the latest video include:

  • Aesthetic and landscaping treatments reflecting neighboring communities
  • Direct HOV lane access near 59th Avenue from the South Mountain Freeway to and from downtown Phoenix
  • A six-mile-long shared-used path in Ahwatukee, located south of the freeway between 40th Street and 17th Avenue
  • Changes to the alignment that reduce the amount of right-of-way required
  • Interchange reconfigurations, including diverging diamond interchanges at Desert Foothills Parkway and 17th Avenue, moving the interchange at 51st Avenue to Estrella Drive, and realigning the freeway at 59th Avenue south of Elliot Road
  • Locations of sound walls to mitigate freeway noise
  • A city of Phoenix pedestrian bridge north of Broadway Road to connect the Rio del Rey neighborhoods in Phoenix.

The updated video doesn’t reflect design changes made after January. As a design-build project, construction can start in some areas of the project while design is still being finalized elsewhere. This innovative contracting method pairs the design and construction teams to deliver a project from beginning to end. This approach is intended to save time and money by overlapping the design and construction phases.

With the launch of the new video, the project webpage at SouthMountainFreeway.com has other new content, including aesthetic renderings and construction photos.

The South Mountain Freeway will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley and a much-needed alternative to Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix as it runs east and west along Pecos Road and then north and south between 55th and 63rd avenues, connecting with I-10 on each end.

Approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985 and again in 2004 as part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan, the South Mountain Freeway will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system in the Valley.

Report: Arizonans drove almost 67 billion miles in 2016

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PHOENIX – Drivers covered nearly 67 billion miles on Arizona roads in 2016, the state’s fifth consecutive annual increase, according to a Federal Highway Administration estimate.

Part of a Traffic Volume Trends report estimating a record 3.2 trillion miles driven on U.S. public roads last year, the Arizona figure demonstrates the importance of maintaining and improving the state’s transportation system, said John Halikowski, director of the Arizona Department of Transportation.

“Highways are Key Commerce Corridors that drive economic growth and jobs,” Halikowski said. “A well-built and well-maintained transportation system positions this growing state to capitalize on its proximity to major markets in California and Texas as well as south of the border.”

ADOT maintains all state and federal routes in Arizona, including six interstate highways.

The estimated number of vehicle miles traveled in Arizona in 2016 – 66.86 billion – represented an increase of more than 1.8 billion miles from 2015, or 2.8 percent. Since 2011, the number of miles navigated by Arizona drivers has increased by 7.28 billion, or 12 percent.

The 13-state West, including Arizona, had the greatest increase in travel compared with 2015, according to the Federal Highway Administration’s report.

ADOT reports vehicle miles traveled for the previous year each June. The agency’s figures also show a steady increase in recent years.

MVD improvements attract international attention

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Singapore delegation at MVD.

PHOENIX – Good news travels fast and it also travels far. The work being done by the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division to lower office wait times, use employees more resourcefully and be more efficient overall is being noticed 9,000 miles away in Singapore.

A delegation from the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and a representative from the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) visited MVD recently to learn about the continuous improvement transformation through the Arizona Management System championed by Governor Doug Ducey.

The delegation toured the MVD office located on 51st Avenue in Phoenix and got a firsthand look at how changes have helped contribute to an overall average reduction of 20 minutes in urban office wait times statewide. Other changes have contributed to an 80 percent reduction in overtime costs at some MVD locations, added more capacity by making road test appointments online and increased usage of online service options like kiosks and ServiceArizona.com.

MVD Director Eric Jorgensen said, “The Singapore government is very interested in studying efficiency, and what impressed them most was that Margarita, a customer service representative in the West Phoenix office, was able to walk them through the huddle board that measures our goals and describes our initiatives and explain not only how our processes work, but why. They were also very impressed with the level of engagement of all the leads, supervisors and office manager.”

He added, “I truly believe that this kind of engagement, with 854 MVD employees actively looking for how to make things just a little better, is the key to getting our customers out of the line and safely on the road.”

The Singapore government has put a large focus on increasing productivity and innovation in their country, and SIT is looking at different ways to bring lean transformation to their university and ultimately to the workforce through education and skills development.