LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF AZDOT.GOV
Arizona’s Infrastructure: Past, Present and Future
I
nfrastructure makes our lives better and our economy more efficient. Roads, highways, water pipes and much more make up the modern infrastructure we all use every day. Arizona built today’s expansive infrastructure over many years, and our leaders are responsible for keeping it working with a growing population that uses more infrastructure. As we move forward, there is no one way to fund infrastructure needs because the challenge of funding is too big for any
24 | May-June 2016
Cheryl L. Lombard Valley Partnership
one method. Valley Partnership is happy to support and work with partners on steps we need to take to move forward with critical infrastructure and how we can pay for it. As we are closing out the 52nd Legislature in Arizona, Valley Partnership is supporting a portion of the state cash balance to be directed to fund the Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF) as a one-time supplemental appropriation. Over the years, Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF) monies have been diverted to fund state programs other than the primary purpose of HURF – state and local streets and highways. Since 2001, almost two billion dollars have been diverted. Arizona must continue to seek a sustainable model to fund transportation improvements and maintenance well into the future and this is the first step toward this goal. Valley Partnership is also working with Arizona Department of Transportation and Maricopa Association of Government to prioritize in the East Valley, the extension of State Road 24 to Ironwood Road in Pinal County. This would be a crucial link for economic growth and would help alleviate pass-through traffic from San Tan valley that otherwise would have gone through Queen Creek and Gilbert. For the Southwest Valley, we need to relieve traffic on the Interstate 10 by making the planning and funding of the new transportation corridor State Route 30. Finally, since Congress has approved the extension of the official designation of Interstate 11 to run from the border with Mexico all the way to Nevada and beyond, we want to encourage parties to look for all means possible to speed up the planning and construction of needed highway. The most critical segment of Interstate 11 is between Wickenburg, south to Interstate 10, because this segment creates a commerce corridor for the north-south movement of freight that avoids metro Phoenix. We hope you will join with us in supporting these goals for 2016 to continue the economic vitality of our Valley. Cheryl Lombard is the president and CEO of Valley Partnership.