ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Fifty-sixth Legislature First Regular Session
	Senate: TAT DPA 4-3-0-0 | 3rd Read 16-13-1-0

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SB 1313: general plan; transportation; independent study

Sponsor: Senator Hoffman, LD 15

Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure

Overview

Restricts a municipalities general plan from including transportation or land use policies or projects that lower the overall system capacity of motor vehicle traffic. Requires a municipality whose general plan reduces the level of service of any arterial street to conduct an independent study on the impact on emergency vehicle response times. Modifies general plan requirements.

History

Each planning agency must prepare, and each municipality governing body must adopt a comprehensive, long-range general plan for the municipality's development. The general plan is required to consist of a statement of community goals and development policies. The plan must include maps, any necessary diagrams and text setting objectives, principles, standards and plan proposals.

Statute outlines various requirements for municipal general plans. A general plan for cities with a population of over 50,000 people is required to include, and for cities of a population under 50,000 may include, some of the following elements:

1) A public services and facilities element showing general plans for police, fire, emergency services, sewage, refuse disposal, drainage, local utilities, rights-of-way, easements and facilities for them;

2) A housing element consisting of standards and programs for the elimination of substandard dwelling conditions and for the improvement of housing quality;

3) A public buildings element showing the locations of civic and community centers, public schools, libraries, police and fire stations and other public buildings; and

4) A bicycling element consisting of proposed bicycle facilities including bicycle routes, bicycle parking areas and designated bicycle street crossing areas.

Cities and towns with a population over 2,500 people with a population growth of more than the average 2% per year and cities and towns with a population over 10,000 people are required to include in their general plan a growth area element, specifically identifying areas that are particularly suitable for planned multimodal transportation and infrastructure expansion and improvements designed to support a planned concentration of a variety of uses including residential, office, commercial, industrial or tourism (A.R.S. § 9-461.05).

Provisions

1. Prohibits any municipalities' general plan from including transportation or land use policies or projects that lower the overall system capacity of motor vehicle traffic. (Sec. 1)

2. Requires a municipality to conduct an independent study on the impact on emergency vehicle response times if the municipality's general plan includes a reduction in the level of service of any arterial street, including reducing the speed or capacity of the street. (Sec. 1)

3. Removes the requirement for cities with a population over 50,000 people to include in their general plan a bicycling element consisting of proposed bicycle facilities, including bicycle routes, parking areas and designated bicycle street crossing areas. (Sec. 1)

4. Modifies the requirement that certain cities and towns include in their general plan a growth area element to identify areas suitable for planned multimodal transportation and infrastructure expansion and improvements to require the growth area element to only identify areas suitable for infrastructure expansion and improvements. (Sec. 1)

5. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1)

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9.                   SB 1313

10. Initials JB  Page 0 Transportation & Infrastructure

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