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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
transportation system performance; ADOT
Purpose
Adds requirements and restrictions to the Transportation Planning Division's (Division's) transportation system performance factors (performance factors), as modified.
Background
The Division
must develop standard performance factor variables and weights to present to
the State Transportation Board (Board). At minimum, the variables must include:
1) system preservation; 2) congestion relief; 3) accessibility; 4) integration
and connectivity with other modes; 5) economic benefits; 6) safety; 7) air
quality and other environmental impacts;
8) cost-effectiveness of a project or service; 9) operational efficiency; and
10) project readiness. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and the
Board use performance factor variables and weights to select projects and
services for the Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program and
Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan and allocate state and federal
financial resources among ADOT's major program categories (A.R.S.
§ 28-505).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the Division to use prescribed weights for transportation and highway projects, rather than develop the weights.
2. Requires the Division to use weights for transportation projects that require ridership on each route to be at least:
a) 70 percent of the system average; or
b) 50 percent of the system average, if the lines are contracted out to a private operator.
3. Requires the Division to use the following weights for highway projects:
a) 40 percent for congestion reduction;
b) 40 percent for an increase in mobility; and
c) 20 percent for safety improvements, reduction in the number of fatalities on regional roadways.
4. Adds mobility as a required performance factor variable.
5. Modifies the following performance factor variables:
a) congestion reduction, rather than congestion relief; and
b) safety improvements, rather than safety.
6. Bifurcates the required performance variable, integration and connectivity with other modes, into:
a) connectivity; and
b) integration with other modes.
7. Directs the Division to:
a) develop methods to measure each performance factor quantitatively using any relevant and available data to the extent practicable; and
b) consider technologies, new innovations, data and market solutions to optimize the delivery of performance factors.
8. Prohibits the Division from adopting a motor vehicle travel mile reduction target or any other demand management policy or project.
9. Prohibits performance factors from being applied in a manner that promotes differential treatment of or provides special benefits to individuals on the basis of race, color or ethnicity.
10. Defines the following terms for transportation planning:
a) accessibility as with consideration for individuals who are elderly or have physical disabilities;
b) air quality as federal air quality and emissions limitations;
c) congestion reduction as alleviating recurrent travel impediments that diminish free flow speeds;
d) connectivity as numerous direct and indirect linkages in the system that maximize the flow of passengers and freight travel;
e) cost-effectiveness as the gains in mobility relative to the financial subsidization to plan, construct, operate and maintain;
f) economic benefits as all the net gains that can be quantified in monetary terms;
g) environmental impacts as changes to the natural and built environment from a project;
h) integration as a seamless combination of different transportation modes that preserves the capacity of the highway system and major arterials;
i) mobility as the ability to move freely, easily and efficiently;
j) operational efficiency as optimizing resource allocation for maximizing the performance criteria relative to cost-effectiveness;
k) project readiness as the fewest impediments present to implement a project;
l) safety improvements as projects that are proven to reduce the number of fatalities or serious injuries based on an analysis of crash data; and
m) system preservation as the recurring maintenance of the federal highway system.
11. Makes conforming changes.
12. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 11, 2024
KJA/EB/slp