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24. PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE MARICOPA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS (MAG) REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN (RTP) FOR USE OF A LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION IN THE CITY OF MESA Approve a written recommendation of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (BOS) to the MAG Transportation Policy Committee (TPC) regarding the proposed amendments to the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) to transfer funds from the MAG RTP Arterial Life Cycle Program (ALCP) to the Transit Life Cycle Program (TLCP) for the City of Mesa to extend the Light Rail Transit on Main Street from Mesa Drive to Gilbert Road. The City of Mesa is asking for approval to remove federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds in the amount of $153,366,043 from sixteen (16) ALCP projects and to use the funding to reimburse costs associated with the design, right-of-way acquisitions, and construction of a 1.9 mile light rail transit extension on Main Street from Mesa Drive to Gilbert Road. The proposed request is a major amendment to the RTP because there is more than one-mile of fixed transit being added. However, the deletion of the projects from the ALCP is not subject to the major amendment requirements in state law for the RTP. In addition, the transfer of Proposition 400 sales tax funds from arterial roads to the transit mode is prohibited under the terms of the proposition and state law, but the transfer of federal highway funds is not subject to the same restriction. Pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes Section 28-6353, the amendment requires that consultation by MAG be made with the BOS, the State Transportation Board, and the Regional Public Transportation Authority. Each entity shall submit a written recommendation to the MAG Transportation Policy Committee (TPC) within thirty (30) days after receiving the proposed amendment. Supervisory Districts No. 1 & 2 (C-64-13-083-M-00)