Merit Criteria Narrative FY26.docx

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Merit Criteria 
Safety 
This project will provide for new multi-modal pathways for vehicular, pedestrian, handicap, and 
bicycle traffic including a dedicated bike lane within historically disadvantaged communities. It 
will also connect to other pedestrian/bicycle/rolling only pathways along the adjacent irrigation 
canal. These pathways will be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible and provide 
safer pathways for non-vehicular pedestrian traffic by separating them from vehicular lanes. The 
overpass nature of this project will separate ground traffic from the railroad tracks, eliminating the 
risk of train versus traffic collisions. Buckeye will be installing Intelligent Transportation Systems 
(ITS), which according to the Department of Transportation, is a national program using 
computers and communications to make travel safer by providing travel information to give 
current, multi-modal information on travel conditions to guide travelers’ choices on how, when, 
and where to travel. It also provides in-vehicle maps and automatic notification to emergency 
services regarding serious accidents and their location. The project also includes traffic signals. 
According to one study (raipher.com-traffic-lights-safety) that measured fatalities at intersections 
without traffic signals versus intersections with traffic signals, reported that out of 10,267 
fatalities at intersections, only 3,145 took place at intersections with traffic signals. Approximately 
70% of the crashes studied involved intersections without traffic signals. Traffic signals generally 
reduce the severe left turn/angle crashes that result in fatalities by indicating which movements 
have the 
right-of-way. Per the Buckeye Police Department, along Watson Road, there were 147 traffic 
accidents in 2023 and 202 during 2024. Buckeye’s goal is to reverse this negative trend. Buckeye 
leverages public health and safety by way of community engagement. News releases and social 
media posts target the entire City to promote traffic safety, warn against the negative effects of 
impaired driving, and highlight the safety features of the proposed project, once completed, as 
identified in the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy plan. 
Buckeye also uses social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Nextdoor, and Instagram and mailers 
to reach all audience demographics. Buckeye also deploys special traffic taskforces to encourage 
safe driving habits and roadway safety. 
The roadway improvements are designed to mitigate human mistakes and facilitate safer travel. 
The grade separation of the roadway from the railroad tracks is an example whereby preventing 
people from crossing the railroad tracks when there is an oncoming train. Also, the road median 
reduces the risk of vehicular oncoming traffic collisions by separating the opposing lanes of 
traffic. Additionally, the dedicated bicycle lanes and sidewalks provide a safe place for non-
vehicular traffic. Crosswalk visibility enhancements, such as lighting, pavement markings, and 
traffic signals, significantly reduce pedestrian crashes by up to 50%. The redundancy and layering 
of this safety infrastructure that will be implemented greatly enhance roadway safety. Buckeye is 
creating a Transportation Safety Plan (TSP), which is incorporating public input and data to 
determine areas for improvement. This project will not only align with the TSP but also 
contribute to the safety of all travelers.) 
To further safety, Watson Road between Southern Avenue and MC85 will have a raised median with 
streetlights. The median will provide a ‘barrier’ between opposing directions of traffic to help 
prevent head-on collisions due to an errant vehicle or inattentive driver. The streetlights will 
provide the proper roadway illumination to ensure the roadway users (vehicles, pedestrians, and 
bicyclists) can see anything in or crossing their travel path. The median will also have limited

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breaks for crossing over traffic, thus minimizing potential vehicle to vehicle conflict points and 
increasing the safety of the corridor.  
 
Buckeye intends to use adaptive street lighting. Adaptive street lighting regulates the light 
intensity based on sunrise and sunset times and weather situations, adjusting light output based 
on real-time conditions. This can significantly reduce energy consumption. Also, light pollution 
and nighttime glare can be reduced, creating a safer environment. Light adjustment can also 
reduce dark spots and shadows where illegal activities can occur. 
Traffic signals will be installed at the intersections along Watson Road at MC85 and Southern 
Avenue. These traffic signals will not only improve the operation of the intersections on the 
Watson Road corridor, but they will also improve the safety of the corridor. The traffic signals 
will be equipped with advance detection zones to minimize dilemma zone situations for drivers, 
which will extend green times as needed to allow vehicles to safely pass through the 
intersection. 
Additionally, the project calls for ITS on Watson Road from Southern Road to MC85. According 
to the Department of Transportation, installing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) along 
Watson Road will help reduce travel time and make travel safer for non-commercial and 
commercial traffic. ITS provides connectivity between traffic signals along Watson Road to 
allow Signal and Traffic Engineering staff the ability to monitor and adjust signal operations as 
necessary for efficiency and safety. A secondary benefit to the ITS system is that it provides a 
connection from the City’s Public Works Facility (home of the traffic signal staff) to the City’s 
ever-growing traffic signal system and the ability to monitor and adjust traffic signal timing as 
needed during peak hours or incidents to minimize traffic delays and reduce travel times and 
emissions. 
Environmental Sustainability 
 
 
ETC Explorer - State Results | USDOT Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer 
(arcgis.com) 
The above ETC tool for Census Tracts 507.01 and 507.02 indicates that the disadvantaged 
community is in the 95th percentile for environmental burden. The existing available route from 
Watson Road and Southern Avenue to Watson Road and MC85 is 3.5 miles because there is no 
pathway directly down Watson Road from Southern Avenue to MC85 due to barriers to 
connectivity of railroad tracks and an irrigation canal. Once the barrier’s overpass of 0.7 miles 
is completed, the distance of travel will be reduced from 3.5 miles to 0.7 miles. The proposed 
multi-modal improvements make the new roadway accessible to vehicular and non-vehicular 
traffic. The proposed improvements reduce the distance by 2.8 miles and reduce travel distance

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and travel time, thereby reducing greenhouse emissions, decreasing reliance on automobiles, 
providing direct access to employment, and benefiting the disadvantaged community. The 
average car produces 348 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per mile and by reducing 
daily work roundtrips distances by 5.6 miles (2.8 miles each way) will reduce CO2 emissions 
by 487,200 grams or 1,074 pounds (5.6 miles per round trip x 348 grams x 250 round trips per 
year) in a single year for just one car. If the average daily traffic were only 3,000 vehicles, that 
would reduce CO2 emissions by over 3 million pounds per year. There are over 4,000 jobs 
available along this route, therefore, daily traffic counts of 3,000 per day are reasonable. The 
projected daily volumes on Watson Road are over 23,000 vehicles for 2040. The construction 
of the project would reduce the traffic volumes on adjacent congested roadways with a potential 
CO2 reduction of over 20 million pounds per year, thus providing a significant health benefit 
to this disadvantaged community as to air quality and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, 
improving environmental conditions and enhancing sustainability. The project will provide 
high quality choices of lower-carbon transportation, such as pedestrian walking, rolling, 
bicycling, scooters, and other modes of travel that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and 
encourage active life activities. The project also provides shorter trip distances for access from 
neighborhoods to retail and business centers. 
According to the Department of Transportation, installing Intelligent Transportation Systems 
(ITS) along Watson Road will help reduce travel time and make travel safer for non-commercial 
and commercial traffic. ITS provides connectivity between traffic signals along Watson Road to 
allow Signal and Traffic Engineering staff the ability to monitor and adjust signal operations as 
necessary for efficiency, reduced travel and wait times, and safety. A secondary benefit to the ITS 
system is that it provides a connection from the City’s Public Works Facility (home of the traffic 
signal staff) to the City’s ever-growing traffic signal system and the ability to monitor and adjust 
traffic signal timing as needed during peak hours or incidents to minimize traffic delays and 
reduce travel times and emissions. 
As per the mapping tool below, improved health conditions, such as asthma and life expectancy, 
can be expected when improving the air quality.

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Land use will include green spaces in the design to provide for nature-based storm water 
drainage, filtering of pollutants, and reduction of surface temperatures. These basins would also 
function as a park and open green space and will be utilized for sports fields for community 
sports programs. Native plants are incorporated into the planned design. Green space can 
improve mental health by reducing stress, depression, and anxiety, and promoting calm, 
improved mood, and relaxation. 
The below maps illustrate the ozone percentile for the proposed Watson Road project, which is 
currently within the 81st percentile and the Particulate Matter percentile, which is currently within 
the 66th percentile, according to the EPA’s EJScreen. 
 
 
 
Buckeye plans to use climate-friendly materials such as cool pavement, adaptive street lighting, 
and low-carbon construction materials. Cool pavement is an emerging technology that reflects 
solar energy and enhances water evaporation. Cool pavement, through reflecting more solar heat, 
helps to mitigate heat island effects. Cool pavement can also reduce stormwater runoff, improve 
safety by reducing water spray from moving vehicles, and improve night visibility by reducing 
lighting requirements. Adaptive street lighting regulates the light intensity based on sunrise and

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sunset times and weather situations. Low-carbon construction materials improve environmental 
sustainability and potentially extend the life of the roadway surface. 
 
 
Quality of Life 
 
This project will reduce vehicle dependence due to the multi-modal traffic accommodation and is 
located within and serves an underserved community. The new facility improves public health as 
it promotes pedestrian walking, biking, and rolling via the dedicated non-vehicular travel lanes 
and sidewalks (pathways). These non-vehicular pathways also connect to other pedestrian 
pathways, which lead to various destinations within the City of Buckeye. The proposed project 
improves access to daily destinations like jobs, healthcare, grocery stores, schools, places of 
worship, recreation, and parks by reducing the miles driven from 3.5 miles to 0.7 miles, thereby 
reducing the roundtrip travel distance by 5.6 miles. Additionally, quality of life and health are 
improved within this historically disadvantaged community by the expected reduction in vehicle 
emissions, as detailed earlier in this Merit Criteria discussion. It is anticipated that CO2 
emissions can be reduced by over 3 million pounds per year. The existing available route from 
Watson Road and Southern Avenue to Watson Road and MC85 is 3.5 miles because there is no 
pathway directly down Watson Road from Southern Avenue to MC85 due to barriers to 
connectivity of railroad tracks and an irrigation canal. Once the barriers overpass of 0.7 miles is 
completed, the distance of travel will be reduced from 3.5 miles to 0.7 miles. The proposed 
multi-modal improvements make the new roadway accessible to vehicular and non-vehicular 
traffic. The proposed improvements reduce the distance by 2.8 miles and reduce travel distance 
and travel time, thereby reducing greenhouse emissions, decreasing reliance on automobiles, 
providing direct access to employment, and benefiting the disadvantaged community. The 
average car produces 348 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per mile and by reducing 
daily work roundtrip distances by 5.6 miles (2.8 miles each way) will reduce CO2 emissions by 
487,200 grams or 1,074 pounds (5.6 miles per round trip x 348 grams x 250 round trips per 
year) in a single year for just one car. If the average daily traffic were only 3,000 vehicles, that 
would reduce CO2 emissions by over 3 million pounds per year. Thereby improving the 
neighborhood quality of life. 
 
Transportation becomes more affordable due to the ability to use free non-vehicular modes of 
transportation. Also, with the shorter distance and shorter travel time, the use of vehicles 
becomes more affordable. Buckeye is installing a new bus stop between this improvement and 
the downtown area, providing the community with more affordable transportation and more 
choices of transportation. Buckeye has over 1,000 street miles, but a significant number of 
those streets do not have sidewalks. Additionally, Buckeye has only 21 miles of bicycle lanes. 
Once completed, the proposed project will have sidewalks and bicycle lanes, which will 
enhance quality of life by providing a new, shorter, direct, and multi-modal route to jobs. 
Over 3,000 jobs will be accessible by walking or bicycling.

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Mobility and Community Connectivity 
 
The project is in coordination with the City Transportation Master Plan to consider environmental 
sustainability and resiliency, stormwater drainage, and flood risk management. The Buckeye 
Transportation Master Plan (https://www.buckeyeaz.gov/home/ 
showpublisheddocument/7882/639026902628930000) (TMP), adopted by the City of Buckeye in 
December 2025, is a plan that will guide the city in the development of a comprehensive 
transportation network, including streets, freight movement, rail, transit, airport, intelligent 
transportation systems and active transportation. The TMP included numerous citizen surveys of 
approximately 5,000 respondents. The surveys revealed that mobility was an issue for the 
community. The survey showed that 75% of the respondents said that the overall quality of 
mobility was substandard. The TMP survey also revealed that 90% of the respondents rated the 
ease of public travel was poor, while 74% said ease of travel by bicycle was difficult, and 57% 
said ease of travel by walking was difficult. Buckeye is creating a Transportation Safety Plan 
(TSP), which is incorporating public input and data to determine areas for improvement. This 
project will not only align with the TSP but also contribute to the safety of all travelers.) 
Buckeye has only two existing transit service routes, which are Routes 563 and 685, which 
service only a small portion of the 640 square miles of city geography. Route 563 is a “Rapid 
Bus” route that provides commuter service to downtown Phoenix through I-10. Although there 
is connectivity to downtown Phoenix, service into Buckeye currently ends at the park-n-ride 
facility located at the intersection of Jackrabbit Trail and McDowell Road.  
The park-n-ride facility includes 330 parking spaces for vehicles, 80 of which are covered, 
and bus bays to accommodate buses on Route 563. And if you do not have a vehicle, this 
arrangement is not available to you. Route 685 provides service to Buckeye and beyond. The 
“Long Trip” service extends outside Buckeye, connecting to the Desert Sky Transit Center in 
Phoenix and the Ajo Transportation Office in Ajo. While Route 685 runs in both an east-west 
and north-south direction, service is primarily limited to the area south of I-10 and east of 
State Route 85 (SR 85) in Buckeye. The Local Route 685 is the only local transit route serving 
Buckeye. The “Short Trip” service consists of a circulator trip offered Monday through 
Friday. The route follows the Regional Route 685 route, but then circles into the downtown 
area, providing connections to the Buckeye Downtown Library and the Dr. Saide Recreation 
Center. In addition to fixed route service, Route 685 provides a demand response service 
where customers can request an off-route pick-up within a 3/4-mile distance from the fixed 
route service. This bus service has only four stops, which is sorely insufficient to service 640 
square miles. 
Buckeye has over 1,000 street miles but a significant number of those streets do not have 
sidewalks. Additionally, Buckeye has only 21 miles of bicycle lanes. Once completed, the 
proposed project will have sidewalks and bicycle lanes, which will enhance mobility and 
connectivity. This will also provide new, shorter, direct, and multi-modal routes to jobs. Over 
4,000 jobs will be accessible by walking or bicycling. 
This proposed project, once completed, will benefit the community by removing access 
barriers and significantly improving connectivity and safety. The project will remove the 
physical barriers by constructing a multi-modal bridge over connectivity barriers, which are an

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irrigation canal and railroad tracks, using community and stakeholder engagement for the 
benefit of Downtown Buckeye and a disadvantaged community. The bridge will be ADA 
accessible and connect Downtown Buckeye and the disadvantaged community to employment 
and economic prosperity by means of vehicle, pedestrian walking, bicycling, and rolling. The 
mitigation of the burdening transportation facility will also improve economic opportunities, 
air pollution, reduce environmental harm, and improve community accessibility and safety. 
The project will reduce the distance from 3.5 miles to 0.7 miles from Watson Road to MC 85, 
a major cross-town roadway connecting downtown neighborhoods to the employers just north 
of the existing barriers. These employers currently employ over 3,000 people. 
 
The average car produces 348 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per mile and by 
reducing daily work roundtrips by 5.6 miles (2.8 miles each way) will reduce CO2 emissions by 
487,200 grams or 1,074 pounds (5.6 miles per round trip x 348 grams x 250 round trips per year) 
in a single year for just one car. If the average daily traffic were only 3,000 vehicles, that would 
reduce CO2 emissions by over 3 million pounds per year. The new multi-modal direct access 
over the existing barriers will improve job prospects and allow for access to employment by 
means other than vehicular. The reduction in miles traveled, as a result of the overpass 
connection, will decrease vehicle emissions and will equitably distribute the benefits of better air 
quality, improving the neighborhood environmental and health conditions. 
 
Located at a portion of Watson Road are some railroad tracks and an irrigation canal, which cuts 
off Watson Road from the southernmost section of Watson Road just north of MC85. These two 
obstacles create a barrier to the surrounding disadvantaged community and precludes direct 
access from MC85 to Watson Road north of these two barriers. 
 
According to the DOT Grant Project Location Verification mapping tool, this entire project is in 
a rural area that has been designated as a historically disadvantaged community census tracts 
507.01 and 507.02. The railroad tracks and the irrigation canal are existing barriers in this 
community that cut off residents from freely traveling back and forth between north and south, 
preventing direct access to employment and community services. 
 
North of the railroad tracks and irrigation canal on the west side of Watson Road is a Walmart 
warehouse distribution center (1,500 employees). Ross Dress for Less is building a distribution 
center on the east side of Watson across from the Walmart distribution center. Construction of the 
Ross Dress for Less distribution center is expected to be completed soon and will provide an 
estimated 1,300 new jobs. Additionally, it is expected that potential new development will 
provide at least 1,300 additional new jobs. These 4,100 jobs, at minimum wage of $15.15 per 
hour wage, will provide $128 million annually in economic benefit to this area. 
 
The railroad tracks and canal create a barrier to accessing these workplaces, as well as recreation 
areas, schools, banks, post office, social services, community services, health services, and 
shopping. The extra time and distance it takes vehicles to travel around these barriers creates 
higher levels of pollution to accumulate in the area. Non-vehicular travel around these barriers is 
difficult to impossible. Construction of a multi-modal overpass over the railroad tracks and

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irrigation canal, and completion of the road connecting Watson Road from Southern Avenue to 
MC85 will accommodate vehicular traffic, pedestrians, handicaps, and bicyclists. Dedicated 
bicycle paths and sidewalks for pedestrians will provide pathways for non-vehicular mobility and 
community connectivity. 
 
Using the EPA’s EJScreen geospatial tool, the ozone reading at this area is in the 81st percentile 
compared to the United States. The project will reduce the driving distance from 3.5 miles to 0.7 
miles. The goal is to reduce travel times, reduce distance, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and 
provide safe pathways for non-vehicular pedestrian traffic. The completed project will benefit the 
community and provide equity by removing access disparities and significantly improving 
connectivity and safety. The new multi-modal direct access over the existing barriers will 
improve job prospects and allow for access to employment by means other than vehicular. The 
reduction in miles traveled, as a result of the overpass connection, will decrease vehicle 
emissions and will equitably distribute the benefits of better air quality, improving the 
neighborhood environmental and health conditions. 
 
Based upon the two below snippets from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Equitable 
Transportation Community Tool (outlined in blue), approximately 9.6% of the downtown 
community households do not own a personal vehicle. The City is beginning the planning 
process of implementing a transit circulator for the portion of Buckeye south of Interstate 10 and 
east of SR 85 (the primary commercial and employment areas of the City, which includes this 
project and the disadvantaged community). Completing Watson Road between Southern Avenue 
and MC85 and improving the Watson corridor will allow the transit circulator direct access from 
the residential areas of downtown Buckeye to the large employers. Bus stops are planned along 
Watson for the future bus circulator that will pick up non-vehicular travelers for transportation 
around the community. Dedicated bike paths provide mobility and community connectivity for 
non-vehicular pedestrian traffic. The project also provides employment centers that have large 
shipping warehouses additional routing access for the volume of semi-tractor trucks that flow 
from the warehouses. These warehouses include Walmart, Ross Dress for Less, and Cardinal 
Glass, and others planned to build in the area.

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Buckeye has incorporated community participation by having several public meetings to discuss 
improvement plans. The bridge on Watson Road over the railroad tracks and the irrigation canal 
has been a highly desired infrastructure improvement by the community. 
 
According to the map below from the EPA’s EJScreen, the affected disadvantaged communities 
are currently within the 61st percentile in regard to Transportation Access Burden. Through this 
project, the City of Buckeye seeks to reduce the transportation access burden for the rural and 
disadvantaged downtown Buckeye residents. Vehicular and non-vehicular modes of travel will 
be able to utilize Watson Road, including public transit, thus reducing the transportation access 
burden.

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Economic Competitiveness and Opportunity 
 
Surveys have been conducted polling approximately 5,000 Buckeye residents. The results have 
shown that only 27% of respondents felt that they had good or excellent employment 
opportunities. 
 
The project improves multimodal freight mobility by providing the large warehouse centers that 
are located just north of the connectivity barriers with additional access to routes for the 
volume of semi-tractor trucks that flow from the warehouses. These warehouses ship goods 
nationwide. which include Walmart, Ross Dress for Less, and Cardinal Glass, and others 
planned to be built in the area. Buckeye has over 1,000 street miles, but a significant number of 
those streets do not have sidewalks. Additionally, Buckeye has only 21 miles of bicycle lanes. 
Once completed, the proposed project will have sidewalks and bicycle lanes, which will 
enhance economic competitiveness and opportunity through the use of this new, shorter, direct, 
and multi-modal route to over 3,000 jobs. 
 
By removing the barriers caused by the railroad tracks and the irrigation canal, the project will 
open new, good-paying jobs to the residents of the Buckeye disadvantaged community. These 
jobs include Walmart distribution center with an estimated 1,500 employees, Cardinal Glass, 
with an estimate of 200+ employees next to Walmart, and Ross Dress for Less distribution 
center, about to open, across the road from Walmart with an estimated 1,300 new jobs. Walmart 
provides workforce development programs for its employees. Ross provides tuition assistance to 
vocational, undergraduate, and graduate programs for its employees. These programs will further 
reduce the hardships faced by those in the disadvantaged community and improve the quality of 
life. The increased access to employment promotes wealth building for the local residents. The 
project also encourages long-term economic growth by making the area more warehouse friendly 
by providing multiple accessible shipping routes. The shorter distance to travel to access the 
employment center aids in the promotion of local hiring preferences. 
Buckeye is planning to use Project Labor Agreements, when possible, to ensure fair wages will 
be paid to workers and to encourage that underrepresented and local workers will be hired for 
project work. This project will be open for bid to all qualified contractors, including Minority 
Business Enterprises, Minority Owned Businesses, Woman Owned Businesses, and Veteran 
Owned Businesses. The completed project will support equitable commercial and mixed-income 
residential development. 
 
The image below illustrates the unemployment rate percentile for the affected areas, with much 
of the downtown Buckeye area’s unemployment rate percentile being within the 80th percentile  
or higher. The Watson Road project seeks to reduce the unemployment percentiles by improving 
access to employers.

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In downtown Buckeye, a new apartment complex has been built 2.4 miles west of Watson Road, 
called Solana Villas, which has 200 apartments available for rent. According to census.gov, the 
average household is comprised of 3.16 persons, thus these 200 new apartments will house 
approximately 632 people and create a greater need for the connection of Watson Road since it is 
an arterial roadway which will connect to good-paying jobs. Additionally, approximately 1.5 
miles southwest of Watson Road is another townhome-style residential development currently 
being built, called Lanai Living, which will have a total of 444 units available for rent. Based on 
census.gov, the average household is comprised of 3.16 persons, thus these 444 new townhomes 
will house approximately 1,403 people and create a greater need for the connection of Watson 
Road. Many of these new residents of the area will likely traverse via Watson Road since it is an 
arterial roadway connecting users to Interstate-10, which runs east-west and is approximately 32 
miles west of Phoenix. Additionally, the connection of Watson Road will eliminate the current 
barrier for first responders as they are unable to quickly respond to calls for service since 
Watson Road is not a through street at MC85. Connecting Watson Road will alleviate traffic in 
Downtown Buckeye and surrounding areas as it will be one of the main arterial roadways 
connecting downtown Buckeye. The only other arterial roadway in Downtown Buckeye is 
Miller Road, which will not have the capacity to accommodate commuters in the near future, 
due to the rapid growth that Buckeye is experiencing. 
 
 
 
State of Good Repair 
 
Buckeye intends to reduce construction maintenance burdens through efficient and well-
integrated design. Buckeye plans to use climate-friendly materials such as cool pavement, 
adaptive street lighting, and low-carbon construction materials.  
 
Cool pavement is an emerging technology that reflects solar energy and enhances water

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evaporation. Cool pavement, through reflecting more solar heat, helps to mitigate heat island 
effects. Cool pavement can also reduce stormwater runoff, improve safety by reducing water 
spray from moving vehicles, and improve night visibility by reducing lighting requirements. 
Cool pavement has a longer useful life, thereby reducing maintenance and cost of replacement. A 
pilot study in Arizona found that conventional paving materials such as asphalt can reach surface 
temperatures up to 152°F at midday, while the surface temperature of cool pavements remained 
10 to 16°F cooler. Cool pavements can be created with existing pavement technologies, such as 
asphalt and concrete. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), research 
has shown that cool pavements can have a useful life of over 50 years. While on the other hand, 
conventional pavements, according to research by the Asphalt Institute, can range from 15 to 30 
years. The ability to extend the useful life of the pavement by approximately double can 
significantly improve the state of good repair and cost benefits. 
 
Adaptive street lighting regulates the light intensity based on sunrise and sunset times and 
weather situations, adjusting light output based on real-time conditions. This has the ability to 
significantly reduce energy consumption. Also, light pollution and nighttime glare can be 
reduced creating a safer environment. Light adjustment can also reduce dark spots and shadows 
where illegal activities can occur. Energy costs and maintenance savings can be improved 
through the use of longer lasting LED bulbs. 
 
Low-carbon construction materials improve environmental sustainability and potentially extend 
the life of roadway surface. Low-carbon construction materials are designed to reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining structural performance and durability. According to 
an environmental monitoring organization called Construction Today, using low carbon 
materials can lower harmful emissions such as carbon dioxide, sometimes exceeding 50% 
reductions. Also, low-carbon materials can reduce energy use and provide resistance to cracking. 
The proposed project satisfies the Complete Streets approach by completing this new 
infrastructure on Watson Road, overpassing the railroad tracks and the irrigation canal, thereby 
creating new infrastructure in this remote community that will be maintained in a state of good 
repair, fixing an existing system vulnerability for this rural and underserved community. The 
City will be responsible for the on-going maintenance and state of good repair of this project 
post-completion.  
 
Partnership and Collaboration 
 
The project will remove physical barriers by constructing a multi-modal bridge over connectivity 
barriers, which are an irrigation canal and railroad tracks, using community and stakeholder 
engagement for the benefit of Downtown Buckeye and a disadvantaged community. From 
December 2022 through 2024, periodic public meetings were held wherein the public reviewed 
various proposals regarding Buckeye revitalization. Present at the meetings were City staff, 
outside planning consultant Olsson Planning, and numerous community-based organizations, 
and residents of the community. One item that the public consistently requested was the Watson 
Road infrastructure improvements requested in this grant application. Buckeye also surveyed 
over 5,000 residents and received input during the update of the Buckeye Transportation Master 
Plan. Additional community engagement will include, but not limited to, news releases, social

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media releases, further meetings with community-based organizations, and messages on the City 
website to ensure that considerations for underserved communities are meaningfully integrated 
throughout the lifecycle of the project. Buckeye is and will be coordinating with other types of 
projects such as economic development, commercial or residential development, power/electric 
infrastructure projects, and broadband and fiber deployment. Buckeye is also participating with a 
non-DOT Federal capacity-building program, Environmental Protection Agency’s 
Environmental Justice EPA Targeted Brownfields Assessment on a 40-acre parcel in an 
adjacent historically disadvantaged community census tract for Brownfields Assessment, to 
create a public trailhead, park, and wildlife riparian restoration in partnership with the Arizona 
Forestry Department. 
 
Innovation 
 
Buckeye will be installing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), which according to the 
Department of Transportation, is a national program using computers and communications to 
make travel safer by providing travel information to give current, multi-modal information on 
travel conditions to guide choices on how, when, and where to travel. It also provides in-vehicle 
maps and automatic notification to emergency services regarding serious accidents and their 
location. Intelligent commercial vehicle systems help public agencies improve safety by 
inspecting vehicles that need it most. The ITS system provides a connection from the City’s 
Public Works Facility (home of the traffic signal staff) to the City’s traffic signal system and the 
ability to monitor and adjust traffic signal timing as needed during peak hours or incidents, to 
minimize traffic delays and reduce travel times and emissions. Innovative Technologies will be 
employed to enhance the environment for electric, connected, and automated vehicles to improve 
the detection, mitigation, and documentation of safety risks. Buckeye will also use practices that 
facilitate accelerated project delivery, such as single contractor design-build arrangements, 
congestion management, asset management, and long-term operations and maintenance. 
As mentioned in detail earlier, Buckeye plans to use climate-friendly materials such as cool 
pavement, adaptive street lighting, and low-carbon construction materials. Cool pavement 
reflects more solar heat and helps to mitigate heat island effects. Cool pavement can also reduce 
stormwater runoff, improve safety by reducing water spray from moving vehicles, and improve 
night visibility by reducing lighting requirements. Adaptive street lighting regulates the light 
intensity based on sunrise and sunset times and weather situations, creating safer conditions. 
Low-carbon construction materials improve environmental sustainability and potentially extend 
the life of the roadway surface. Low-carbon construction materials are designed to reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining structural performance and durability.  
 
 
Buckeye anticipates that advanced digital construction management systems will be used to help 
manage the project to improve efficiency and safety. Additionally, accelerated bridge 
construction and digital as-builts are expected to be used to plan, design, and review 
construction methods to reduce time and effort.