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Agenda Item #11 MARICOPA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS INFORMATION SUMMARY... for your review DATE: May 2,2017 SUBJECT: Major Amendment to the Regional Transportation Plan - Arizona State Route 30, SR-85 to Interstate 17 SUMMARY: On October 28, 2009, the MAG Regional Council deferred constructing Arizona State Route 30 (SR-30), then identified as the 1-10 Reliever Freeway, from the funded portion of the MAG Regional Transportation Plan. Recent rebalancing of the Regional Freeway and Highway Program (RFHP) has returned SR-30 from Loop 303 to Loop 202/South Mountain to the program with a Phase I (Interim) facility in preparation for ultimate freeway construction beyond the Proposition 400 horizon. As the recent RFHP rebalancing addresses a first phase for SR-30, the Interstate 10/Hassayampa Valley and Central Phoenix framework studies demonstrated the need for a continuous freeway between SR-85 in Buckeye and Interstate 17 in Phoenix to improve travel time reliability and provide congestion relief along Interstate 10 in the West Valley, this region's primary freight corridor. The requested action is to recommend submitting as a Major Amendment the proposal to add two segments of SR-30 into the MAG 2040 Regional Transportation Plan: SR-85 to Loop 303 and Loop 202/South Mountain to Interstate 17, based upon reasonable expectations of funding. In the MAG Regional Transportation Plan, adopted November 25, 2003, the SR-30 corridor was recommended construction in two stages. The initial stage, a full freeway, constructed between Loop 303 and Loop 202/South Mountain was recommended. An interim (minimum two-lane) roadway was also recommended for construction between SR-85 and Loop 303. The Plan went on to recommend acquiring sufficient right-of-way for this segment to allow for future freeway construction as part of the ultimate concept for SR-30. During the period between the 2009 deferral and 2017 rebalancing, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) continued with environmental studies for the Loop 303 to Loop 202/South Mountain freeway segment. Recently, these studies have been restarted now that funding has been identified for a Phase I (Interim) facility with the goal of a Finding of No Significant Impacts (FONSI) by 2019. In addition, sufficient study of the corridor between SR-85 and Loop 303 was also conducted to identify a potential location of SR-30 that would allow the siting of the system interchange in Goodyear. As Interstate 10 continues to carry considerable travel demand since SR-30 was introduced in 2003, the future volumes will only increase on this vital freight link, further exacerbating the congestion in the Southwest Valley. Recommendations from the Interstate 10/Hassayampa Valley Framework Study noted the need to continue planning for SR-30 as a freeway corridor south of Downtown Buckeye and linking to a junction with Loop 303. The Framework Study further identifies the locations of traffic interchanges to provide access to arterials and land uses in the corridor. Prior to MAG Regional Council acceptance, Buckeye adopted its General Plan on January 18, 2008, incorporating the Framework's recommendations for SR-30 (then identified as SR-801) within its municipal planning area. Buckeye voters ratified the General Plan on May 20, 2008. As framework planning continued in the MAG Region, the Central Phoenix Transportation Framework Study noted the need for a freeway link along the SR-30 study alignment between Loop 202/South Mountain and Interstate 17. This link was not considered in the MAG Regional Transportation Plan that was adopted November 25, 2003. The need stemmed from the growing travel demand along the Interstate 10 segment between Loop 202/South Mountain and 1-17 at the Stack traffic interchange. This growing travel demand, coupled with buildout of land uses in the Southwest Valley prompted the Framework Study to recommend extending the SR-30 corridor to Downtown Phoenix. The report produced for this extension considered five different alignments and noted from a high level environmental overview that this SR-30 link would be feasible. Demonstration of reasonable expectation of funding is needed prior to the initiation of environmental studies for identifying an SR-30 centerline along these two segments. Based upon the fiscal projections of revenue identified in the MAG 2040 Regional Transportation Plan, currently in draft form, reasonable expectation of funding is available for the entire SR-30 corridor from SR-85 in Buckeye and Interstate 17. This expectation includes additional construction to convert the Phase 1 (Interim) roadway recommended in the 2017 Tentative Scenario for rebalancing the Regional Freeway and Highway Program between Loop 303 and Loop 202/South Mountain. If recommended, this proposed SR-30 action would initiate the process for a Major Amendment to the Regional Transportation Plan. According to A.R.S. 28-6353, the Major Amendment process begins with consultation with the State Transportation Board, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, the Regional Public Transportation Authority, the Indian Communities, the cities and towns in Maricopa County, and the Citizens Transportation Oversight Committee. Before final action can be taken, a finding of air quality conformity would also be needed. Based upon this information, the following schedule has been identified for the SR-30 Major Amendment process: April 19, 2017- Transportation Policy Committee may make a recommendation for approval of the Major Amendment to the MAC Regional Council for consultation consideration. April 26, 2017- MAG Regional Council may approve the concept and requests consultation. April 27, 2017 and May 10, 2017 - Respectively, Transportation Review Committee and Management Committee receives Major Amendment briefing, for information and discussion. June and July 2017 - Submit the proposed Major Amendment to the State Transportation Board, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, the Regional Public Transportation Authority, and the Citizens Transportation Oversight Committee, and MAG member agencies as needed, for information, discussion, and possible action. August 16, 2017- Transportation Policy Committee may recommend the Major Amendment to the MAG 2040 Regional Transportation Plan to the MAG Regional Council, contingent upon a finding of air quality conformity. August 30, 2017 - MAG Regional Council may approve the Major Amendment to the MAG 2040 Regional Transportation Plan, contingent upon a finding of air quality conformity. After air quality conformity finding, MAG Regional Council may take action to amend the RTP and TIP on September 27, 2017. US Department of Transportation Finding of Conformity in October 2017. Links to MAG's Framework Studies can be found at http://wvvw.bgaz.org . All final documents related to these studies are available at this portal. 2 PUBLIC INPUT: As the Interstate 10/Hassayampa Valley Framework Study was developed, more than 175 meetings were conducted between 2006 and 2008 with stakeholders to obtain consent for the Framework's recommendations. The Central Phoenix Transportation Framework Study was developed as technical documents to assess the feasibility of a variety of improvements throughout the area bounded by Loop 101 on the west, north, and east, and the Gila River Indian Community on the south. A public information process was used to identify issues within the Framework Study area. PROS & CONS: PROS: As the original name behind SR-30 implies, the corridor is meant to be a reliever for traffic to bypass congestion on Interstate 10. The freeway also improves accessibility to the area south of 1-10, which contains truck terminals and other freight generators. The freeway would be designed to handle high volumes of traffic, both goods movement (trucks) and passenger vehicles. CONS: Although a Phase I (Interim) corridor has been funded as part of the 2017 Tentative Scenario, both segments - SR-85 to Loop 303 and Loop 202/South Mountain to Interstate 17- are largely unfunded. Additional studies, in particular those EIS studies conducted under the guidance of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, are needed to identify the SR-30's centerline that allows continuing public- and private-sector planning. TECHNICAL & POLICY IMPLICATIONS: TECHNICAL: By incorporating these segments of SR-30 into the Regional Transportation Plan, ADOT has the opportunity to initiate the appropriate environmental studies to locate the freeway centerline. A centerline provides greater certainty for both public- and private-sector planning along the corridor. POLICY: Adding the SR-30 segments to the Regional Transportation Plan requires a Major Amendment. The process has been identified in A.R.S. 28-6353 requiring consultation with the State Transportation Board, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, the Regional Public Transportation Authority, the Indian Communities, the cities and towns in Maricopa County, and the Citizens Transportation Oversight Committee. ACTION NEEDED: Information and discussion. PRIOR COMMITTEE ACTIONS: On April 26, 2017, the MAG Regional Council approved submitting as a Major Amendment to the Regional Transportation Plan the proposal to add the Arizona State Route 30 corridor as a freeway facility from SR-85 to Loop 303 and from Loop 202/South Mountain to 1-17 into the MAG 2040 Regional Transportation Plan, presently in draft form, contingent upon a finding of air quality conformity, for consultation with the State Transportation Board, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, the Regional Public Transportation Authority, the Indian Communities, the cities and towns in Maricopa County, and the Citizens Transportation Oversight Committee, as required by A.R.S. 28-6353. MEMBERS ATTENDING Mayor Greg Stanton, Phoenix, Chair Councilmember David L. Smith, Mayor Jackie Meck, Buckeye, Vice Chair Cave Creek * Councilmember Robin Barker, Mayor Jay Tibshraeny, Chandler Apache Junction Mayor Lana Mook, El Mirage * Mayor Kenneth Weise, Avondale Mayor Tara Walter, Florence * Councilmernber Mike Farrar, Carefree 3 * President Bernadine Burnette, Fort . Mayor Cathy Carlat, Peoria McDowell Yavapai Nation Supervisor Todd House, Pinal County * Councilmember Nick DePorter, Mayor Gail Barney, Queen Creek Fountain Hills * President Delbert Ray, Salt River Mayor Tommy Lee Sikes, Gila Bend Pima-Maricopa Indian Community ,, Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, Gila River Mayor W.J. "Jim" Lane, Scottsdale Indian Community Mayor Sharon Wolcott, Surprise Mayor Jenn Daniels, Gilbert Mayor Mark Mitchell, Tempe Mayor Jerry VVeiers, Glendale Mayor Anna Tovar, Tolleson Mayor Georgia Lord, Goodyear Mayor Everett Sickles, Wickenburg # Mayor Valerie Molina, Guadalupe Mayor Michael LeVault, Youngtown # Mayor Thomas Schoaf, Litchfield Park Mr. Roc Arnett, Citizens Transportation Mayor Christian Price, City of Maricopa Oversight Committee Supervisor Denny Barney, Maricopa Co. Mr. Joseph La Rue, State Transportation Mayor John Giles, Mesa Board Councilmember Mark Stanton for Mayor Mr. Jack Sellers, State Transportation Michael Collins, Paradise Valley Board * Those members neither present nor represented by proxy. # Attended by telephone conference call. + Attended by videoconference On April 19, 2017, the Transportation Policy Committee recommended approval of submitting as a Major Amendment to the Regional Transportation Plan the proposal to add the Arizona State Route 30 corridor as a freeway facility from SR-85 to Loop 303 and from Loop 202/South Mountain to 1-17 into the MAG 2040 Regional Transportation Plan, presently in draft form, contingent upon a finding of air quality conformity, for consultation with the State Transportation Board, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, the Regional Public Transportation Authority, the Indian Communities, the cities and towns in Maricopa County, and the Citizens Transportation Oversight Committee, as required by A.R.S. 28-6353. The vote passed, with one abstention (shaded). MEMBERS ATTENDING Mayor John Giles, Mesa, Chair Mr. Charles Huellmantel, Huellmantel and Mayor Kenneth Weise, Avondale, Affiliates Vice Chair Mayor Georgia Lord, Goodyear * Mr. F. Rockne Arnett, Citizens * Mayor Mark Mitchell, Tempe Transportation Oversight Committee * Mayor Lana Mook, El Mirage Mr. Dave Berry, Swift Transportation Mayor Christian Price, City of Maricopa Vice Mayor Bridget Binsbacher, Peoria . Mr. Mark Reardon, Vulcan Materials Co. Mayor Jenn Daniels, Gilbert Mr. Jack Sellers, State Transportation Mr. Doug DeClusin, Sunland Asphalt Board Councilmember Nora Ellen, Chandler * Councilmember David N. Smith, Vice President Martin Harvier, Salt River Scottsdale Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Mayor Greg Stanton, Phoenix Supervisor Clint Hickman, Maricopa Ms. Karrin Kunasek Taylor, Arizona County Strategies, LLC * Mayor Jerry Weiers, Glendale Mayor Sharon Wolcott, Surprise * Not present # Participated by telephone conference call + Participated by videoconference call CONTACT PERSON: Bob Hazlett, Senior Engineering Manager, 602 254-6300. 4