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Meetings kicking off I-11 corridor study draw big turnout

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PHOENIX — The numbers speak volumes about Arizona’s interest in the proposed Interstate 11: Six public meetings held recently attracted 540 community members who shared comments and questions. Hundreds more offered their perspectives online.
800-i-11-NAFTA
The Arizona Department of Transportation’s Interstate 11 study team visited Casa Grande, Buckeye, Nogales, Tucson, Marana and Wickenburg to involve the community in a process known as public scoping, part of an environmental study to select a corridor alternative between Nogales and Wickenburg.

That had ADOT representatives answering questions, receiving feedback, and encouraging attendees to mark suggestions and concerns on maps of the 280-mile-long corridor study area.

“We’re excited about the high level of interest and engagement that we’ve seen,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “The great turnout and the opportunity for the public to tell us what’s important to them are critical to this process.”

No specific routes for I-11 have been chosen or favored at this early stage in the process. ADOT’s goal is having a selected corridor alternative in place at the end of the environmental study. A no-build alternative will be considered as well.

The next formal public involvement opportunity will begin early next year, when the study team will present possible routes for I-11.

In addition to those who attended the June meetings, 125 people submitted comment forms or surveys and 522 people completed an online survey during a 45-day comment period.

The study team, which also held scoping meetings in Phoenix, Casa Grande and Tucson with representatives of 21 federal, state and local agencies, will now analyze the feedback.

Anyone interested in sharing their views about the study can do so at any time throughout the study process. Information and materials, including a map of the corridor study area, are available at i11study.com/Arizona.

Comments can be provided via mail, email and voicemail:

Email: I-11ADOTStudy@hdrinc.com
Toll-free bilingual telephone hotline: 1-844-544-8049
Mail:

Interstate 11 Tier 1 EIS Study Team
c/o ADOT Communications
1655 W. Jackson St., Mail Drop 126F
Phoenix, AZ 85007

Cross-border traffic on the rise between Arizona and Mexico

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PHOENIX — Nearly 8,000 more trucks, 400,000 more passenger vehicles and 900,000 more people entering the U.S. in 2015 through Arizona’s international ports of entry speak to numbers critical to this state’s economy:

• $30 billion in imports and exports passing through Arizona’s ports during the year, including much of the produce consumed in the U.S. during the winter.
• $16.8 billion in Arizona exports to Mexico during 2015.
• 100,000 Arizona jobs supported by trade with Mexico.
• $7.8 million spent daily by those visiting Arizona from Mexico.

“The impact of our ports of entry is far reaching,” said Governor Doug Ducey. “The increase in cross-border traffic is another example of Arizona’s flourishing business climate and growing opportunities for economic development.”

U.S. Department of Transportation figures for northbound traffic at Arizona ports of entry showed commercial trucks up 2.1 percent (388,657 total), passenger vehicles up 4.5 percent (8.9 million total) and people visiting Arizona up 4.1 percent (23.8 million total).

U.S. DOT data show that traffic has increased steadily through the years at ports of entry in Nogales, San Luis, Douglas, Lukeville, Naco and Sasabe:

“This amount of cross-border traffic and the continual upward trend in volume means we must continue to make smart investments at the border and ensure that our ports of entry have the necessary staffing and resources to operate effectively, efficiently and safely,” said John Halikowski, director of the Arizona Department of Transportation. “ADOT is working to improve transportation infrastructure at the border, along with traffic flows, with projects slated for State Route 189 and Interstate 19, and ongoing efforts to study how to build Interstate 11 from Nogales to the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge.”

David Farca, president of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, noted that the figures don’t reflect the fact that ports handle southbound traffic as well.

“In reality, our ports of entry processed close to 800,000 trucks, 17 million cars, 48 million people and 1,600 trains,” Farca said. “The ports of entry that connect Arizona to Mexico are of great significance to our economy.”

Arizona also sees considerable sales tax revenue from people who pass through ports of entry to shop, not only in the border communities but the Tucson and Phoenix areas as well.

“A vibrant business relationship with Mexico is key to the growth of Arizona’s economy,” said Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “Our region shares many assets and strengths in areas such as advanced manufacturing, aerospace, optics, agriculture and much more. Continuing to link resources and leverage assets such as infrastructure and transportation will diversify our economy and enhance our region’s overall competitive position.”

ADOT, the Arizona Commerce Authority, the Arizona-Mexico Commission and the Arizona Office of Tourism promote trade and quality infrastructure as members of the Transportation and Trade Corridor Alliance (azttca.org). The group, which also includes community leaders in transportation and international trade, was created in 2012 to help boost economic development and create jobs.

Congressional proposal formally extends I-11 to Southern Arizona

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PHOENIX –– As planning for the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor advances, Arizona Department of Transportation Director John Halikowski today expressed appreciation for the efforts of U.S. Senator John McCain and U.S. Senator Jeff Flake for their work to introduce the Intermountain West Corridor Development Act of 2015 to Congress.

The bill formally extends Interstate 11 from Wickenburg south through the Tucson area to Nogales, Arizona. Interstate 11 had previously received a congressional designation from Phoenix to Las Vegas. The Intermountain West Corridor Development Act would not only formally designate I-11 across Arizona from border to border by establishing a new international trade corridor, but would also extend the interstate north through Nevada as well, with plans to ultimately connect with existing high-priority corridors to the Canadian border.

This act formalizes and reinforces ADOT’s overall concept for Interstate 11 in Arizona. ADOT, through its two-year feasibility study, which was completed last fall, focused on and supported the concept of Interstate 11 that runs border to border throughout Arizona, beginning at the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge and ending at the Arizona-Mexico border.

“I applaud the efforts of Senators McCain and Flake for their continued support to make Interstate 11 a reality,” said Halikowski. “As a part of ADOT’s Key Commerce Corridor plan, investment in corridors like Interstate 11 provides tremendous opportunities for Arizona to connect to other economic centers and up our game through increased trade, tourism, commerce, job growth and economic development throughout Arizona and the Intermountain West.”

The Intermountain West Corridor Development Act is also supported by Senators Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.).

Other benefits of Interstate 11 include connections to major trade hubs and transcontinental roadways and railroad corridors, while improving safety and travel time along the north-south corridors of the western United States.

Last fall, the Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation completed an initial two-year feasibility study as the first step in the Interstate 11 process. In December, the Arizona State Transportation Board took action to approve $15 million for the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, which will allow ADOT to begin an environmental study in the area between Nogales and Wickenburg. The Tier 1 EIS is expected to begin later this year and is estimated to take three years to complete.

Arizona and Nevada to hold public and virtual meetings for the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study

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i11PHOENIX – Two years ago, the Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation launched a study to determine the feasibility of building a new multimodal interstate corridor linking Phoenix and Las Vegas, while stretching south to Mexico and potentially north to Canada. That study is now nearing completion and will include one more opportunity for the public to get involved and provide comments.

Three public meetings and a month-long online virtual meeting are scheduled for the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study to gather comments for the draft Corridor Concept Report, a document that will outline the vision for the corridor, reinforce the justification for building a new multiuse interstate corridor and define an implementation plan to move this project forward.

The Corridor Concept Report and the supporting technical reports and work products will determine whether sufficient justification exists for a new multimodal transportation corridor. It will also establish potential alternatives for the new I-11 and Intermountain West Corridor. The report will outline four chapters: the need for a high-capacity, multimodal corridor to link economies; corridor alignment recommendations that link metro areas and connect communities; the economic value of investment in the corridor; and a call to action, emphasizing the need for continued collaboration to move the I-11 and Intermountain West Corridor forward.

Three public meetings will be held during the month of June:

Tucson Area
June 18, 6 to 8 p.m. (presentation begins at 6:30 p.m.)
Tucson Electric Power Community Room: 88 E. Broadway Blvd. in Tucson

Phoenix Area
June 25, 6 to 8 p.m. (presentation begins at 6:30 p.m.)
Palo Verde Energy Education Center: 600 N. Airport Road in Buckeye

Las Vegas Area
June 26, 4 to 7 p.m. (presentation begins at 5:30 p.m.)
Fifth Street Historical School: 401 S. Fourth St. in Las Vegas

Virtual Public Meeting
From June 18 through July 18, the public can also participate in a virtual meeting, reviewing the latest project information and providing feedback online. This month-long virtual meeting will be hosted on the project website, i11study.com.

ADOT and NDOT have been working together since the summer of 2012 on the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study, which includes detailed corridor planning of an interstate link connecting the Phoenix and Las Vegas metropolitan areas, while extending the corridor through southern Arizona to Mexico and potentially north to Canada. Congress designated the future I-11 corridor between Phoenix and Las Vegas as part of the current surface transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).

The Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study is a two‐year, multiphase, high‐level study examining the feasibility, benefits, opportunities and constraints of a proposed new interstate highway corridor. The study is expected to be completed this summer. Funding to construct this new corridor has not been identified. In addition to the Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation, other study partners are the Maricopa Association of Governments, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Railroad Administration.

For more information about the I‐11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study and to sign up for updates, visit i11study.com.