Tag Archives: Phoenix

ADOT’s message signs are valuable holiday weekend tools

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PHOENIX – With drivers heading out on Memorial Day weekend trips along state highways, the Arizona Department of Transportation’s network of message signs will carry essential travel and safety information.

Messages ranging from “Crash Ahead Right Lane Blocked” to “Drive Sober” can be displayed on the more than 250 electronic boards that ADOT uses to keep travelers up to date across the Grand Canyon State. The signs also will be used to remind drivers about extreme wildfire conditions.

With Interstate 17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff one of the busiest highways on holiday weekends, ADOT has over the past year installed four new message boards at key locations between Anthem and the State Route 69 interchange at Cordes Junction.

The two newer northbound I-17 message signs, near Table Mesa Road and Mud Springs Road in the Black Canyon City area, inform drivers about conditions or offer safety tips before they start the climb up the mountainous stretch to Sunset Point.

The two newer southbound message boards at Cordes Junction and approaching the Sunset Point Rest Area also play a key role in keeping motorists up to date, especially if traffic has been slowed or stopped due to an incident as travelers return to the Phoenix area.

There are now 17 message boards along I-17 between north Phoenix and Flagstaff.

ADOT also provides highway condition information via its Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT. Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov. When a freeway closure or other major traffic event occurs, our free app available at ADOTAlerts.com will send critical information directly to app users in affected areas – where possible, in advance of alternate routes.

Trail camera rule change subject of webcast May 29

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PHOENIX –– The Arizona Game and Fish Department will host and webcast a public forum on a proposed rule change within Article 3, “Taking and Handling of Wildlife,” at 6 p.m. May 29 at department headquarters (Quail Room), 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix.
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The webcast can be viewed at www.azgfd.gov/webcast. The topic of discussion will focus exclusively on a proposed rule change by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission pertaining to the use of a trail camera within one-fourth mile of a developed water source.Questions can be asked in-person in the department’s Quail Room, or submitted by e-mail during the forum at questions@azgfd.gov. The final rule will be presented to the five-member commission at its June 8-9 meeting at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Highway 87, Mile Marker 251, in Payson.

To track the progress of this rule, view the regulatory agenda and all previous Five-year Review Reports, and to learn about any other agency rulemaking matters, visit https://www.azgfd.com/agency/rulemaking/.

Arizona Highways offers new guidebook on northern Arizona

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PHOENIX – Northern Arizona, home to some of the country’s most scenic areas, is the focus of a new travel book produced by Arizona Highways magazine.

Arizona Guidebook, Part One, now available in bookstores and at ArizonaHighways.com, offers tips on places to eat, sleep, hike, drive and take beautiful photographs across the region.

The 160-page soft-cover book features detailed travel information about Flagstaff, Sedona, Williams, Prescott, Jerome, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and the Navajo Nation, Lake Powell and Route 66. It also contains stunning photographs by Arizona Highways contributors.

The book, the first of two about travel across Arizona, is the latest in Arizona Highways’ collection of guidebooks on subjects including camping, hiking, scenic drives and photography. The second guidebook in this series will be available in fall 2019.

Arizona Highways, produced by the Arizona Department of Transportation, has subscribers in all 50 states and more than 120 countries and is regarded as the authority on Arizona travel. It also publishes a variety of coffee table books and a popular calendar.

MVD in the inbox

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PHOENIX – Innovations that are making lines shorter and services more convenient for Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division customers are coming at a rapid-fire pace. To keep up, MVD is using occasional emails to let customers know what’s new.

More than 1.6 million customers currently get registration renewal updates and will also now periodically receive information about MVD service improvements.

Since 2016, MVD has added more online services options to include:

· electronic title transfers,
· updating insurance information,
· creating personal AZ MVDNow accounts,
· making office appointments for road tests,
· getting the Voluntary Travel I.D., among other services.

About two-thirds of all MVD transactions can be done online.

Other innovations include streamlined office customer service, expanded operating hours, and shorter wait times for phone customers.

“Obviously, people don’t want to be overwhelmed with emails, so any communication will be infrequent and designed to inform our valued customers about improved or added services options. It’s very important that we keep our customers updated about ways we’re working to get Arizonans out of line and safely on the road,” she added.

To sign up for both email registration renewal notification and updates go to the “Address / email change” tab at www.ServiceArizona.com. Those interested in service improvement updates only may sign up for “Motor Vehicle News and Info” at the “Subscribe to Updates” tab at www.azdot.gov.

Need that road test to get a license? Make appointment online

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PHOENIX – Taking a road test to get a driver license can be filled with worry for some people. But one thing that won’t cause anxiety is scheduling the test because it’s among the many online service features available from Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division.

Online scheduling for road test appointments has been available for some time, and it’s proven to benefit customers in several ways.

“Online appointments take the guesswork out of when you can take a road test,” said MVD Stakeholder Relations Manager Jennifer Bowser-Richards. “Customers simply go to ServiceArizona.com to make their appointment knowing that when they arrive at an MVD location, they will be assured of getting the test done. There’s no more going to an office and hoping that an appointment is available. It saves our customers from taking needless trips and keeps wait times shorter so we can get Arizonans out of line and safely on the road.”

This innovation began in 2016 and results from implementation of the Arizona Management System championed by Governor Doug Ducey. MVD employees are encouraged every day to find ways to improve customer service, and changes like this have helped lower the average door-to-door time to less than 30 minutes at urban offices.

To make an online road test appointment click on the “MVD Office Appointments” tab at ServiceArizona.com.

AZGFD inviting volunteers to construct Roosevelt Lake fish habitat

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Anglers: The Arizona Game and Fish Department will be constructing fish habitat at Roosevelt Lake on Friday, May 11, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday, May 12, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Volunteers are welcome to come help build these structures.

Meet up at the Windy Hill amphitheater parking lot, where Georgia cubes (pictured) will be built. Please bring cordless drills and sawzalls. It will be hot, so come prepared.

If you have any questions, email Bryant Dickens at bdickens@azgfd.gov. We look forward to seeing you there.

See the location of the amphitheater.

What to do if you’re in a boating accident

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PHOENIX – While no one anticipates that their day on the water will be cut short by an accident, all boaters should prepare for the unexpected and know what to do in the event of an incident.

If you are in a collision or accident while on one of the state’s waterways, Arizona law requires you to:

  • stop and render aid at the scene of the accident;
  • help those that have been injured and provide any assistance necessary unless doing so would endanger additional passengers or boats; and
  • exchange names, addresses, contact information and the boats’ identifying numbers with anyone injured in the accident and/or the owner of any property that was damaged.

If it’s an emergency, call 911 if cellphone service is available. When preparing for an outing, boaters should take note of which law enforcement agency has jurisdiction on the waterway in order to call for assistance if needed. In addition, the National Safe Boating Council recommends that boaters carry at least two communication devices that will work when wet. For example, an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) and personal locator beacon (PLB) both transmit a coded message to the nearest rescue coordination center.
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Celebrate Air Quality Awareness Week

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PHOENIX (April 30, 2018) – The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is celebrating Air Quality Awareness Week April 30 to May 4, 2018. While there have been improvements in air quality over the last 40 years, Arizona still faces challenges. Weather and climate are big factors in our air quality, but each person can make a difference in reducing air pollution.

“The biggest contributors to air pollution decades ago – industry – are no longer the biggest contributors today. Our air pollution issues are now community-based, which means our solutions are community-based,” says Timothy Franquist, ADEQ Air Quality Division Director. “With 7 million people living, working and enjoying all that Arizona has to offer, small actions add up to big ones. Together, we can positively impact our environment, our economy and our community.”

Monday, April 30: Celebrate the successes. Since 1990, air quality has improved for Arizona even as the population and economy has grown. Plus, the American Lung Association found in their 2018 State of the Air report that some counties and the city of Phoenix were experiencing fewer days of unhealthy levels for certain pollutants compared to the last report.

Tuesday, May 1: World Asthma Day. Almost 100 Arizona residents die every year due to asthma. Hundreds of thousands more suffer from it. Driving less, curbing fireworks use during the holidays and using gas instead of wood fires are all actions that can reduce harmful pollutants.

Wednesday, May 2: Ozone. What type of air pollution can you not see or smell? Ozone. By simply driving less, taking mass transit, reducing idling in lines at drive-thru windows and waiting to fuel up until after dark, we can reduce the amount of ozone impacting our breathing.

Thursday, May 3: PM-10 — also known as dust. Some areas in Arizona are in nonattainment for PM-10, which means they are above a level set by the Clean Air Act and the EPA to control pollutants. This has economic impacts with increased regulation, as well as health impacts.

Friday, May 4: PM-2.5 — also known as smoke. These tiny particles get deep into the lungs and can cause bigger health impacts than PM-10. Smoke from fireworks during the 4th of July holiday may drive those with respiratory issues inside or even to the hospital.

What can you do? You can be a part of the solution! Working together, we can improve air quality across Arizona, allowing each of us to breathe easier. Please help us spread the word.

For information to localize this story to your area and audience, contact ADEQ PIO Erin Jordan at jordan.erin@azdeq.gov or 602-771-2215.

TIPS TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY:

  • Ride transit, carpool or telework.
  • Eliminate all unnecessary driving and/or combine trips.
  • Avoid idling.
  • Refuel after dark.
  • Keep your tires inflated to proper levels and your car tuned.
  • Change your oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles.
  • Avoid the use of gas-powered lawn equipment.
  • Avoid dirt roads.
  • Avoid the use of leaf blowers.
  • Use gas or electric instead of burning wood.
  • Limit the lighting of fireworks.

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ADOT receives $7 million in federal relief for summer 2017 flood damage

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PHOENIX – The Federal Highway Administration is providing $7 million in emergency relief funds to help cover the Arizona Department of Transportation’s cost of repairing two state highways damaged by flooding last summer. Governor Doug Ducey issued an emergency declaration for both highways. The $7 million reimbursement allows ADOT to put money spent on these emergency repairs toward other highway projects.

A long stretch of State Route 88 northeast of Apache Junction experienced structural erosion following an intense monsoon storm last July. The highway remained open while ADOT made emergency repairs, and now much of that stretch is part of a previously planned safety-improvement project.

On Mount Graham in southeastern Arizona, runoff from areas scarred by the Frye Fire, which started in early June, damaged the upper reaches of State Route 366, also known as Swift Trail. Because of damage to the roadway and concerns about flash flooding from burned areas, the highest reaches of the highway remained closed until mid-September.

The Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program reimburses state and local jurisdictions for the repair or reconstruction of highways, roads and bridges damaged by catastrophic events. The emergency funds cover the cost of initial repairs to both highways, emergency repairs to SR 88 and preliminary design work to address longer-term issues from flooding along SR 366. ADOT will seek an additional $4 million in emergency relief funds for permanent restoration on SR 366.

ADOT detectives nab man with Illinois felony warrant

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PHOENIX – A Glendale resident who allegedly used his brother’s identity to apply for an Arizona driver license was revealed to have a felony warrant out of Illinois and has been charged with forgery thanks to Arizona Department of Transportation detectives’ use of facial recognition training and technology.

In late February, Luis Castro, 32, applied for an Arizona driver license using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of his brother at the Glendale MVD office.

ADOT’s facial recognition system found that Castro’s photo did not match the previous photo under his brother’s profile. Detectives, who have FBI training in facial recognition, confirmed this was the case and opened an investigation.

ADOT’s investigation found that Castro’s photo matched a booking photo from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois. Digging further, detectives found that Castro had an extraditable felony warrant out of Cook County for aggravated assault, aggravated robbery and prohibited possessor of firearms.

Confirming that fraud had taken place, OIG canceled the permanent credential. When Castro called MVD looking for his driver license that hadn’t shown up in the mail, detectives made arrangements with him to meet at the West Phoenix MVD office on April 17 where Castro believed he was picking up the fraudulent credential.

ADOT detectives arrested Castro in the parking lot on counts of forgery and the felony warrant out of Illinois. He was booked at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Fourth Avenue Jail.

This case is one more example of how facial recognition technology used by ADOT’s Office of Inspector General protects Arizonans’ identities and helps prevent fraud involving state-issued driver licenses and identification cards.