ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
transportation; data
collection; planning
Modifies existing
transportation planning requirements for the State Transportation Board (STB)
and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), establishes a means for
the standardized collection and reporting of transportation data and creates a
financial management system.
After three years of review of the current system of transportation planning and programming, the Governor’s Vision 21 Transportation Task Force (Vision 21) has recommended several transportation process reforms. H.B. 2660 contains the following seven major process reforms:
·
Establish a 20-Year Highway
Transportation Plan. Laws 2000, Chapter 123 required ADOT to develop a 20-year
transportation facilities construction plan in consultation with the STB on or
before July 1, 2003. H.B. 2660
provides more specific direction to ADOT in developing and implementing this
20-year plan and delays the date the plan must be adopted until January 1,
2005.
·
Standardize the collecting
and reporting of transportation data. According
to Vision 21 findings, long-range plans developed by ADOT and the metropolitan
planning organizations contain significant differences and are not comparable
for statewide planning purposes. H.B.
2660 creates a standardized format for collecting and reporting transportation
needs data and enables ADOT to continually update the 20-year database that was
developed as part of the Vision 21 research.
·
Require ADOT and the State
Transportation Board to use performance based planning and programming. This reform is intended
for the STB to utilize established criteria and reliable data to evaluate and
select transportation projects. New
federal computer models are now available that enable transportation officials
to model potential impacts of different transportation solutions (e.g., adding
new lane capacity versus expanded transit service in a corridor). The Task Force found that by using this new
technology, all transportation agencies could eventually utilize standard
criteria for evaluating and selecting transportation projects or services. ADOT has hired a nationally recognized
consultant (Cambridge Systematics) to help incorporate performance based
planning and programming into the development of the 20-year transportation
plan.
·
Maintain transportation
system needs data. This recommendation is a
subset of the proposed mandate to collect and report transportation data in a
standardized manner. This recommendation requires all jurisdictions to annually
report basic (standardized) transportation needs data to ADOT. The Department currently has a Data Center
that has the capability to store and compile this information.
·
Establish transportation
system performance measures. This recommendation stems
from the mandate to use performance based planning and programming. The STB, in
consultation with regional, tribal and local planning entities, would be required
to adopt standard criteria or methods to measure the impact of any major
project that is included in the 20-Year highway plan. According to Vision 21, most jurisdictions do not consistently
measure how well the transportation system or projects perform in solving an
identified problem (e.g., congestion or safety).
·
Establish comprehensive
financial management. This recommendation
recognizes the success of the Maricopa Association of Governments life cycle
program, implemented in 1991, to closely track half-cent valley freeway tax
revenues to expenditures. This
management tool would apply to the major transportation projects or services
contained in the State’s long-range transportation plan.
· Audit the uses of dedicated transportation monies. Currently, there is no formal process for periodically reviewing how cities and counties spend their highway user revenue fund (HURF) dollars. This legislation adds the reporting of this information to the annual financial audits that the cities, towns and counties must conduct each year under current law.
According to ADOT, the implementation of H.B. 2660 requires the Department to fill four data collector/analyst positions in the Transportation Planning Division (TPD) at a cost of $200,000. ADOT states that it will reprioritize its existing budget and planning schedule to cover this cost.
1. Requires the STB to develop and adopt a statewide transportation policy statement by January 1, 2003, which will provide guidance in establishing a comprehensive and balanced statewide highway system.
2. Requires the policy statement to:
a)
Include
performance expectations for the statewide transportation system over the next
20 years using performance measures developed by the TPD;
b)
Ensure
the future transportation system facilitates, rather than directs, future
development in Arizona;
c)
Consider
local, regional and tribal transportation goals.
3. Requires the policy statement to be reviewed and updated by January 1 of each odd-numbered year.
4. Requires the STB to develop and adopt a statewide transportation plan by January 1, 2005 that reflects the future transportation needs of the various areas of Arizona as reflected in adopted local and regional land use and general plans and facilitates, rather than directs, future development in Arizona. The STB is required to consider local, regional and tribal transportation plans.
5. Requires the statewide transportation plan be reviewed and updated by July 1 every fifth year and requires the STB to update the dollar estimates in the plan every two years.
6. Requires the STB to adopt uniform transportation planning practices and performance-based planning processes for use by ADOT by July 1, 2003.
7. Requires the STB to adopt transportation system performance measures and factors and data collection standards to be used by ADOT by July 1, 2003.
8. Requires the STB to establish policies to guide the development or modification of the five-year transportation facilities construction program that are consistent with the principles of performance-based planning.
9. Requires the STB to determine priority program planning for transportation facilities using performance-based methods developed by the TPD.
10. Requires ADOT to establish a comprehensive financial management system that includes separate certifications of future estimated revenues and system costs as reflected in the long-range statewide transportation plan.
11. Requires the certifications to include federal, state, regional and local transportation revenues, and optimal long-term preservation, maintenance and administration, and system expansion costs. ADOT is required to complete the certifications by July 1, 2004.
12. Requires all state, regional and local transportation agencies and encourages tribal governments to assist ADOT in the preparation of the certifications.
13. Authorizes ADOT to estimate revenues or costs of the components of the transportation system if reliable information concerning these amounts cannot be obtained.
14. Requires the TPD to develop uniform transportation planning practices for use in the conduct of all studies or analyses relating to any transportation system improvement included in ADOT’s long-range plan.
15. Requires the TPD, in consultation with local, regional and tribal transportation agencies, to develop performance-based planning and programming processes that will provide a means of evaluating the current performance of the long-range plan and the five-year transportation facilities construction program and evaluating and prioritizing proposed changes to the plan and program.
16. Requires the STB and ADOT to use performance-based planning and programming processes in determining future allocations of state and federal financial resources among ADOT’s major program categories.
17. Specifies performance-based planning and programming processes must be used to monitor and evaluate the performance outcomes of transportation planning and programming decisions made by ADOT and the STB.
18. Requires performance-based processes be periodically reviewed and updated as conditions and system requirements change, integrate planning, programming and reporting processes to ensure a sustainable and reliable transportation system, and must include:
a)
Uniform
transportation performance measures and the routine collection and reporting of
adopted performance measures.
b)
Uniform
transportation system performance factors for evaluating existing and potential
projects and services.
c)
Weights
to be applied to the performance factors in prioritizing proposed changes to
the system, while considering and recognizing local and regional differences in
transportation system performance expectations.
d)
Systematic
forecasts of anticipated performance outcomes of proposed expenditures.
e)
Systematic
periodic reporting and certification of system performance.
19. Requires the TPD to develop standardized transportation system performance measures and identify the appropriate units of measurements and the processes for determining and reporting the performance measures. The goal of the performance measures is to determine the extent to which the transportation system is moving people, goods and services in relation to the cost of system preservation, maintenance and expansion.
20. Requires that performance measures serve as the basis for monitoring and reporting on the performance outcomes of the State’s highway system and must include:
a)
Estimate
of persons transported.
b)
Estimate,
by weight or volume, of freight transported.
c)
Number
of miles traveled.
d)
Number
of vehicles and estimated capacity of those vehicles.
e)
Estimated
cost per individual moved per mile.
21. Requires the TPD to develop data collection and reporting methodologies in consultation with local, regional and tribal transportation agencies.
22. Requires ADOT to collect standardized transportation data for all existing components and any proposed projects under consideration in the long-range plan and the five-year transportation facilities construction program.
23. Requires the TPD to develop standard transportation system performance factors and factor weights to be used by ADOT and the STB to select projects and services in the five-year transportation construction facilities program and the long-range plan. Requires the TPD to allocate state and federal financial resources among ADOT major program categories.
24. Requires the TPD, under the direction of the STB, to develop a long-range statewide transportation plan that anticipates critical statewide transportation needs for the next 20 years using adopted planning practices and performance-based planning processes. The plan should additionally reflect local general use and county comprehensive land use plans and consider information developed from federally mandated planning processes.
25. Requires the TPD to develop the plan for review and approval by the STB every five years.
26. Requires the plan to include all projects included in the STB adopted long-range plan and in the five-year transportation facilities construction program, lump sum cost estimates for all other components of the statewide highway system and separate cost estimates for the optimal long-term system preservation of each major transportation component, appropriate comprehensive system management, system maintenance and operations.
27. Requires the TPD to include in the plan a detailed description, estimates of any directly attributable revenues and the anticipated performance outcomes for each transportation project included in the plan.
28. Requires the TPD to separately determine the cost estimates for right-of-way acquisition and preparation, project design, planning, engineering and construction, and any other related project costs.
29. Authorizes the TPD to develop reasonable estimates in the event that actual information cannot be determined.
30. Requires the TPD to develop an estimate of projected revenues for the 20-year period of the plan based on existing and enacted future revenue rates and schedules and reasonable expected future changes in revenue rates and schedules. If the estimated revenues are less than the projected cost of the plan, the TPD is required to identify the portions of the plan that could be completed with the estimated revenues and the years in which the projects would likely be initiated and completed.
31. Requires the TPD to estimate the anticipated performance outcomes of the long-range plan and the portion of the plan that could be completed based on estimated revenues.
32. Requires the TPD to establish and maintain a geographically oriented database of the existing and planned component of the statewide transportation system by July 1, 2004. The database should include information concerning all projects considered for inclusion in the long-range plan.
33. Requires all cities, towns, counties and other transportation agencies that receive state or federal transportation monies to maintain standardized records of long-range transportation needs and annually report this information to the TPD by September 1.
34. Requires the TPD, in cooperation with local, regional and tribal agencies, to develop minimum standards or guidelines delineating the standardized data and information that cities, towns, counties and other transportation agencies that receive state or federal transportation monies must submit.
35. Requires the STB to consider the recommendations and priorities identified by Vision 21 in the development and adoption of the initial long-range plan.
36. Requires the TPD to incorporate the needs information developed by Vision 21 in the transportation system database.
37. Authorizes the TPD to develop reasonable estimates in the event that actual information cannot be determined.
38. Requires the STB to report to the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and chairpersons of the Appropriations and Transportation Committees on ADOT’s progress in developing improved transportation planning practice and processes and performance measures, factors and standards by January 1, 2004.
39. Requires ADOT to develop a timetable for the implementation of the transportation planning improvements, which includes the estimated start up costs and continuing costs associated with such improvements. ADOT must submit the timetable to the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and chairpersons of the Appropriations and Transportation Committees.
40. Requires that an audit of an incorporated city or town shall also determine if the city’s or town’s HURF monies and other dedicated state transportation revenues the city or town receives are being used solely for transportation purposes.
41. Requires the Director of ADOT to assist regional transportation planning agencies, councils of government and tribal governments in the development of their regional and local transportation plans to ensure that streets, highways and other regionally significant modes of transportation within each county form an integrated and efficient regional system.
42. Requires ADOT to develop and use detailed criteria designed to meet adopted transportation system performance measures. Additionally requires the project selection process to conform to state and regional growth policies.
43. Eliminates the requirement that ADOT develop a 20-year transportation facilities construction plan in consultation with the STB by July 1, 2003.
44. Requires each county to provide financial information verifying that the county’s HURF monies and any other dedicated state transportation revenues received by the county are being used solely for transportation purposes.
45. Makes technical and conforming changes.
46. Provides for a general effective date.
TRANS 3/25/02 DPA 9-0-0-1-0
APPROP 4/2/02 DP 9-0-0-7-0
34d Read 4/8/02 48-0-12-0
Prepared by Senate Staff
April 16, 2002