Title: Public Participation for a Context Sensitive Corridor Study
Abstract: This paper describes the completed portions of the ongoing comprehensive public participation and agency cooperative approach, taken by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and the Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning Organization (FMPO) to provide a context sensitive solution for heavily traveled State Routes in Flagstaff, Arizona. In recognition of the urban environment and in the spirit of coordination, consultation, and, cooperation ADOT initiated and cosponsored this multi-jurisdictional study to enhance mobility and safety along the study corridors. This will be achieved through urban design, multi-modal strategies, access management techniques, and innovative planning approaches that represent a departure from those normally used by ADOT. The functioning of the State Routes Milton Road (SR 89) and West Route 66 (B-40) are of great importance to the State, City, region and its residents since the corridors are major centers of economic, employment, educational, administrative, and residential activity. In the heavily traveled corridors, congestion and safety are challenges to urban mobility including the pedestrian and bicycle modes. The corridors themselves present barriers between adjacent land uses that have developed in a dispersed and disconnected manner. In addition, the design of the state routes also currently discourages other modes of transportation. Moreover, the study routes, originally designed to provide interregional and inter-state connections, have transitioned from rural to urban roadways. The local desires for the usage of the roadway and ADOT’s mandate to provide for interregional travel are therefore conflicting. Additionally, the local public emphasizes community sustainability and livability and strategies are needed for infrastructure improvements that enhance the preservation of community values and “growing smarter” goals as well as to preserve some of the mandated functionality for inter-regional travel. The interdisciplinary study team, in recognition of the need for strong public support and agency coalitions to be successful, developed an integrated technical planning and intensive public participation process. Various methods are discussed that were applied to identify issues and track them through issue categorization. The approach is then described for using the results of the issue identification and categorization process to develop the corridor alternatives. The paper then describes how the public, through focus groups and a planning charrette, will help to develop specific alternatives, and how public input will be used to develop final recommendations. In conclusion, the paper discusses strategies for implementing the recommendations and how ADOT intends to establish a model process transferable to other Arizona’s small and medium sized communities.
Publication Year: 2002
Publication Date: 2002-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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