Transportation
After missing a federal grant, Arizona lawmakers look to fully fund I-10 widening project
After the Federal Highway Administration passed over Arizona’s bid for a $360 million grant to widen Interstate 10 between Chandler and Casa Grande, Republican state lawmakers are proposing the state not wait for federal funds and instead pay for the project solely with state tax dollars. Lawmakers had eyed the federal MEGA grant as providing […]
What Biden has and, maybe just as importantly, has not done
President Biden has announced he will be cutting or eliminating student loan debt for millions of Americans. It’s the latest in a growing list of tangible, beneficial achievements by his administration. One of the best ways to assess what President Biden has accomplished since taking office is to put his administration’s achievements into context — […]
Tempe streetcar opens as Valley Metro expands light rail west and south
TEMPE – As neon lights replaced the setting sun one recent Friday evening, the city’s nightlife scene came alive along Mill Avenue, a popular spot near Arizona State University’s Tempe campus. Some revelers arrived by car, but others stepped off a new streetcar that makes several stops along Mill and winds through other parts of […]
An Arizona brother and sister recount ‘very traumatizing’ Amtrak derailment in Missouri
A Phoenix family was traveling to Iowa to visit family for the Fourth of July when the train struck a truck and derailed.
There have been 12 self-driving car crashes in Arizona since July 2021
A recently released report by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration revealed that since new mandatory reporting requirements began, Arizona has reported 12 crashes involving self-driving cars since July of last year.
Bipartisan budget boosts school funding, state employee pay raises, transportation
Republicans and Democrats joined forces early Thursday morning to pass a $15.8 billion budget that significantly increases K-12 funding and caps off a week of intense negotiations as state lawmakers scrambled to approve a spending plan and avert a state government shutdown on July 1. After months of trying to craft a budget that could […]
Passenger and freight rail projects in 32 states get millions from U.S. DOT
The U.S. government is doling out millions of dollars to railroad projects throughout the country in hopes of improving supply chains and passenger rail service, including two important rail crossings in Arizona.
Gila River Indian Community receives funding to upgrade traffic safety signs
The Gila River Indian Community will get nearly $1 million to replace old and damaged traffic signs through the community, which tribal leaders say will improve safety for community members who drive the roads every day and those who visit tribal lands. The funding will be used to replace traffic signs in four districts on […]
Congress mulling funding boost for drones to inspect transportation infrastructure
TEMPE – Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Rep. Greg Stanton would bring more money to Arizona to use drones to inspect roads, bridges and other infrastructure. House Resolution 5315, known as the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act, would dispense about $200 million in federal funding – half for state, local and tribal governments to purchase drones and […]
Light rail construction the final straw for Azukar Coffee, the latest South Phoenix business to close
Azukar Coffee could have been a destination along the light rail extension that will eventually extend from downtown along Central Avenue into South Phoenix, ending at Baseline Road. Instead, the coffee shop that showcased Mexican culture and the neighborhood’s entrepreneurial spirit joins nearly two dozen other businesses as a casualty of the light rail construction […]
Earmarks in U.S. House infrastructure bill tops $5.7B, including $92M for Arizona
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democrats’ highway funding bill is poised to include roughly three out of five transportation projects submitted by members, as legislators vie for their share of federal dollars through the resurrected congressional earmarks process.
Electric buses, asphalt and bridges: Politicians jostle for federal transportation cash
WASHINGTON — The nearly $1 billion that U.S. Rep. Garret Graves is seeking through Congress’ revamped earmarks process isn’t a typo.