Sedona AZ (April 8, 2015) – The Arizona Department of Transportation continues to gather comments on the 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program while reaching out to the public and communities statewide for their input on the direction of the program over the next five years.
The second public hearing for the Tentative Five-Year Program is scheduled for 9 a.m. on April 17 in Phoenix. The meeting will be held in the ADOT Administration Building Auditorium, 206 S. 17th Ave., Phoenix. The monthly State Transportation Board meeting will follow the public hearing.
The 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Program lays out proposed projects and improvements to the state highway system over the next five years, with a major focus on preserving existing infrastructure to ensure that it remains in good condition, while providing a reliable transportation network for drivers. It can be a tough balance, as constrained funding simply cannot meet all the transportation needs around the state.
The public comment period for the 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Program began last month and continues until May. The Five-Year Program is updated annually and designates how much local, state and federal funding is allocated for projects. This includes highways, bridges, transit and aviation.
However, limited funding amid growing statewide transportation needs continues to be the biggest challenge over the next five years. Fewer dollars dedicated to transportation is a result of less revenue from traditional sources of transportation funding, like the state gas tax and vehicle license tax, which support the Five-Year Program. The state gas tax is currently 18 cents per gallon and has not been increased for more than 20 years.
These transportation funding challenges have signaled a shift to a strong focus on the preservation of the state highway system, to protect a system valued at $19.7 billion. If ADOT did not invest in preservation, it would cost approximately $200 billion to replace our existing highway infrastructure, should it fall into disrepair. ADOT is committed to moving major expansion projects forward as well, but with less transportation dollars to stretch, fewer expansion projects make it into the Five-Year Program.
The 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Program is available for public review and comment at azdot.gov/fiveyearplan. ADOT has developed a “how to read it” guide and welcomes feedback at fiveyearconstructionprogram@azdot.gov. A phone number is also available for public comments at 1-855-712-8530.
The State Transportation Board will consider all public comments received.
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ADOT deserves credit for I17 and the other highways landscaping and berms. My parents were visiting from another state and commented on the great roads and landscaping around Phoenix areas. If they’re kept up here’s an acknowledgement. It’s the trash that ruins the view. Ban plastic bags!
Please make the phone call.
The existence and decomposition rates of the items on our Arizona highways is something that “all” residents of Arizona should bring to the attention of Governor Ducey, ADOT Director Halikowski, Superintendent Diane Douglas and Patricia Powers-Zermeno ADOT Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator
for without their participation in anti-litter messages and efforts the problem will continue to plague the image and economy of Arizona.
Office of the Governor
Arizona Governor Mr. Doug Ducey
Executive Tower
1700 West Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007
AZGOV@AZ.gov
(602) 542-4331
Office of Superintendent of Public Schools
Ms. Diane Douglas
1535 West Jefferson Street (Bin#2)
Phoenix, AZ 85007
adeinbox@AZED.gov
(602) 542-5460
Mr. John Halikowski Director ADOT
206 South 17th Avenue
MD-100A
Phoenix, AZ 85007
JHalikowski@AZDOT.Gov
(602) 712-7227
Patricia Powers-Zermeno ADOT Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator
C/O Mr. John Halikowski Director ADOT
206 South 17th Avenue
MD-100A
Phoenix, AZ 85007
PPowers-Zermeno@AZDOT.Gov
(602) 712-4620
**************************************************************************************
Citizen’s of Cornville’s Lower Oak Creek Estates (LOCE) 2009
In July of 2009, a group of residents from Lower Oak Creek Estates (LOCE), aka “Skunk Hollow” located in Cornville, AZ conducted the first Folksville USA recycling event and they evaluated the contents of 100 bags of trash.
What’s even more amazing is that three short months earlier, 221 bags of highway litter were collected on this same section of Highway 89A between Cottonwood and Sedona during the first “Road Warrior” litter recovery event held on April 25, 2009. What does this say about our residents and visitors?
Carol Lamb-Jean organized the LOCE residents who helped with the Scenic Highway 89A litter recovery in July and LOCE was solely responsible for sorting the contents of 100 of the 219 bags of litter collected. Carole Lamb-Jean, Connie Morgan, Jim Jean, Charlene Van Allen, Johnnie Wilson and Ed Helgeson from Cornville completed the entire recycling process.
From 100 of the 219 bags of litter collected, 1957 items were recycled. Due to minor confusion, 119 of the 219 bags of litter were sent to the land fill and were unfortunately excluded from the LOCE recycling process. Approximately 80% of the contents of the 100 bags of litter were recycled and 20% went to the landfill.
This is a list of the contents of the 100 bags of litter processed by LOCE:
1 Plastic bucket,
1 Household cleaner bucket,
21 One gallon water bottles,
1 Plastic milk container,
378 Seventeen once water bottles,
2 Plastic vitamin bottles,
146 Sport drinks bottles,
3 Orange drink bottles,
2 One gallon milk bottles,
1 Soap dish,
21 Small plastic milk containers,
1 Plastic cooking oil bottle,
47 Plastic soda bottles,
1 One gallon iced tea bottle,
3 Motor oil containers,
1 Plastic storage bowl,
13 Plastic juice bottle,
97 Plastic cups,
1 Plastic mustard bottle,
1 Plastic peanut butter jar,
27 Coffee cups,
14 Cough syrup bottles,
1 Mayonnaise jar,
1 One gallon laundry bottle,
17 Miscellaneous car debris parts,
116 Plastic mini-shot alcohol bottles,
5 Ice cooler lids,
4 Pint alcohol bottles,
12 Five gallon plastic lids,
5 Muriatic acid containers,
340 Twelve once soda cans,
558 Beer cans,
32 Small Iced tea bottles,
21 Juice cans,
46 Miscellaneous alcohol bottles,
15 Metal cans
1 “Old” oil can
1957 Total Items
If we are all trying to make an impression on those that live in and visit the Verde Valley then I believe we need to do a better job of not littering our highways. If we continue to see the quantity of blue ADOT Adopt-A-Highway bags on the highway then we as parents, educators, businesses and residents are not teaching a valuable lesson about improving the image and economy of the Verde Valley and Arizona.
Community leaders, businesses, educators, parents and residents of the Verde Valley could play a vital role in reversing this trend by having discussions regarding litter and recycling and by assisting one of the many ADOT Adopt-A-Highway groups in our area.
Only “we the people of our community” can reverse this trend, “many hands with one goal” and that includes ADOT (they need to clean the medians, mow the highway shoulders and medians), it takes a “Team Effort”.
Gary Chamberlain
“America the Beautiful & BagReadyJobs”
Empowering our nation’s youth
FolksvilleUSA@gmail.com
(928) 202-1186
Think about it before you toss it and be thankful for the Adopt-A-Highway groups that remove it from the highway …. they could use some help.
Time it takes for garbage to decompose in the environment:
Glass Bottle…………………….. 1 million years
Monofilament Fishing Line… 600 years
Plastic Beverage Bottles…… 450 years
Disposable Diapers………… 450 years
Aluminum Can………………… 80-200 years
Foamed Plastic Buoy……… 80 years
Foamed Plastic Cups……… 50 years
Rubber-Boot Sole…………… 50-80 years
Tin Cans……………………. 50 years
Leather…………………………… 50 years
Nylon Fabric…………………… 30-40 years
Plastic Film Container…….. 20-30 years
Plastic Bag…………………….. 10-20 years
Cigarette Butt…………………. 1-5 years
Wool Sock………………………. 1-5 years
Plywood…………………….. 1-3 years
Waxed Milk Carton………… 3 months
Apple Core…………………. 2 months
Newspaper………………….. 6 weeks
Orange or Banana Peel…… 2-5 weeks
Paper Towel……………….. 2-4 weeks
Information Source: U.S. National Park Service; Mote Marine Lab, Sarasota, FL
Gary Chamberlain
“America the Beautiful & BagReadyJobs”
Empowering our nation’s youth
(928) 202-1186
FolksvilleUSA@gmail.com
Dear Carolyna,
As you noted, ADOT does a fair job keeping the highways clean within the Phoenix city limits.
The highway sections outside of Phoenix are a disgrace especially our Arizona veterans highways (there are three).
I returned home from a trip outside of Arizona and noticed how filthy our Arizona Veterans Highway (I-17) is from Flagstaff south.
I always wonder why our Arizona veterans are angered by all of the trash on their memorial highways, could it be they don’t care?
Gary Chamberlain
“America the Beautiful & BagReadyJobs”
Empowering our nation’s youth
Meant to say ….
“I always wonder why our Arizona veterans aren’t angered by all of the trash on their memorial highways, could it be they don’t care?”
Gary Chamberlain
“America the Beautiful & BagReadyJobs”
Empowering our nation’s youth