Title
Street Transportation Department Capital Improvement Program for Fiscal Years 2025-26 through 2030-31 - Citywide
Description
This report provides the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Planning Subcommittee with an update on the Street Transportation Department's proposed Fiscal Years (FY) 2026-27 through 2030-31 Capital Improvement Program and an update on the Capital Improvement Program projects for FY 2025-26.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY.
Report
Summary
The Street Transportation Department (Streets) Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funding sources include State of Arizona Highway User Revenue (AHUR), Transportation 2050 (T2050), Federal and Local Aid, Capital Construction Funds, and Development Impact Fees. In November 2023, Phoenix residents approved a General Obligation (GO) Bond initiative that added another funding source to the CIP for the remaining four years.
Streets utilizes five major areas to guide capital funding investments:
1. Pavement Maintenance.
2. New and Expanded Major Streets.
3. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)/Mobility Improvements.
4. Technology/Safety Enhancements.
5. Storm Water Improvements.
These prioritized areas are designed to assist Streets to best address public expectations, support traffic and travel demands, facilitate commercial and residential development, advance transportation safety improvements for all road users, and work on local and regional drainage needs throughout the City. Fiscal Year 2025-26 preliminary expenditure estimate for the Streets' CIP is approximately $399,182,880. Combined, the FY2025-26 and the preliminary five-year CIP for Streets totals $1,488,207,244 (Attachment A).
Pavement Maintenance
The pavement maintenance component of the CIP focuses on major activities that ensure the City’s transportation network remains in a state of good repair. These efforts include pavement restoration and refurbishment through the Pavement Maintenance Program (PMP), bridge rehabilitation and inspection, landscape maintenance and enhancements, and other critical maintenance activities.
- Pavement maintenance projects planned for FY 2026-31 include a comprehensive pavement preservation program featuring crack seal, fog seal, seal coat, chip seal, slurry/micro seal, asphalt mill & overlay, and the cool pavement program. Estimated coverage includes approximately 1,445 miles of pavement maintenance (excluding cool pavement treatments).
- The bridge and dam maintenance program includes preventive rehabilitation, routine maintenance, and inspections to ensure structural integrity and safety.
- The landscape program consists of tree replacement initiatives and the cool corridors program.
- Additional street maintenance activities include alley dust proofing, street sweeper and equipment purchases, and storm infrastructure maintenance and repair programs.
New and Expanded Major Streets
The goal of New and Expanded Major Streets projects is to build streets out to their ultimate cross-sections (widths) with the following types of improvements where applicable or feasible: pavement installation; curb, gutter, and sidewalk installation; bridge construction and rehabilitation; bicycle infrastructure enhancements; landscaping improvements; and traffic signal, intersection, and storm drain improvements. Below is a list of projects beginning design or construction in FY 2025-26:
- North Valley Parkway and Sonoran Wash Bridge - Design.
- Dobbins Road: State Route 202 to 27th Avenue - Design.
- ReVISIONing Indian School Road: 91st to 37th avenues - Safe Streets and Roads for All grant (SS4A) - Design.
- 56th Street between Thomas and Indian School roads - Construction.
- Happy Valley Road: 67th to 35th Avenues - Construction.
- 12 High-intensity Activated Crosswalks (HAWKS) - Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant - Construction.
- 35th Avenue: Interstate 10 to Camelback Road - Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant - Construction.
- 7th Avenue: Mountain View Road to Cheryl Drive - Construction.
- Grand Canalscape: 16th Street and Indian School Road - Construction.
- 7th Street Fiber Enhancement - Construction.
ADA/Mobility Improvements
The ADA Compliance Improvements program installs, replaces, or improves ADA ramps citywide that are non-existent or in need of upgrades to meet the current ADA requirements. Funds are programmed in the CIP for ramps in FY 2026-31. To better report and monitor these improvements, the City has initiated a four-year self-evaluation of the public right-of-way to update and complete the ADA Transition Plan. This effort was initiated in October 2024 and is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2028.
Mobility Improvements include projects focused on moving the City towards delivery of more active transportation projects that create a connected bicycle and pedestrian network and improve overall accessibility for all ages and abilities. Below is a list of projects beginning design or construction in FY 2025-26:
- Mobility Area 6, Osborn Road: 43rd to 35th avenues - Design.
- Mobility Area 8, Oak Street: 20th Place to 21st Street - Design.
- Mobility Area 10, South Mountain: 1st to 7th streets - Design.
- Atlanta Avenue:18th to19th place - Construction.
- 32nd Street: Shea Boulevard to Cholla Road - Construction.
Technology/Safety Enhancements
Technology Enhancement projects are part of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), which use advanced communication, sensors, and data analytics to improve transportation efficiency and safety. These projects are designed to deploy innovative solutions that optimize traffic operations, enhance roadway safety, and deliver measurable efficiencies in managing the City’s street network. These initiatives leverage advanced technologies, such as adaptive signal control, connected vehicle infrastructure, and real-time data analytics, to create a smarter, more resilient transportation system. By integrating these enhancements into the ITS Strategic Action Plan, City of Phoenix will not only address current operational challenges but also position itself to embrace emerging trends, strengthen regional connectivity, and maximize the return on future investments. Some of the major technology enhancement projects currently underway and/or programmed within the proposed CIP include:
- Intersection Technology: Modernizing Phoenix’s traffic signal system is a cornerstone of its ITS strategy. Upgrades include advanced signal controllers, cabinets, cameras, dynamic message boards, and traffic management software integrated with the Traffic Management Center (TMC). Enhanced communications enable adaptive signal control and real-time monitoring, improving coordination during incidents and special events. These upgrades also support emerging technologies such as Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) applications and advanced detection systems. Program funding is included in the Streets’ CIP, allowing for the upgrade of three to five intersections per year.
- ITS Strategic Action Plan Update: The City is updating its 2014 ITS Strategic Action Plan within the FY 2025-26 CIP budget to reflect advancements in technology, evolving transportation priorities, and regional coordination needs. The updated plan will serve as a roadmap for future investments, operations, and innovations in ITS, ensuring Phoenix remains at the forefront of smart mobility and traffic management.
- Advanced Detection: The City is deploying smart detection technologies that identify vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists in real time. By leveraging these technologies, the City can improve intersection performance, reduce delays, and support multimodal transportation goals. Real-time data collected from these detection systems also strengthens traffic management capabilities, including special event coordination, incident response, and proactive congestion mitigation. Program funding is included in the Streets’ CIP that promotes the inclusion of advanced ITS solutions capable of supporting Citywide integration, adaptive signal control, predictive analytics, and future connectivity with emerging technologies such as connected and autonomous vehicles.
- Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) Upgrade: The City is upgrading its legacy ATMS, a centralized software, that uses real-time data and intelligent technologies to monitor, manage, and optimize traffic flow for improved safety and efficiency across a transportation network, to a modern platform that integrates real-time data processing, adaptive signal control, and improved interoperability with smart detection systems. This transition enhances incident management and coordination during peak periods and special events, reducing congestion and improving emergency response. This project to upgrade the ATMS is funded from the Streets’ CIP budget.
- Connected Vehicle Technologies: The City is advancing CAV and Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technologies to enable real-time communication between vehicles, pedestrians, and infrastructure. These systems improve safety through alerts for vulnerable road users, emergency vehicle preemption, and transit priority, reducing crash risks and improving emergency response times. Streets is partnering with the Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) for implementation of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Saving Lives with Connectivity: Accelerating V2X Deployment” grant program to upgrade technologies for CAV compatibility at approximately 650 intersections citywide.
- Fiber Communications/Enhanced Program: Expanding fiber connectivity ensures reliable, high-speed communication between intersections and the Traffic Management Center. This backbone supports advanced technologies like adaptive signal control and connected vehicle applications, enabling faster incident response and improved coordination. The 7th Street Fiber Enhancements project is funded through the FY 2025-26 CIP budget to match federal funding through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Safety benefits include uninterrupted operation of critical traffic control devices, reducing risks associated with signal outages, and ensuring consistent performance of safety-critical systems. Reliable communication infrastructure is essential for maintaining safe and efficient traffic operations. Additional federal funding has been received to install fiber on Happy Valley Road from 23rd to 35th avenues, 35th Avenue from Interstate 10 to Camelback Road, and 91st Avenue from Interstate 10 to Lower Buckeye Road. These projects are in design anticipating construction in FY 2026-27. To supplement the fiber network, point-to-point (P2P) radios will be installed to connect intersections on roadways where fiber has not been installed and is too far for the intersection radios to maintain a reliable connection.
Storm Water Improvements
Storm water projects aim to reduce and mitigate the risk of flooding by constructing regional and local facilities such as basins and storm drainpipes. These projects generally are implemented in partnership with the Flood Control District of Maricopa County (FCDMC). The County requires 50 percent City matching funds for these projects. In addition to regional funded projects, other program funds include projects supportive by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Local Drainage Mitigation program, the 2023 GO Bond, and various Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants. Below is a list of projects in design or construction in FY 2026-31.
- Rawhide Wash Flood Hazard Mitigation Project: This project is in collaboration with FCDMC, City of Phoenix and the City of Scottsdale. A Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) was submitted to FEMA and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2026.
- The ARPA Local Drainage Mitigation Program: This program is a significant step in the City's efforts to address storm-related flood complaints by Phoenix residents. It provides the City with the opportunity to invest federal funding into 13 separate local drainage mitigation projects throughout the City. The mitigation projects include adding drainage ditches, storm drain lines, catch basins, inlets, and other flood mitigating structures. Construction is expected to complete in the summer of 2026.
- 3rd Avenue and Thomas Road Drainage Improvements: This project collaborates with FCDMC and Dignity Health. Construction is expected to complete in the summer of 2026.
- 35th Avenue and Dobbins Road Storm Drain: This project is in partnership with FCDMC. Construction is expected to complete in the summer of 2026.
- 20th Street and Lookout Mountain Storm Drain: Construction is expected to complete in the summer of 2026.
- 2023 GO Bond Program: In partnership with the FCDMC, GO Bond funding will provide 35 percent funding to implement several components of the Hohokam Area Drainage Master Plan Study and the Laveen Area Drainage Feasibility Study. The project includes the design and construction of eight storm water mitigation projects in the Hohokam area with four projects in Laveen. Design for these projects is underway and scheduled for completion in the summer of 2027, with construction expected to be completed by 2029 and 2030.
Challenges
A current and ongoing funding challenge is that AHUR is the primary funding source for Streets' CIP. The effectiveness and long-term sustainability of this fund has, and is expected to continue to be, diminished over time because of increased electric vehicle utilization, improved vehicle fuel efficiencies, use of alternate modes of transportation, and lack of any fuel tax increase since 1991. Another factor that impacts AHUR allotment is population growth. As other towns and cities grow, they are poised to receive larger allotments of AHUR funding. The City expects that the 2030 census will ultimately impact the amount of AHUR funds that the City of Phoenix will be allocated.
Opportunities
Streets continues to pursue funding opportunities through the local, regional, state, or federal agencies when notice of funding and/or call for projects are announced that align with the City’s transportation goals and objectives. This past year, Streets submitted several competitive grant applications and was successful in securing over $42 million in federal funding for transportation projects that help leverage City dollars programmed in Streets' CIP.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Frank McCune and the Street Transportation Department.