Title
Laveen South Mountain Transportation Study Update
Description
This report provides an update to the Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation Subcommittee on the Laveen South Mountain Transportation Study.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY.
Report
Summary
Traditionally rural, with large land tracts devoted to agriculture and other low-density uses, the Laveen South Mountain community has recently attracted increased development due to its proximity to central Phoenix and access to Interstate 10. The recent opening of the Congressman Ed Pastor Freeway (Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway) is expected to accelerate the growth of the community. As growth continues, the new land uses are expected to place increased demands on the existing transportation system with additional congestion and traffic delays.
The purpose of the Laveen South Mountain Transportation Study, led by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), is to identify transportation infrastructure that will help the Laveen South Mountain area meet the challenges of current and future growth. The study will consider existing and new transportation facilities within the community as well as improved connections to adjacent areas. Resulting recommendations will be multimodal in nature, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transportation users, as well as infrastructure focused, with roadways and bridges providing long-term solutions to provide increased capacity and minimize future flooding impacts.
The study area consists of a wedge-shaped planning area encompassing 23 square miles, lying mostly in the City of Phoenix and partially in unincorporated Maricopa County. It is located generally west of 27th Avenue, north of Elliot Road, and south of the Salt River, which has a limited number of all-weather bridge crossings.
Study Details
This 18-month study will use a set of transportation system performance metrics along with MAG travel forecasts to select a set of recommendations that will help maintain mobility, enhance connections, and mitigate existing and future congestion. Though a funding source for recommended improvements has not been determined, this study will ensure that the transportation infrastructure needs and modal plans for the Laveen South Mountain area are identified and understood. Transportation system recommendations may include, but will not be limited to:
- Roadway widening (additional lanes to increase capacity)
- Pedestrian and bicycle connections
- New or improved crossings over the Salt River
- Improvements to key intersections
- Right-of-way preservation for possible future roadway improvements
- Coordination with planning and design of State Route 30
- Drainage infrastructure improvements
In developing the preferred recommendations and implementation plan, MAG, Maricopa County, and the City of Phoenix will also take into consideration the unique history and character of the Laveen South Mountain area.
Study Goals
This study’s primary goal is to identify transportation infrastructure using community feedback and a data-driven analysis to improve traffic conditions in the Laveen South Mountain area and help ease stress placed on the transportation system from continuing development. Primary study objectives include the following:
- Identify locations for building capacity while incorporating vehicular, active transportation, and public transit modes along the arterials and collectors within the study area.
- Develop a schedule and opportunities for Maricopa County and the City of Phoenix to fund and systematically implement capacity improvement projects within the study area.
- Coordinate the schedule with proposed Maricopa County Flood Control District projects and mitigation within the study area.
Throughout the study, the team will conduct a coordinated public engagement process using innovative strategies to inform and create an effective platform for residents and stakeholders to understand the project information and provide feedback.
Progress to Date
MAG and the consultant team (Matrix Design Group) held a public open house on Sept. 19, 2019, at Riverbend Preparatory Academy to introduce the Laveen South Mountain Transportation Study to the public. At stations devoted to individual topics, participants were invited to mark locations where they would like to see transportation and/or drainage improvements. Open house attendees also completed a brief survey on transportation within the study area. Results included:
- Ninety percent of respondents felt that road conditions in the area are fair or poor.
- Twenty-five percent of responses indicated lack of all-weather drainage way crossings significantly impedes travel in, to, or from the study area.
- All survey respondents believed that bridges over the Salt River are crucial for connectivity and access, and that more are needed.
When asked what single transportation improvement would most benefit the community, respondents mentioned many issues, including the following:
- Keeping speed limits low
- Providing a multi-use path along Dobbins Road
- Widening Baseline Road
- Improving traffic law enforcement
- Keeping pace with development
- Need for traffic signals at 55th Avenue / Southern Avenue and 51st Avenue / South Mountain Avenue
Two additional public meetings will be held for the project with virtual options being explored. An online comment map has also been produced, which allows the project team to collect comments on an on-going basis. Additionally, the project team has presented to the Laveen Village Planning Committee to provide updates about the progress of the project.
The existing conditions report and input from the community have provided the basis for developing a set of future needs scenarios that are currently being evaluated by the project team. These draft scenarios are composed of various combinations of street, bridge, drainage, and transit improvements, and tested with MAG’s state of the practice travel demand model. The focus in this phase of the project will be the use of performance-based planning with modeling efforts. This type of planning utilizes data, stakeholder input, policy considerations, and the sharing of data to develop a set of improvement strategies. Continued collaboration is also occurring with the State Route 30 project team to ensure selected strategies and improvements align with the roadway connection to the future freeway segment.
The project team will be holding additional public meetings as the project progresses to ensure we have incorporated the needs of the community and share our final recommendations. The Laveen South Mountain Transportation Study is scheduled to conclude in November 2020.
Location
Laveen South Mountain
Council District: 7
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Street Transportation Department.