2011 Arizona State Rail Plan - Arizona Department of Transportation

Arizona State Rail Plan
2.6 Purpose and Background of the
State Rail Plan
The purpose of the Arizona State Rail Plan is:
• To inform Arizonans on the benefits of rail
transportation and its importance to a sustainable
state economy.
• To ensure the State’s eligibility for federal
rail funding programs, most notably those
authorized by the Passenger Rail Investment and
Improvement Act of 2008.
• To establish a long-range vision for the State’s
passenger and freight rail systems, along with
goals and objectives for the year 2030.
• To serve as a reference document on railroad
facilities, services and conditions.
• To recommend a prioritized long-range program
of investment projects.
• To provide the rail element of the State’s
Long Range Transportation Plan creating a
comprehensive and multimodal plan.
The Arizona State Rail Plan is an integral part of a
multimodal long-range planning process. In 2007, at
the direction of the Governor’s Office and the State
Transportation Board (STB), ADOT began work on a
long-range (year 2050) transportation planning vision
for Arizona known as the Building a Quality Arizona
- Statewide Transportation Framework Study (STFS).
After considering three alternative scenarios for the
future of the statewide multimodal transportation
system, ADOT and its local partners assembled the best
elements into a single recommended scenario. The
recommended scenario includes an intercity passenger
rail network, as well as a comprehensive program of
roadway and bus transit improvements. It also identifies
very broad corridors for the study of future high-speed
rail connections. The STB accepted the study in January
2010 as a basis for further planning, especially the State
Long Range Transportation Plan.
The 2009 Statewide Rail Framework Study (SRFS) began
as an outgrowth of the STFS. The SRFS, which covers
both freight and passenger rail, built a foundation for
the State Rail Plan by identifying benefits and needs,
developing strategic rail investment opportunities, and
recommending implementation pursuits for the State
of Arizona. A concluding matrix divided proposed rail
improvement actions into immediate (2010), near-term
(2010 to 2015) and long-term (beyond 2050) timeframes.
As elements of a comprehensive planning process known
as “Building a Quality Arizona” (BQAZ), both the STFS
and the SRFS embody the BQAZ guiding principles for
transportation investment:
• Improve mobility and accessibility.
• Support economic growth.
• Promote sustainable development.
• Protect natural resources.
• Ensure safety and security.
The State Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) is a
twenty five-year, fiscally constrained plan to guide State
transportation investments in all modes, and is intended
to establish the future allocation of ADOT resources.
Arizona statutes require ADOT to update the plan every
five years, with the next LRTP due in 2011. The Arizona
State Rail Plan will provide input on rail priorities for the
LRTP, and will be updated based on FRA requirements.
The State Rail Plan completes the work program initiated
in the SRFS, relying on the stakeholder input described in
Appendix A. The appendix also lists related Arizona rail
studies and plans.
2.7 Compliance with United States
Code, Section 22102
This SRP puts Arizona in compliance with the requirements
of the United States Code, Section 22102.
18 Arizona State Rail Plan
March 2011