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Transportation Challenges and Opportunities for Large Cities Street and Area Lighting Conference JW Marriott Desert Ridge Hotel, September 8-11, 2013

City of Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix Snapshot

• Incorporated: 1881

• Form of Government:

Council-City Manager

• Population: 1,445,632 (6th

largest US city)

• Area: 519 square miles (6th

largest continental US)

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Phoenix Snapshot

• Miles of Streets: 4,838 centerline miles

• Signalized Intersections: 1,096

• Street Lights: 95,592

• Five-Year Capital Improvement Program: $3.2B

o Street Transportation: $508M

• Light Rail Transit system

o Opened 20-mile in Dec. 2008

o Two 3-mile extensions today

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National Association of City Transportation

Officials (NACTO)

• Founded in 1996

• Mission: Encourage exchange among large cities,

foster cooperation on national transportation issues

• Member Cities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago,

Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New

York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Francisco,

Seattle, Washington DC

• Plans to add members to extend reach

and impact

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NACTO Policy

• Rebuild roads, bridges, transit, and freight:

o Support “State of Good Repair” program for upkeep

o Invest in public transit

o Implement direct federal aid to large cities

o Maintain federal commitments to metropolitan areas

o Enhance freight mobility

• Expand innovative financing options

• Promote energy efficient,

environmentally sustainable

transportation investments

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Large City Mobility Challenges

• Traffic congestion in urban centers

o Pressure for more efficiency

o Infrastructure & transit improvements

• Aging infrastructure

o Repairs needed before costly

failures occur

• Lagging US infrastructure investment

• Unsustainable infrastructure funding

• Pedestrian and bicycling needs

o Demand for pedestrian/bicycling programs growing

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Trends

• Changing demographics, aging population

o Demand for more public transportation

o Alternative transportation choices

o Population in urban centers is growing

o Transition to live/work/play communities

• Advanced project delivery methods producing faster,

less expensive projects

o Less rework, less litigation, better outcomes

• Intelligent transportation

systems minimize delays and

improve safety

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Phoenix Challenges

• Phoenix growing, need new infrastructure

o 40% land vacant; projected 2030 population 6 million

• Increasing maintenance on existing infrastructure

o Expected to maintain level of service in spite of cuts

o Pressure to increase maintenance with no increase in staff or funding (Do more with less!)

• Region hard hit by recession

o Property values slow to recover

o Economy very dependent on new construction

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Phoenix Transportation Innovations

• Traffic signal & streetlight conversion to LED

• Traffic cameras with wireless connection to TMC

• Complete Streets Program implementation

o Formal adoption of Complete Streets policy

o Bicycle Masterplan development

o Bike Share execution

• Credit card parking meters

• Enhanced pedestrian safety –

HAWK signal installations

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Questions?

Contact:

Wylie Bearup, PE, PhD

Street Transportation Director/City Engineer

City of Phoenix

Phone: 602-262-6136

E-mail: wylie.bearup@phoenix.gov

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