Phoenix City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to create a citizen commission to oversee the improvement of city transportation such as extended light rail and repaved streets under Proposition 104.
The proposition, which was passed in August, is known as the Transportation 2050 plan and includes repaving 680 miles of Phoenix streets, tripling light rail mileage and lengthening bus hours. The plan will be paid for by a three-tenths of a cent increase — from four-tenths to seven-tenths of a cent — in the current transit tax, which is part of the city’s sales tax.
“They are going to be looking at the aspects of projects — the financial aspect of it, what moves forward — and they are going to provide recommendations to City Council,” said Ray Dovalina, director of the city’s Street Transportation Department.
Dovalina said that the Citizens Transportation Commission will supersede the already existing Citizens Transit Commission that oversaw the Transit 2000 plan passed in 2000.
District 8 Councilwoman Kate Gallego applauded the current commission and reaffirmed the need for the new one.
“I echo everyone’s thanks to the existing commission,” Gallego said. “It’s going to be an important role, very highly visible oversight of this Proposition 104 spending. We are going to need the best and brightest on that commission, and I’m looking forward to having them in place.”
The commission will comprise 15 unpaid members chosen by City Council. It will include one member from each district, one who is part of the disabled community, one transit user, one from the business community, one from the education community, one with a professional transportation background and two others from the city.
Brett Klineman, a Phoenix citizen, said the transportation needs of children in K-12 education are different from those of college students. He suggested having at least one member from the K-12 community and at least one from the college community so both are represented. Many of the council agreed with Klineman’s suggestions and thanked him for his input.
“You are going to see probably more than two education members, if I were to predict, because this council at least understands [the importance of] getting this right by the education community,” said Mayor Greg Stanton.
District 6 Councilman Sal DiCiccio agreed with Stanton and commended him on his work to make this commission.
“I think the mayor has done a very good job at trying to find that balance here today and in this process,” DiCiccio said. “I want to thank everyone that worked on this.”
The City Council also unanimously passed the motion to apply for and accept money from the federal government for transportation projects for the 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020 fiscal years.
The United States Department of Transportation sends federal funds to Arizona. Some of the funds stay with the Arizona Department of Transportation, while others are distributed to cities and counties, Dovalina said.
On top of what the federal government would give to Phoenix, the Maricopa Association of Governments takes some of the funds it is given and distributes them out to cities. It gives out the money in a competitive application process for congestion mitigation and air-quality funds.
“We are applying and competing with every other city and town and even the county itself on getting those funds,” said Eileen Yazzie, special projects administrator for the Street Transportation Department.
Contact the reporter at Kmlane5@asu.edu.
