21st Century Transportation for Arizona

CONNECTING ARIZONA WITH RAIL—Arizonans drive more miles, experience more congestion and produce more pollution from transportation than they did two decades ago. Arizona PIRG is working to provide more transportation options for our state.

ARIZONANS NEED TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS

Our highways are plagued with congestion, regardless of how many we build or how quickly we expand them. Pollution is a growing problem, with more of our children being affected by asthma. And a strong economy relies on having strong infrastructure.

It’s clear that Arizona needs to update and expand our transportation system to meet our needs in the 21st century.

Passenger rail between Phoenix and Tucson, light rail, efficient bus systems, vanpool services and other public transit options should play a greater role in Arizona’s transportation future.

Working To Make Passenger Rail A Reality

No matter how many times we widen the I-10, it’s nearly impossible to drive between Phoenix and Tucson without getting stuck in traffic. The Arizona Department of Transportation estimates that by 2050 it will take more than 5 hours to drive between Phoenix and Tucson — after factoring in expansion of the I-10.

ADOT is moving forward to determine the best route and funding options for a Phoenix-Tucson passenger rail line. While important progress is being made, there are still a number of steps needed, including public input meetings, to bring passenger rail to Arizona. With your support, we can ensure Arizona’s leaders know that Arizonans want better transportation options.

Issue updates

News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

Bold New Federal High-Speed Rail Plan Can Bring Benefits to Arizona

Statement of Serena Unrein, Public Interest Advocate for the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, on Vice President Joseph Biden and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood’s announcement that the administration plans to invest $53 billion over the next six years in high-speed rail.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG | Transportation

President’s Goal: Connecting 80 Percent of Americans with High-Speed Rail

Statement of Arizona PIRG Public Interest Advocate Serena Unrein on President Obama’s remarks on infrastructure in the State of the Union Address.

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Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

Do Roads Pay for Themselves?

Highway advocates often claim that roads “pay for themselves,” with gasoline taxes and other charges to motorists covering—or nearly covering—the full cost of highway construction and maintenance. They are wrong.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

Myth Busted: Road Costs in Arizona Not Covered by Gas Taxes

The Arizona PIRG Education Fund's new report, Do Roads Pay for Themselves? Setting the Record Straight on Transportation Funding, disproves the common misperception that road-building in Arizona and across the country is paid for by user fees. The report shows that gas taxes cover barely half the costs of building and maintaining roads, a fraction which is likely to fall steadily.

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Media Hit | Transportation

Arizona Daily Star: Report supports a speedy Phoenix- to-Tucson rail line

A high-speed rail line between Phoenix and Tucson would create jobs and relieve traffic congestion, a new study contends.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

Local Leaders Asked to Find Reliable Funding for Transit

At a recent Maricopa Association of Governments meeting, the Arizona PIRG Education Fund urged the local government leaders to find reliable sources of funding for transit so that Maricopa County residents can have transportation options.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG | Transportation

Public Transit Projects Create More Jobs than Highway Projects

New data released today by the Transportation Equity Network reveals that investment in public transit can create hundreds of thousands more jobs than highway projects.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

Transit Service Cuts to Impact Valley Residents

Today marks the beginning of cuts to transit service in the Phoenix metropolitan area.  Light rail service will be less frequent during peak hours and peak hours are being reduced by two hours each day.  Bus routes also are being affected – some routes will have less frequent service and some are being eliminated altogether.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG | Transportation

Public Transportation Projects Create More Jobs than Building Highways

Stimulus money invested in public transportation projects created twice as many jobs as highway projects, according to a new report released today by Arizona PIRG, in conjunction with the Center for Neighborhood Technology and Smart Growth America.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

Maricopa County Leaders Urged to Include More Transit in Plans

The Arizona PIRG Education Fund and the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) filed joint comments on the most recent Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) transportation plans.

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Priority Action

Tell the Arizona Department of Transportation why you want to see a passenger rail line built between Phoenix and Tucson.

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