SW Arizona News

Officials throughout Arizona met in Phoenix earlier this month to discuss the poor conditions of their roads and the incredible lack of funding to improve them. 

Riverside Drive, for example, will remain closed until it receives $1 million or $2 million to fortify the hillside from boulders and rockslides, Duce Minor, La Paz county supervisor, recently told Parker Pioneer. 

Although Gov. Doug Ducey's budget plans to allocate $1.03 billion to Arizona's transportation system next year, officials say this amount is not nearly enough.

“I testified as to the poor condition of our roads and stressed the importance of Highway User funds,” Jeanne Bishop, Mohave County supervisor, recently told the Arizona House of Representatives Transportation Committee. “Through the state’s long-range plans, ADOT estimates an under-investment of at least $1.2 billion per year (in roads) for the foreseeable future. That only addresses about 43 percent of the state system’s needs.”

A billion dollars is how much it'll cost to fix the 60 road maintenance projects in Yavapai county alone—which would take 1,600 years to be completed under current funding models, Craig Brown, Yavapai County supervisor, recently said at the committee hearing. 

Arizona's Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF), the main source of funding for the roads, is generated through gas taxes. 

“County and city roads are heavily dependent on gas tax revenues, and those are facing similar shortfalls,” Bishop said. “It’s unbelievable. Our legislators know the importance of fixing our roads, and our testimony only reinforced what they already knew. We’re asking for a strategic, sustainable remedy in the state of Arizona for all of our counties and cities.”

The House Transportation Committee does not see an immediate solution to the officials' requests.

“We’re dealing with an issue where the governor has stated he won’t support any kind of gas tax,” Leo Biasiucci, House Transportation Committee vice chairman, recently said at the committee hearing. “The cars that use the highways, that are fully electric, need to start paying their fair share. We’re looking at cars that get better miles per gallon, so they’re using less gas. And you have electric vehicles that are using no gas. What is the solution? Something needs to be done.”