Gila County Draft Transportation Plan for Review

PHOENIX The public is invited to join elected officials, business leaders, and other stakeholders February 22nd or 23rd to examine how the Gila County region can improve county-wide transportation and discuss initiatives for the future. Gila County will conduct the second round of two public open houses to present the proposed Gila County Transportation Plan that includes recommended Phase I (through 2010) and Phase II (after 2010) projects. The draft plan includes proposed improvements to county roads including paving portions of unpaved roads, improving some intersections, and adding bridges. Multimodal issues such as regional bus service and improvements to non-motorized trails will also be discussed. The event will be held on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 at 5:00 p.m. (with a short presentation at 5:15) at the Globe Board of Supervisors' Hearing Room 1400 East Ash Street, Globe. A second public open house will be held on Thursday February 23, 2006 at 5:00 p.m. in Star Valley (near Payson) at the Gila County Maintenance Yard on SR 260. In February 2005 Gila County initiated a county-wide Small Area Transportation Study. The objective of the study is to develop short-, mid-, and long-range plans for roadway improvements as well as multimodal components such as rideshare, transit, and bicycling. The 20-year study will also identify funding options and present a prioritized list of transportation projects for implementation. The first round of public and stakeholder meetings (June 2005) developed a regional transportation vision and identified issues that created the framework for the study. Gila County representatives as well as the consultants working on the study will be present to answer any questions about county transportation. The purpose of the event is to present research completed to date, present the draft transportation plan, and to discuss plan recommendations for roadway improvements and development in Gila County. The format of the meeting will be an "Open House" where participants can informally ask questions of the project representatives and provide their input regarding needs and recommendations. A short presentation will be given at 5:15 p.m. about the study and the findings to date. For more information about the study or upcoming public open houses, please contact Steve Sanders, Gila County Small Area Transportation Study Project Manager, and (928) 402-8530.