PHOENIX – Approximately 150 Arizonans, including two Mohave County residents, will gather in Tucson on April 19-22 to address Arizona’s transportation needs.  

The 94th Arizona Town Hall, titled “From Here to There: Transportation Opportunities for Arizona,” will develop consensus-based solutions to Arizona’s transportation challenges.  Among other topics, participants will consider funding (including the impact of federal stimulus funds); transportation within and among Arizona’s diverse communities; and how best to establish priorities.   

The Town Hall will take place at the Doubletree Hotel Tucson at Reid Park.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer will welcome participants to the opening Sunday dinner by video.

Monday’s 7 a.m. breakfast will feature a panel presentation by authors of a comprehensive background report prepared just for this Town Hall. The report, created under the direction of ASU Professors Michael Kuby and Aaron Golub, can be downloaded from the Arizona Town Hall website at www.aztownhall.org.

PHOENIX – An $85 million first round of state highway construction projects to be advanced by federal economic recovery funds will be advertised for bids this week, just two weeks after formal identification by the State Transportation Board. The 14 Arizona Department of Transportation projects to be advertised for bids this week should be under construction by summer.

“These projects will both extend and create jobs in our vital construction industry, with impacts on other sectors of the economy” said Governor Jan Brewer. “This is a big economic boost that also provides Arizonans with much needed highway improvements. Much of this money quickly returns to local economies across the state, helping to provide the recovery we need. I have worked with my staff to ensure that Arizona is well prepared to move forward with this economic recovery program to advance our infrastructure upgrades and, hopefully, gain additional funding through this federal program.”

The 14 initial highway projects, with a total estimated cost of $85.7 million, are the first of 41 projects statewide that will advance using funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. On March 13, the State Transportation Board approved the prioritized list of shovel ready projects across Arizona.