Transportation Study Begins For Northern Navajo County

By Linda Kor
   The first of a series of meetings was held last week to discuss the transportation study being conducted for northern Navajo County.
   Attending the meeting were representatives from the cities of Holbrook and Winslow, the Arizona De-partment of Transportation (ADOT) and the Navajo County Planning and Zoning Department.
   Project Manager Jim Townsend, along with Michael Gordon from Wilson & Company, presented those in attendance with an overview of the operation and what outcome was anticipated.
   City representatives included Interim City Manager Fern Larson, and Public Works Director Don Fischer of Holbrook, as well as City Administrator Jim Ferguson and City Planner Paul Ferris of Winslow.
   The Southern Navajo County Transportation Study has already been completed, but with the additional information provided by ADOT, this will provide a transit piece that was missing with multi-model com-ponents and the integration of freight safety issues. With the completion of the northern county study, the two will be integrated to form a countywide transportation study that would accommodate residential growth, employment factors and longevity.
    Growth projections were discussed in order to determine ways to accommodate potential growth in the county. During the 2000 census Holbrook had an actual population (including Joseph City, Sun Valley and Woodruff) of nearly 7,000 residents. By the year 2030, it is projected that the population will reach more than 15,000 residents. According to Townsend, these figures are based primarily on building permit data provided by the county and current growth trends.
   There were some concerns expressed by Larson and others over the accuracy of the population projection, but Townsend assured the group that those numbers have a purpose.
   “This isn’t going to be an accurate count for growth, but it is a good tool. Growth will need to be revisited down the road; this really just allows us to lay some groundwork,” Townsend explained.
   The purpose of this most recent meeting was to allow representatives from the cities to look over maps of the region, and discuss what improvements and changes they would like to see addressed in the study.
   One of the key issues brought up by Larson was an alternative route for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail crossing.
   Townsend addressed the issue by stating, “A possible solution is to come up with a matrix to walk through an evaluation of the issue and see what possibilities exist. Land ownership will have to be deter-mined as well.”
   Townsend asked what was the driving force behind the current location for the crossing.
   “The interchange played a key factor in location selection at the time,” stated Larson. “The city has always been looking at another potential crossing. If a major issue occurs on Interstate 40, it could bring traffic in Holbrook to a standstill.”
   Another issue Townsend brought up was truck traffic through Holbrook. He suggested that access consolidation be considered. “This is an easy solution that doesn’t require a lot of investment. Many businesses throughout the city have two, sometimes three, business access drives. With the amount of traffic that comes through the city, that would appear to be an unnecessary hazard that can easily be remedied,” Town-send stated.
   Winslow officials noted that some of their major concerns were the maintenance of traffic lights and truck traffic through the city.
   Ferguson stated he would like to see if traffic flow is significant enough to allow for additional traffic lights.
   The needs assessment will continue to be addressed as study continues. There will be three technical advisory meetings as well as two public meetings scheduled as the project progresses. The next technical advisory meeting has not yet been scheduled, but it is expected to be held in late May or early June.