ADOT Budget Cuts To Include Rest Stop And Office Closures

By Tammy Gray-Searles
   Three Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) rest stops along Interstate 40 will be temporarily closed beginning Oct. 19, including the Meteor Crater rest stops. The rest stop at Painted Cliffs, just a few miles from the New Mexico border, will remain open.
   The closures, which include 10 other rest stops across the state, are part of the action ADOT is taking to reduce operating costs. The agency is reportedly facing a $100 million budget shortfall. Other reductions include closure of 12 field offices, a 10-percent staff reduction and deferral of $370 million in construction projects.
   Although ADOT has not yet announced which offices will be closed, it has provided a list of rest stops that will be temporarily shut down until funding improves. Those closures include the Mazatzal rest stop, about 12 miles outside of Payson on Highway 87 and the Salt River Canyon rest stop about 25 miles from Globe. The McGuirevull rest stop, 10 miles out of Camp Verde on Interstate 17 will also be shuttered.
   According to an announcement by ADOT, the closures are “part of a series of actions to address current budget constraints.” ADOT notes, “Temporarily suspending operations at these 13 rest areas will allow ADOT to reallocate funds to ensure the safety of the traveling public by focusing on the roadways first.”
   ADOT operates 18 rest areas throughout the state. Those slated to continue operations in addition to Painted Cliffs include one on Interstate 8, two on Interstate 10 and Sunset Point on Interstate 17 between Phoenix and Camp Verde.
   “To help address the needs of drivers with reduced opportunities for rest when on the road, ADOT will also develop a program in partnership with businesses to welcome travelers to stop and use restroom facilities free of charge,” the official ADOT announcement noted.
   The locations of offices to be closed will not be announced until after a facilities review is completed. The review will include “facility and security issues, proximity to other locations and the availability of third party enterprises.”
   ADOT Director John Halikowski explained the cuts by noting, “More than $500 million in transportation funding has been diverted in the past year to address the state’s budget challenges. ADOT’s customers pay their own way by using transportation services, but because the state is using transportation funds to pay for other needs and people are buying less fuel and fewer vehicles, we are simply running out of money.”
   In order to make the appropriate cuts, ADOT identified a list of priorities. A list provided by the agency notes, “Highway maintenance activities will be eliminated, deferred and occur less frequently by prioritizing maintenance activities in the following order:
   “* Priority 1: Public safety and emergency response. emergency repairs, snow and ice removal and emergency response to incidents.
   “* Priority 2: Mobility. Necessary repairs and maintenance activities to keep the highway system operational.
   “* Priority 3: Preventive maintenance and preservation of the system. Preventive and routine highway maintenance activites.
   “* Priority 4: Aesthetics. Landscaping, litter pick up and graffiti removal.”
   The agency must also decide which construction projects will be put off until the financial outlook improves.
   Halikowski noted, “All of this deferred maintenance and construction work will have to be done at some point. These needs are not going away, but we recognize the responsibility to address short-term financial issues while prioritizing what must be done. Drivers will notice a difference, unfortunately.”