21st Century Transportation for Arizona
CONNECTING ARIZONA WITH RAIL—Arizonans drive more miles, experience more congestion and produce more pollution from transportation than they did two decades ago. Arizona PIRG is working to provide more transportation options for our state.
ARIZONANS NEED TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS
Our highways are plagued with congestion, regardless of how many we build or how quickly we expand them. Pollution is a growing problem, with more of our children being affected by asthma. And a strong economy relies on having strong infrastructure.
It’s clear that Arizona needs to update and expand our transportation system to meet our needs in the 21st century.
Passenger rail between Phoenix and Tucson, light rail, efficient bus systems, vanpool services and other public transit options should play a greater role in Arizona’s transportation future.
Working To Make Passenger Rail A Reality
No matter how many times we widen the I-10, it’s nearly impossible to drive between Phoenix and Tucson without getting stuck in traffic. The Arizona Department of Transportation estimates that by 2050 it will take more than 5 hours to drive between Phoenix and Tucson — after factoring in expansion of the I-10.
ADOT is moving forward to determine the best route and funding options for a Phoenix-Tucson passenger rail line. While important progress is being made, there are still a number of steps needed, including public input meetings, to bring passenger rail to Arizona. With your support, we can ensure Arizona’s leaders know that Arizonans want better transportation options.
Issue updates
The Ready to Charge fact sheet by the Arizona PIRG Education Fund and Frontier Group emphasizes that Arizona needs more charging capacity to support electric vehicle adoption and notes policies that can help promote EV adoption: expand public charging capacity, make EV chargers more accessible by increasing interoperability, and increase the visibility and price transparency of public charging stations.
By rebuilding our transportation system to give more people the option to spend less time in a car, by expanding access to active means of travel such as walking and biking, and by adopting zero-emission electric cars and buses, we can make our transportation safer, healthier, cleaner and more efficient.
As state and national policymakers seek solutions to improve infrastructure, the Arizona PIRG Education Fund and Frontier Group’s new report, Transform Transportation, provides a roadmap the organizations say will “steer Arizona towards transportation options to save consumers money and protect public health”.
Electric utilities have a lot to gain from the large-scale adoption of electric school buses, and could play a major role in supporting the transition. Electric buses can expand and stabilize the grid, provide surplus energy storage, and increase energy demand. By providing discounted rates on electric bus charging and building charging infrastructure, utilities can help speed the adoption of electric buses. Utilities can also support electric buses by investing in infrastructure for bus charging in depots and on routes, helping to finance the upfront purchasing costs of electric buses, and introducing smart charging systems to maximize integration of renewable energy.
From mask mandates to capacity limits, the largest public transit systems and ride share companies have new procedures
Priority Action
Tell the Arizona Department of Transportation why you want to see a passenger rail line built between Phoenix and Tucson.
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