Two harmful transportation bills are making their way through the Arizona Legislature. SB1086 and SB1092 have already passed out of the Senate along party lines and are about to go to a vote in the House. Please take action and let your representative know you oppose both bills.
SB1086 transportation system performance; ADOT prohibits the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) from considering or adopting a motor vehicle travel mile reduction target or any other demand management policy or project to reduce traffic. SB1086 limits ADOT's authority to consider integration of roads and vehicles with other forms of transportation, including rail, transit, bicycles, and pedestrians. It states that ADOT must weight ridership on each route for transit so it is no lower than 70 percent of the system average, which could disproportionately and negatively affect those who are totally dependent on transit. SB1086 is short-sighted and harmful and should be rejected.
SB1092 vehicle mileage; tracking; tax; prohibitions prohibits limits on vehicle miles traveled or any travel reduction program, contrary to air quality requirements. It also prohibits any kind of fee based on vehicle miles traveled, which has been considered as an alternative to gas taxes.
Travel reduction is a component of our state implementation plans and removing those provisions would mean seeking approval and replacing those reductions with some other measure, thus shifting more of the burden for reducing pollution to other entities.
Vehicles in the Phoenix area particularly contribute to air quality issues and reducing traffic is a key part of our state implementation plans for reducing pollutants that contribute to ozone pollution -- high ozone levels harm our lungs and make it hard for those with other respiratory issues to breathe. Children, elderly people, and people with asthma or other respiratory diseases are most vulnerable to ozone pollution. Reducing vehicle travel can make a difference for all of these vulnerable populations and even those who are otherwise healthy and are not in an at-risk category.
Reducing traffic and also integrating planning for roads with accommodating pedestrians and bikes would make our streets safer and could help reduce the high pedestrian death rates in cities like Phoenix and Tucson.
Ask your representatives to vote NO on SB1086 and SB1092!
