Print
Comment
Rate
San Simon Rest Area one of 13 closed by ADOT
Budget cuts cause ADOT to suspend services
By Carol Broeder & Ainslee S. Wittig/Arizona Range News
The Texas Canyon Rest Area will remain open, while the one in San Simon closed when operations were temporarily suspended yesterday at 13 rest areas statewide.
Officials with Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) announced last Thursday that as of Oct. 13, it would temporarily suspend "operations of 13 of its 18 rest areas throughout the state."
It is part of a series of actions to address current budget constraints and preserve the most critical services and safety measures for the traveling public, said ADOT Director John Haikowski.
Among the 13 closures is the San Simon rest area on I-10 near the New Mexico border.
Other area closures include the Sacaton rest area on I-10 north of Casa Grande, and the Canoa Ranch rest area on I-19 south of Green Valley.
These closures are part of the "2010 Budget Roadmap" ADOT has developed in response to its $100 million shortfall.
The agency must reduce its use of state highway funds by 25 percent due to declining revenues from the weakened economy and the transfer of $520 million of transportation funding to address the state budget shortfall, Haikowski said.
"Many measures have been and will continue to be implemented to address the budget shortfall," he said.
ADOT intends to close 12 of its 61 Motor Vehicle Division offices, a plan that requires approval from the Department of Justice. That process may take as long as three months.
Sydney DeModica, spokeswoman for the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division, said closure of any MVD office in Arizona is still under consideration due to the Motor Voter Law, a federal law giving citizens the option to register to vote when they register their car (or use other services at MVD).
"It is up to the Department of Justice whether we can close any offices. However, we do have other options for both vehicle services and voter registration," she said.
The Website www.servicearizona.com offers most MVD services, and there are 143 third-party service centers in Arizona that offer most MVD services - everything from registering vehicles to organ donor and voter registration.
"Revenue comes from vehicle license tag registrations and, as new car sales drop, and people register older vehicles which are less expensive, revenues drop," DeModica said. Fewer new cars and less driving also diminishes fuel tax, further dropping revenue, she said. "It's a domino effect."
The agency also anticipates the need for layoffs along with its continued hiring freeze, which began in February 2008.
The temporary rest area closures will allow ADOT "to reallocate funds to ensure the safety of the traveling public by focusing on the roadways first," said Haikowsi, adding that the state will review these closures in June, after the 2009-10 fiscal year ends. The Texas Canyon rest area, on I-10 between Benson and Willcox, is one of five to remain open.
The eastbound portion of the Texas Canyon Rest Area was temporarily closed for re-paving, however it has re-opened as of Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Haikowski advises travelers to plan ahead: "There are commercial facilities in the vicinity of each rest area that may be utilized by the traveling public desiring to take a break in their travels."
The San Simon rest area is nine miles from San Simon and 20 miles west of a rest area in Lordsburg, N.M.
More information is available by visiting www.azdot.gov or www.azdot.gov/BudgetRoadmap.
By Carol Broeder & Ainslee S. Wittig/Arizona Range News
The Texas Canyon Rest Area will remain open, while the one in San Simon closed when operations were temporarily suspended yesterday at 13 rest areas statewide.
Officials with Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) announced last Thursday that as of Oct. 13, it would temporarily suspend "operations of 13 of its 18 rest areas throughout the state."
It is part of a series of actions to address current budget constraints and preserve the most critical services and safety measures for the traveling public, said ADOT Director John Haikowski.
Among the 13 closures is the San Simon rest area on I-10 near the New Mexico border.
Other area closures include the Sacaton rest area on I-10 north of Casa Grande, and the Canoa Ranch rest area on I-19 south of Green Valley.
These closures are part of the "2010 Budget Roadmap" ADOT has developed in response to its $100 million shortfall.
The agency must reduce its use of state highway funds by 25 percent due to declining revenues from the weakened economy and the transfer of $520 million of transportation funding to address the state budget shortfall, Haikowski said.
"Many measures have been and will continue to be implemented to address the budget shortfall," he said.
ADOT intends to close 12 of its 61 Motor Vehicle Division offices, a plan that requires approval from the Department of Justice. That process may take as long as three months.
Sydney DeModica, spokeswoman for the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division, said closure of any MVD office in Arizona is still under consideration due to the Motor Voter Law, a federal law giving citizens the option to register to vote when they register their car (or use other services at MVD).
"It is up to the Department of Justice whether we can close any offices. However, we do have other options for both vehicle services and voter registration," she said.
The Website www.servicearizona.com offers most MVD services, and there are 143 third-party service centers in Arizona that offer most MVD services - everything from registering vehicles to organ donor and voter registration.
"Revenue comes from vehicle license tag registrations and, as new car sales drop, and people register older vehicles which are less expensive, revenues drop," DeModica said. Fewer new cars and less driving also diminishes fuel tax, further dropping revenue, she said. "It's a domino effect."
The agency also anticipates the need for layoffs along with its continued hiring freeze, which began in February 2008.
The temporary rest area closures will allow ADOT "to reallocate funds to ensure the safety of the traveling public by focusing on the roadways first," said Haikowsi, adding that the state will review these closures in June, after the 2009-10 fiscal year ends. The Texas Canyon rest area, on I-10 between Benson and Willcox, is one of five to remain open.
The eastbound portion of the Texas Canyon Rest Area was temporarily closed for re-paving, however it has re-opened as of Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Haikowski advises travelers to plan ahead: "There are commercial facilities in the vicinity of each rest area that may be utilized by the traveling public desiring to take a break in their travels."
The San Simon rest area is nine miles from San Simon and 20 miles west of a rest area in Lordsburg, N.M.
More information is available by visiting www.azdot.gov or www.azdot.gov/BudgetRoadmap.
 |
 |
|
| Erickson convicted in 1st-degree killing | Entertainment legends honored here |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of willcoxrangenews.com.
