It’s 'TIME' for a new transportation path

The Sierra Club's Grand Canyon (Arizona) Chapter announced its opposition to the TIME transportation initiative, which will impose an additional one-cent sales tax on Arizonans for 30 years. A majority of the $42 billion projected to be generated by this tax will be dedicated to roads.

"We are disappointed that the proposal relies heavily on a large sales tax increase for this road-based program, includes a relatively small percentage for transit measures, and an even smaller percentage for wildlife programs," said Jim Vaaler, chairperson of the Grand Canyon Chapter. "The exclusion of development impact fees in the package is also discouraging - the Sierra Club has long supported development paying its way in Arizona."

Fifty-five percent of the dollars in the initiative are targeted to state highways, most of which will be focused on Maricopa and Pima counties. With most of Arizona's transportation dollars - all of the state gas tax, most of the federal highway dollars, and a majority of the sales tax dollars for transportation in Pima and Maricopa counties - already going to fund roads, this measure falls far short of the mark in giving us a more balanced transportation system. The term of 30 years virtually ensures that it will be outdated as Arizona must adjust to rising transportation and energy costs, as well as air quality needs.

"Although the initiative prides itself on containing only one new highway, it is a bad one; extending the freeway portion of 89A south, from where it currently ends, to a junction with State Route 69 in Dewey," said Tom Slaback, chair of the Sierra Club's Yavapai (Prescott-area) Group. "Yavapai County may then take advantage of the percentage set aside for local road projects to construct a new road north through Prescott Valley and Chino Valley joining Highway 89 in Paulden. This will not only subsidize more sprawl in an area already fighting over diminishing ground water, but will also fragment one of the last, best Pronghorn grasslands."

Only 18 percent of the dollars in the proposed initiative are dedicated to transit, including commuter rail and regional rail. The Sierra Club strongly supports investing in these rail programs, including a passenger rail line between Phoenix and Tucson, but the limited amount and the continued focus of the dollars on roads makes it impossible to support this proposal.

"Rising gas prices are forcing people out of their cars. Investing heavily in public transportation is the responsible thing to do," said Sean Sullivan, co-chair of the Sierra Club's Rincon (southern Arizona) Group. "It is time to plan responsibly for the future and build up our public transportation system in Arizona. Public transit should be the focus of any transportation initiative rather than an afterthought."

"Flagstaff is trying to transform itself to a sustainable community for people rather than cars," said Norm Wallen of the Sierra Club's Plateau Group in Flagstaff. "This car-focused plan will be obsolete before it is implemented."

The TIME measure contains provisions for building more roads through "Public Private Partnerships" as well, which usually means a toll road. This could facilitate building roads that would not otherwise be constructed and further fragment wildlife habitat and promote suburban sprawl.

The proposed initiative includes a small percentage of funding to address fragmented wildlife habitat, including wildlife corridors and other programs for limiting the detrimental impact of roads and freeways to wildlife, vegetation, watersheds and more. Significant dollars should be set aside for these programs and a real assessment of the need, including looking at redesigning current roads and going back and establishing the linkages that were lost in previous transportation projects should be part of this proposal.

For more information on the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club, visit http://arizona.sierraclub.org.

Jim Vaaler, chairperson of the Grand Canyon Chapter

Tom Slaback, chair of the Sierra Club's Yavapai (Prescott-area) Group

Sean Sullivan, co-chair of the Sierra Club's Rincon (southern Arizona) Group

Norm Wallen of the Sierra Club's Plateau Group in Flagstaff