Speaking

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors determined, by Resolution C-64-18-118-111-00 in April 2018, that MCDOT is responsible for Maricopa County Park Road Design, Construction, and Maintenance. MCDOT and MCPRD engaged in a strategic planning process to identify processes and priorities to collaborate on park roadways. Priorities were established, programming guidelines were outlined, coordination activities charted, and action items established. 

Maricopa County Parks provide outdoor recreation opportunities for Maricopa County and travelers from out of the region. Growth within the County has increased demand at parks and the COVID-19 pandemic further compounded that demand. This growth has brought a greater awareness to the need for Park Roadway Planning. 

As MCDOT began to develop a Park Road Circulation Plan, it was quickly discovered that Park Road level of service thresholds were needed. These thresholds determine when congestion may distract from the overall park experience, whether for motorists, hikers crossing a road, or cyclists riding along a shoulder. Park roads are generally intended to provide a leisurely driving experience and serve users who are walking and bicycling, and they often provide a scenic route to recreational areas. The roadway and traffic conditions within parks are vastly different when compared to other urban and rural roads outside park boundaries. Park roads do not have roadway capacity characteristics that are typically attributed to highways and arterial streets; therefore, those level of service thresholds could not be applied.  

The guidelines were developed using microsimulation models to evaluate the “feel” of different park road functional classifications with varying traffic volumes and posted speeds. Headways, the distance between cars, and slowing to enjoy the view were assessed to develop Planning Level Thresholds. Factors such as slowing for pedestrians or cyclists sharing the road were also considered as part of Threshold development.   

This project implemented several updates to the Flagstaff regional travel demand model. The updates to the model will allow the region to evaluate a variety of multi-modal planning initiatives. Updates include a hybrid trip generation module that combines the best of socioeconomic data-based trip production and land use-based attraction processes; destination choice-based trip distribution processes; new multinomial logic-based mode choice models and context sensitive trip assignment processes.  

The new model uses the most recent regional surveys (household and transit onboard), household demographic information and built-environment characteristics in determining mode choice. It has been calibrated to traffic counts, transit ridership volumes by routes, and district to district flows derived from “big data.” The model also includes novel updates to several processes. New modules for destination choice, mode choice and assignment enable the region to evaluate a variety of transportation planning policies and initiatives. It is anticipated that the model will play a key role in updating the regional transportation plan and the short-range transit plan.  

Model application to evaluate some transportation planning initiatives like improving multi-modal connectivity, enhancing transit service availability and land use updates will be discussed.  

As technology continues to advance, the use of augmented reality, drones, and digital twins will continue to push and shape the boundaries of bridge inspection. DOTs and municipalities are becoming more focused on managing their existing assets and infrastructure, and thus it is increasingly important for us to explore new and improved methods to tackle daily civil engineering problems. The B&N inspection team is now utilizing Augmented Reality devices to improve overall productivity and the quality of deliverables for the inspections and assessments we deliver. This includes the use of 3-dimensional digital twins and utilizing immersive reality headsets to capture data while out in the field. Augmented Reality (AR) allows field and office personnel to have access to files, photos, 3D models and other resources with the wave of their fingertips. Inspectors can align, overlay, and scale 3D models and photos to the project on site.   

AR provides high quality inspection data in a user-friendly, manipulatable format with detailed visuals that minimize human subjectivity and give contractors accurate, to-scale visuals of repairs. All of this will ultimately lead to lower lifecycle costs for bridge owners. While Project ARBI (Augmented Reality in Bridge Inspection) is still in the experimental phases, the potential to improve the industry is endless.   

The Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Transportation System Plan (TSP) 2040 sets the framework of the future transportation system as population, development, technology, and other factors impact Maricopa County, the fastest growing county in the country. The plan evaluated transportation needs for all users and modes of travel, set performance measures, and provides a clear vision through 2040. A large stakeholder group consisting of over 50 public agencies was convened to guide the study and provide for a seamless system. 

Through the planning process, MCDOT found innovative solutions to challenges. MCDOT emphasizes partnership and outreach activities, which were challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the country mid-project. MCDOT will discuss innovations, successes, lessons learned and adjustments for COVID-19, including: 

• Alternative approach to the visioning process 
• Automating needs identification and project ratings 
• Engaging a large advisory committee and enhancing the review process 
• Establishing new transportation system performance measures 
• Performing scenario planning and discussing the similarities with COVID-19 impacts to the transportation industry 
• Developing flexible programming 
• Conducting stakeholder and public engagement through a web-based interactive map  
• Engaging the public and using social media  
• Performing youth outreach efforts 

MCDOT embraces a continuous improvement process mindset. To encourage consistency in practice for transportation planning and design functions, MCDOT developed a new Transportation Planning Manual and updated its Roadway Design Manual. Intent, expectations, and details will be shared, including how the planning and design functions work together to promote planning to programming and design. 

The MCDOT Systems Planning Branch is responsible for collecting, analyzing and processing data coordination with other MCDOT divisions, County departments and other agencies to identify and plan for future transportation needs within the county’s unincorporated areas. These efforts are focused on creating a seamless transportation system. The completely new Transportation Planning Manual is a guide for the responsibilities of the Planning Branch; this includes planning, project management, coordination, development of planning recommendations, and more. 

The MCDOT Engineering Division is responsible for maintaining the Roadway Design Manual. This document is used by MCDOT, its partners and consultants in the development of county roadways, right of way and transportation systems. It is also used by private sector developers and consultants for projects involving existing and future county roadways. Recent efforts to update the Manual’s roadway cross section details are under development to better integrate functional classifications, future growth and context of the surrounding area. The Roadway Design Manual is updated annually, so other updates will also be presented. 

The Northern Parkway Program includes the scoping, design and construction of a 12.5-mile regional transportation facility that extends from Loop 303 to Grand Avenue (US 60). The Northern Parkway Program is a multi-agency project led by Maricopa County in partnership with the City of El Mirage, City of Glendale, the City of Peoria, and the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). When completed, Northern Parkway will be a high capacity, limited access roadway carrying traffic volumes of 70,000 vehicles per day. 

An overview of the $600 million program will be provided. The Northern Parkway Program scoping efforts were completed in 2010. Nearly half of the corridor has been built or is under construction. In recent years, the project partners revisited the scoping efforts for the remaining half to update and adapt the program to evolving development patterns and economics. 

The remaining half of the Northern Parkway Program is in various stages of design. A discussion will be conducted on complex design features found in high-volume, developed urban corridors. These include increasing capacity, access management, new development, active transportation, safety, and working with parties who have differing property rights. The presentation will focus on the segment between 99th Avenue and Grand Avenue which encompasses two traffic interchanges; a new casino; a high school; a railroad; commercial, residential and industrial areas; and serves special event traffic for State Farm Stadium and Luke Days. It will touch on design considerations that incorporate principles of performance based practical design. 

The entire project is a consensus driven process. The project partners all have made significant investments in the Northern Parkway Program. All design and construction decisions are made in concurrence with the project partners. Northern Parkway straddles jurisdictional boundaries, requiring ownership and maintenance agreements. The session will discuss successes and best practices in partnering and maintaining consensus for the complex corridor throughout the process. 

Performance Based Practical Design (PBPD) is a planning and design philosophy centered around the general premise that proposed improvements should be targeted and right-sized based on project specific needs. This philosophy emphasizes safety and operational performance rather than strict adherence to standards.  

ADOT prepared and published its "Guiding Principles for Performance Based Practical Design" in 2019. The new, more comprehensive guidance document provides designers and engineers at ADOT and in the consultant community with guidance on how to use the PBPD principles in making effective and sound engineering decisions and judgments and how to deliver a project that meets ADOT's objectives and needs.  

PBPD is not new to ADOT but more work needs to be done to help ensure that Department designers, engineers, and the consultant community have a full understanding of the Department’s PBPD approach and are confident in its use in delivering projects.