The Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) is a regional planning organization that serves a large rural area in northern Arizona covering 47,967 square miles and a population of 334,400 people. NACOG works with local jurisdictions, tribes, and state agencies on transportation planning and project prioritization to improve infrastructure, safety, and mobility in the region. Key activities include analyzing crash data, partnering with tribes, conducting rural transportation studies, and supporting funding applications from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
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Planning Partnerships in No. Arizona
1. Northern Arizona Council of Governments
Planning Partnerships in No. Arizona
Jenn O’Connor
NACOG Planning Director
2. Northern Arizona Council of Govts.
• Geography:
- 47,967 square miles
- Approx. 42% of Arizona
- About the size of New York
- 2 Small MPO’s – Flagstaff
and Prescott areas
3. Northern Arizona Council of Govt.s
• Geography:
- 22 Cities and Towns
- Ex. Sedona, Page, Show Low
- 4 Counties
- 7 Tribes
- Nat’l Forests and Parks
3
In Sum: Combination of highly rural
areas made up of counties, cities,
small towns, unincorporated
communities, tourist destinations
and tribes
4. Northern Arizona Council of Govt.s
• Population:
- 334,400 people
- 18.6% of the state pop.
- Diverse make-up
4
Race and Hispanic
Origin Yavapai Coconino Apache Navajo
White, not Hispanic 79.3% 53.5% 18.1% 42%
American Indian 2.2% 27.5% 74.5% 44.6%
Hispanic/Latino 15.3% 14.9% 7.1% 12.1%
6. NACOG Vision
Rooted in its rich diversity and history, Northern
Arizona is a vibrant region to live, work, grow, and
connect.
NACOG Mission
Our mission is to respond to relevant and emerging
issues through creative and collaborative services,
planning, education, and advocacy.
7. Regional Planning Team
Jennifer O'Connor, Acting Planning Director
Strategic Planning, Studies, Investments, Funding
Mike Huff, Transportation Planner
Data and GIS, Project Management, Roads, Infrastructure,
Safety
Tod Morris, Sr. Mobility Management Planner
Passenger Transportation, 5310, 5311
7
8. Level of Participation in TAC and Activities
• Turnover and staffing shortages at local jurisdictions
• Local participation is voluntary
Extremely large region with high needs means NACOG
has to prioritize where to spend time/energy
Elected Officials Need to be Educated on Complex Topic
• Increase communication with elected officials at the
local and state level to support funding and projects
Challenges/Barriers
9. NACOG’s Work in the Region
• On behalf of ADOT and USDOT
– Overview of Regional Planning Activities
– Funding Sources and Associated Activities
• NACOG-Initiated Activities
– Crash Data Analysis
– Tribal Partnerships
– Rural School Bus Route Study
– IIJA Supports
Note: ADOT assigns a planner to provide support and guidance to
multiple regions.
10. Regional Planning Activities
• Data Acquisition
• Rural Consultation
• Project Prioritization & Programming
• Grant Program Coordination
• Functional Classification & Urban Boundaries
• Liaison between local agencies & ADOT for
project funding
• Information & Technical Assistance
• Transportation Planning
11. Funding Sources for Local Jurisdictions
- Exchange federal for state funds to remove expensive
and time-consuming federal regulatory requirements
- Subject to fund sweeps by legislature to pay for DPS
- $1.8 million annually for NACOG
- 94.3%/5.7% match rate
Surface Transportation Block Grant – Federal Funds
Highway User Revenue Fund - State
- Federal: IIJA
- State: Off-System Bridge Program, HSIP, Transp.
Alternatives
12. • Annual regional
allocation ~$1.8M
• Sub-regional
allocations derived
from census
STBG Funding – Roadway Infrastructure
14. Traffic Count Program
• Consultant-contracted
• 1,115 count locations
• $162,070 in ADOT SPR
• Not to duplicate local
collection efforts
State Planning and Research (SPR) Funds
15. Opportunities:
1. Crash Data Analysis
2. Tribal Partnerships
3. Rural School Bus Route Study
4. IIJA Supports
NACOG-Initiated Activities
Navajo Code Talkers played a major role in
winning the war in the South Pacific during
WWII by providing an efficient code that the
Japanese never cracked.
16. Project Consultants (Spring 2022)
1) Obtained crash data from state database
2) Identified and prioritized key safety locations
3) Worked with jurisdictions to hear their priorities
4) Supported data management to prepare for future
applications
Crash Data Analysis
Limitation: Local police departments
are not always good about
submitting crash reports to the state
database.
17. Crash Data Analysis
12 HSIP Project Applications
• Apache County:
4 Intersection Projects on
County/ADOT Roads
• Town of Eagar:
Pedestrian Improvements
• Navajo County:
1) Channelized Turn Lane;
2) Turnouts and shoulder
widening
• Town of Pinetop-Lakeside:
Sidewalk
• Hopi Tribe: Multiuse Path
• Tuba City: Intersection lighting
• Yavapai County:
Two Passing Lane Projects
18. 2020 Vision in Action in 2022
• IGA with Hopi Tribe for 5-Year Transit Study
• Highway Safety Improvement Program application
• IIJA project identification - pedestrian safety improvements
along state routes (primary corridors) and in the mesas
(villages)
• Rural School Bus Route Study
Tribal Partnerships
19. • Brought forward by State Transportation Board Chair
Jesse Thompson
- Need for rural school bus route improvements
- Determine if connection can be made to student outcomes
• Project Scope
- Roadway infrastructure and maintenance, bus pull-outs
- Potential partners: Az Dept. of Education, ADOT Tribal
Liaisons, Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Counties, Transit,
School Districts, private
sector
Rural School Bus Route Study
20. Application Support
- Create a menu of NACOG services we provide: crash data,
traffic counting, and outside supports
- Develop relationship with university or community
colleges for services such as scoping projects, cost
estimation and/or basic economic impact assessments
- Maintain database of potential projects based on site visits
and conversations with jurisdictions
- Governor’s SMART Fund
IIJA Supports
21. Collaboration Among COGs
1. Rural Transportation Summit
2. Rural Transportation Advocacy Council
3. Greater Arizona Priority Project List
22. Power of Networks Across the State
• State:
– 4 COGs
– 6 Small MPO’s
– 2 Large MPO’s (TMA’s)
• Region: 30 members
governments
23. Rural Transportation Summits
• First conducted in 1999
• Statewide rural response to urban areas
• Forum for education, dialogue, and policy
development
• Strong annual increases in participation until 2020
• Revamped in 2021 to focus on state legislators
24. Rural Transportation Advocacy
Council (RTAC)
• Statewide rural transportation coalition
• Formed as an outcome of 2001 Rural Summit
• Full-time legislative liaison to monitor legislature
and ADOT re policy issues
• Funded collectively by rural COG’s and small MPO’s
• Greater visibility for rural interests
25. State Budget and Earmarks
2021 STATE BUDGET
• $213 million in one-time general
fund spending for specified
highway projects
LESS THAN $1 MILLION IN NACOG
REGION PROJECTS IN 2021 (0.5%)
2022 STATE BUDGET
• $1 billion in one-time general fund spending for
infrastructure
ONLY $41.3 MILLION IN NACOG REGION PROJECTS IN 2022 (4.1%)
26. Priority Project List
Potential funding opportunity
Surplus state funding (state legislature)
RTAC’s Advisory Committee allocation for
NACOG region: $18.6M, $37.1M and $55.7M
NACOG uses an open and competitive process
Presentation of Priority Projects at the September
Rural Transportation Summit
Followed by outreach and education of state
legislators
27. Scoring Criteria
High
(20 points)
Demand/Project
Need (20)
Connectivity (20)
Economic & Social
Benefits (20)
Low
(5 points)
Past Maintenance
Expense (5)
Project Readiness
(5)
[Support for
Planning Project
(10)]
Medium
(10 points)
Safety (10)
Local Leveraging (10)
Alternate Modes
(10)
Goal for the High Priority Project List: Projects that have been
vetted at the regional level (this process) and have some level of
readiness (applicant can take action if selected).
31. Success for NACOG?
RTAC Project Priority List
FY 2023 State Budget – NACOG Region Roadway Projects
Rte. 66 Rehabilitation, N Yavapai Co. near I-40 $19.3 million
US-89 Roundabout Construction & Improvements, Page $5 million
Major Roadway Improvements on the Navajo Nation $16 million
FY 2023 State Budget – Greater Arizona Roadway Projects to Benefit the
NACOG Region
Greater AZ Pavement Rehabilitation, Statewide Projects $31.5 million
State Match Advantage for Rural Transportation (SMART)
Fund
$50 million
• $41.3 million for rural roadway improvements – bipartisan
budget; legislators demonstrated they understand the need
• Local jurisdiction preparation for IIJA opportunities
• Comprehensive prioritization process to support future long
range plan
32. • 2022 Regional Priority Projects List - $100M, $200M,
and $300M
• Regional Strategic Transportation Safety Plan Update
• Public Involvement Plan
• Continue site visits and expanding list of potential
grant projects
• Ultimate goal: development of long range
transportation plan and support successful IIJA
applications
Looking Down the Road – FY23
15 Counties
4 Rural COGs
Northern, Western, Central, SouthEastern
6 Small MPOs
Flagstaff, Central Yavapai, Yuma, Sierra Vista, Lake Havasu, Sun Corridor
2 Large MPOs, also know as Transportation Management Areas (TMA’s)
Phoenix & Tucson metro areas
15 Counties
4 Rural COGs
Northern, Western, Central, SouthEastern
6 Small MPOs
Flagstaff, Central Yavapai, Yuma, Sierra Vista, Lake Havasu, Sun Corridor
2 Large MPOs, also know as Transportation Management Areas (TMA’s)
Phoenix & Tucson metro areas
15 Counties
4 Rural COGs
Northern, Western, Central, SouthEastern
6 Small MPOs
Flagstaff, Central Yavapai, Yuma, Sierra Vista, Lake Havasu, Sun Corridor
2 Large MPOs, also know as Transportation Management Areas (TMA’s)
Phoenix & Tucson metro areas
Jenn joined NACOG in September 2016 as a part-time consultant; became a full-time transit planner in May 2017. Previously worked 6 years as a Transportation Planner at PAG.
Tod joined NACOG in January 2018.
15 Counties
4 Rural COGs
Northern, Western, Central, SouthEastern
6 Small MPOs
Flagstaff, Central Yavapai, Yuma, Sierra Vista, Lake Havasu, Sun Corridor
2 Large MPOs, also know as Transportation Management Areas (TMA’s)
Phoenix & Tucson metro areas
Prioritization of projects for Regional and State TIPs
Data Acquisition
Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS)
Section 5310 Program Monitoring
Population Estimates & Projections
3. Grant Program Coordination
Transportation Enhancement Program
Section 5310 Special Needs Transit Program
4. Transportation Planning
Regional, Sub-regional & local plans
Support development of AZ Long Range Transportation Plan
Regional Transit Development Program
HURF Exchange - The funding enables local public agencies (LPAs) to build projects using state funding, avoiding expensive and time-consuming federal regulatory requirements, including environmental clearances through NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act).
By exchanging STBG funds for HURF Exchange funding, cities, towns, and counties are able to build projects faster and cheaper by avoiding expensive and time-consuming federal regulatory requirements.
This graph gives you a sense of how our TIP funding is dispersed across the NACOG Region.
Our federal apportionment is based on the ADOT population formula and we receive about $2M per year in STBG funds.
We are unique compared to other COGs and MPOs because we use a funding rotation method rather then a competitive process for the STBG funds. This was established in 2010 in an effort to allow each jurisdictions to plan according for their funding.
NACOG apportions funds to each sub-region (each of the 4 counties) based on population, using the same method as ADOT.
In early 2020, the NACOG Technical Subcommittee (TSC) decided to use unspent SPR funding to conduct the FY2021 NACOG Traffic Count Collection Update. Across the NACOG region, there are currently 781 traffic count locations (on Federal Function Classification (FCC) roads classified as minor collector or higher) where a traffic count is currently needed, either due to not being counted for a number of years or the creation of a newly classified FFC roadway. The NACOG region has the highest number of outdated/missing traffic counts on FFC roadways (minor collector or higher) of all of the AZ COGs.
This Agreement includes 1,115 traffic count locations for FY2021. Locations for FY2021 were categorized into four priority categories:
Priority 1: Bagdad, Camp Verde, Clarkdale, Cottonwood, Eagar, Holbrook, Jerome, Page, Pinetop-Lakeside, Sedona, Show Low, Snowflake, Springerville, St. Johns, Taylor, Tuba City, White Mountain Apache Tribe, Williams, Winslow
Priority 2: Apache-Sitgreaves NF, BIA, Coconino NF, Grand Canyon NP, Kaibab NF, Peoria, Petrified Forest NP, Prescott NF
Priority 3: (minor arterial & major collector roads) Apache County, Coconino County, Navajo County, Yavapai County, Private
Priority 4: (minor collector) Apache County, Coconino County, Navajo County, Yavapai County, Private
This project will also have available capacity in FY22-24 for additional traffic count locations.
Opportunities for NACOG to make a difference in the region.
Note: Tribes receive transportation funding directly from the federal government; however, the needs are great and we seek to support them whenever possible.
15 Counties
4 Rural COGs
Northern, Western, Central, SouthEastern
6 Small MPOs
Flagstaff, Central Yavapai, Yuma, Sierra Vista, Lake Havasu, Sun Corridor
2 Large MPOs, also know as Transportation Management Areas (TMA’s)
Phoenix & Tucson metro areas
15 Counties
4 Rural COGs
Northern, Western, Central, SouthEastern
6 Small MPOs
Flagstaff, Central Yavapai, Yuma, Sierra Vista, Lake Havasu, Sun Corridor
2 Large MPOs, also know as Transportation Management Areas (TMA’s)
Phoenix & Tucson metro areas
Continued example of the type of information NACOG provides to its members.
Continued example of the type of information NACOG provides to its members.
Continued example of the type of information NACOG provides to its members.
Continued example of the type of information NACOG provides to its members.
The Rural Transportation Advocacy Council (RTAC) has decided to respond to the states 2021 approach to allocating one-time funding for transportation projects, by working with the COGs and MPOs to develop a Priority Project list valued at $50 million. The NACOG region has been allocated $9.2 million based on population.
The RTAC is made up of elected officials from the rural and small-urban communities from across the state and the group is administered by Kevin Adam, who gives our legislative updates. The list of Priority Projects will be submitted to the 2022 session of the state legislature as a single bill. Since state tax collections are still significantly over projects, the hope is that the legislators would support this additional funding for rural and small urban infrastructure projects.
Funding Amounts
The RTAC Advisory Committee, which consists of the Greater AZ COG/MPO directors, is recommending the following approach.
1. The total project list value will be $50 million.
2. Each Greater AZ COG/MPO would be allocated an amount proportional to their population.
3. No COG/MPO or local jurisdiction would be precluded from pursuing separate earmarks for other projects.
AND Each COG/MPO will come up with their own process and criteria for identifying priority projects.
Because the NACOG region makes up 22.5% of the state’s population, we will be planning for approximately $9.2 million in projects across the four sub-regions.
The $9.2 million will then be divided by population size according to the population allocations we use for the TIP.
Projects on the High Priority Project List will be submitted to RTAC for their Greater Arizona Project List that will be submitted as a single piece of legislation in the 2022 session.
The list will go before the NACOG Regional Council for approval later this month.
NACOG will also be sharing the full list of Regionally Significant Projects with the offices of Congressman O’Halleran, and Senators Kelly and Sinema to encourage future consideration of these projects.
NACOG may hold another Regionally Significant Project List process in 2022.
We hope to replicate this process in the future in order to expand upon the list and reflect future priorities.
Ask for a vote to approve the FY 22 Regionally Significant Project List.
$1 billion in funding for transportation projects across the state, including $346 million for projects in Greater Arizona. While the projects from NACOG’s Regionally Significant Projects List did not make it into the final budget, the statewide advocacy efforts for rural transportation funding are seen to have contributed to this unprecedented set-aside for transportation projects
$1 billion in funding for transportation projects across the state, including $346 million for projects in Greater Arizona. While the projects from NACOG’s Regionally Significant Projects List did not make it into the final budget, the statewide advocacy efforts for rural transportation funding are seen to have contributed to this unprecedented set-aside for transportation projects
Slides will be posted online the TSC webpage by Monday.
