The City Council will gain awareness of the transportation projects and planning activities prioritized in the regional transportation plan, Blueprint 2040, including the fiscal means to pay for them.  The Council will provide direction to the City Manager on how to prepare for a potential November 2018 transportation tax ballot initiative.

Regional Transportation Plan
The Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning Organization (FMPO) conducts federally mandated regional transportation planning for a 525 square mile planning area surrounding the City of Flagstaff.  FMPO is run by an Executive Board of elected and appointed officials from the City of Flagstaff, Coconino County, Arizona Department of Transportation and the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority.  The Executive Board adopted Blueprint 2040: Regional Transportation Plan on May 1, 2017.

Blueprint 2040 sets transportation direction and priorities.  A build out transportation system plan provides vision.  Planning guidance for each mode assures that new projects and new developments create the transportation system desired.  The 20-year program, high performing projects within the region’s financial means, sets priorities.  The plan, guidance and program have all been filtered through performance measures based on the guiding principles and transportation policies in Flagstaff Regional Plan 2030: Place Matters and weighted according to extensive public input.  These measures are congestion, arterial density, multimodal service, safety and economic development.

Blueprint 2040 projects $280,000,000 in available revenue between 2020 and 2040.  $195,000,000 is estimated from a renewal of the City's transportation sales tax.  Cost estimates include right-of-way, design, inflation and debt-financing. The projects to be funded include:

• Bus Rapid Transit and Operating funds (note: NAIPTA may change this)
• Lone Tree Road widening - Pine Knoll to John Wesley Powell Boulevard
• Lone Tree Road widening - Butler Avenue to Pine Knoll
• Fourth Street Bridges replacement and widening at Interstate 40
• Fourth Street widening - I-40 to Butler Avenue
• Butler Avenue widening - I-40 to Sinagua Heights
• John Wesley Powell Boulevard - I-17 to Lake Mary Road
• High Country Trail extension - to new section of John Wesley Powell Boulevard
• $20 million in sidewalk and crossing improvements
• Milton Road Widening - Riordan to Phoenix Avenue (partnering project with ADOT)
• Annual reserve fund (recommended to be used on Milton partnering)
• Annual operations budget

Blueprint 2040 meets the Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (FMPO) federal mandate for regional transportation planning.  It brings a sharper focus and renewed commitment to many long-standing ideas.  These ideas define the vision of our region and guide the transportation system that will serve it best.  Provided here is an overview of how Blueprint 2040 address several of these key concepts followed by three figures illustrating the build out plan, system guidance, and the 20-year program.
 
Renewed commitment to Connectivity 
All modes rely heavily on an efficient and interconnected network of roads and streets.  Blueprint 2040 quantifies the weaknesses in the current network, identifies major roads for the future, and sets guidance for development patterns to better support regional transportation.

Renewed commitment to Multimodalism
The FMPO Region has invested in all modes for decades.  Level of service expectations for the pedestrian, bicycle  and transit system are clearly illustrated.  Blueprint 2040 lays out projects and performance levels to assure that the components of the transportation system work to build the community desired.
 
Renewed commitment to Partnership
The challenges and opportunities before this region are too great to be faced by any one agency alone.  The members of FMPO are the City of Flagstaff, Coconino County, the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority and the Arizona Department of Transportation.  In Blueprint 2040 these agencies identify projects and programs to pursue together in support of the regional vision. 

City of Flagstaff Transportation Sales Tax Renewal Discussion
The current set of transportation sales taxes sunset on June 30, 2020, except the transit tax that was renewed in 2016.  The regional transportation plan discussions assume these taxes will be renewed pending a successful election in November 2018.  The City Manager seeks Council direction to affirm this assumption and gain direction on how to prepare for the election. 

Four options are presented to Council for their consideration:

• Citizens Transportation Tax Commission: The Council will appoint a body to advise them on the ballot language, project priorities and tax level.  The Commission will be subject to open meeting laws.
• Managers Citizens Task Force:  The Council directs the manager to appoints a task force.  Advice will come through the Manager to the Council.
• Direct Council Engagement:  The Council will hold a series of work sessions on the tax questions and facilitate direct input from the public, experts, and interest groups.
• Do nothing: The Council may choose to not pursue a tax renewal or, if it chooses tax renewal, may not provide support to the effort.

Council Goal: Transportation: Deliver quality community assets and continue to advocate and implement a highly performing multi-modal transportation system.
Regional Plan Goal: Improve mobility and access throughout the region.

Community Involvement: Development of the plan included numerous online surveys, articles in the paper and Cityscape, input from a steering committee, input from numerous city and county boards and commissions, and participation by special interest or groups of experts in real estate, safety, transportation technology, natural resources and historic preservation.

Blueprint 2040: Regional Transportation Plan is available through the Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning Organization website at www.flagstaffmpo.org.