City officials, Martinez continue their push for 347 improvements

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Arizona State Representative Teresa Martinez is working with ADOT Director Jennifer Toth to find short-term solutions for traffic on State Route 347.. [Bryan Mordt]

If the road can’t be wider for a while, at least the traffic on that road can flow better.

That is the position of Mayor Nancy Smith and Maricopa’s representative in the State Legislature, Teresa Martinez of LD 16.

The two, along with city staff and other elected officials, are pushing for short-term improvements to traffic flow on State Route 347 in the wake of the failure of Proposition 469 in November, which would have provided funding for expansion and improvement to highways across Pinal County, including SR 238 and the heavily traveled SR 347.

The initial improvement Martinez and Smith are seeking is the syncing of the four traffic signals on SR 347 from Interstate 10 to Lakeview Road.

Rather than wait for another election, Martinez is going straight to the source, working directly with Arizona Department of Transportation to get projects moving.

“We are raising these issues with ADOT right now,” Martinez said. “I want to show that we can help the people today, not five years from today. This is what I think we can do today.”

“I want to adjust timing of the lights to help in the interim and until we start getting funding,” Martinez said. “I’m working hard to get this done, but I’m not one of those legislators who says, ‘Oh, we’ll just pass the bill when we can and not do anything until then.’ I want to know what can be done today and then start doing it.”

Smith also is moving forward aggressively with ADOT to find interim solutions.

Mayor Nancy Smith and the city staff are working with ADOT to sync the traffic lights between Maricopa and the 347-10 interchange to improve traffic flow on the heavily-traveled route. [Bryan Mordt}]
“I have a meeting scheduled with ADOT Director (Jennifer) Toth and (syncing the signals) is certainly one of the topics we’ll cover,” Smith said. “I received a response from the director’s office indicating they were reviewing my request. (The city staff and I) also met with ADOT regarding low-hanging fruit – items that could be done while we wait for expansion. They agreed to do a Road Safety Analysis and from there we’ll determine what short-term fixes can be accomplished.”

Martinez also is communicating directly with Toth. She and state Sen. T.J. Shope of LD 16 sent Toth a letter requesting the state engineer review the signal timing.

In their letter, Martinez and Shope ask that Toth “direct the ADOT state engineer to assess whether the signal timing between I-10 and Lakeview Drive can be adjusted with the overall goal of improving traffic flow on SR 347. Better flow of traffic will not only improve safety, but also positively impact the quality of life for our residents who lose hours while stuck in traffic on this highway.”

Their letter highlights the importance of SR 347 to Maricopa.

“SR 347 is a significant highway that connects many communities,” the letter states. “For residents of the City of Maricopa it is also a critical corridor to the Phoenix metropolitan area. In fact, 76% of all Maricopa households use SR 347 to get to and from work. Delays and accidents are common on SR 347, and we are seeking opportunities to improve both safety and congestion on this highway.”

Martinez said she received an email reply from Toth stating that she would speak with the state engineer about the issue.

“Between me and Nancy and the ADOT board, I think we are going to get this done,” Martinez said. “One big reason is it doesn’t require legislation. That’s why we are reaching out to the ADOT board. It would cost zero dollars, so why couldn’t it be done right away? And it wouldn’t be permanent, it would only be implemented during rush hours, going out of Maricopa from 6-9 a.m. and from 3-7 p.m. coming back into town – car-pool lane hours.”

Smith said Martinez is pushing for interim funding until the full appropriation of about $300 million can be obtained.

“Rep. Martinez has a bill for $18 million that would pay for two intersection changes, at Casa Blanca and the cement plant, that may eliminate those stop lights,” Smith said. “I’m very hopeful for some short-term fixes.”