ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

Senate: ATT DP 7-2-1-0 | Third Read 25-4-1-0

SB1818: wayfinding signs; cities and towns

Sponsor: Senator Farnsworth, LD 10

Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure

Overview

Appropriates $300,000 from the General Fund (GF) in FY 2027 to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) for grants to rural communities for full wayfinding signs. Allows a city or town to place wayfinding signs for specified preapproved locations within its jurisdiction without submitting an application for preapproval to ADOT.

History

Laws 1973, Chapter 146 established ADOT to provide for an integrated and balanced state transportation system with a director responsible for the Department's administration (A.R.S. § 28-331). ADOT has exclusive control and jurisdiction over state highways, state routes, state-owned airports and all state-owned transportation systems or modes.

The duties of ADOT are as follows: 1) register motor vehicles and aircraft, license drivers, collect revenues, enforce motor vehicle and aviation statutes and perform related functions; 2) do multimodal state transportation planning, cooperate and coordinate transportation planning with local governments and establish an annually updated priority program of capital improvements for all transportation modes; 3) design and construct transportation facilities in accordance with a priority plan and maintain and operate state highways, state owned airports and state public transportation systems; 4) investigate new transportation systems and cooperate with and advise local governments concerning the development and operation of public transit systems; 5) have administrative jurisdiction of transportation safety programs and implement them following applicable law; and 6) operate a state motor vehicle fleet for all motor vehicles that are owned, leased or rented by this state (A.R.S. § 28- 332).

Provisions

1. Appropriates $300,000 from the GF in FY 2027 to ADOT for grants to rural communities for full wayfinding signs. (Sec. 2)

2. Directs ADOT to award grants in conjunction with new ADOT projects located in rural communities. (Sec. 2)

3. Allows a city or town to place wayfinding signs for specified preapproved locations within its jurisdiction without submitting an application for preapproval to ADOT. (Sec. 1)

4. Requires the city or town to submit the finished sign placement location and design to ADOT. (Sec. 1)

5. Outlines the following preapproved locations for wayfinding sign directions:

a. downtown areas;

b. business districts;

c. schools;

d. parks;

e. arboretums;

f. trails;

g. community centers;

h. municipal buildings;

i. airports;

j. bus or rail depots;

k. museums;

l. planetariums; and

m. subdivisions for newly constructed hoes that are platted and recorded after the effective date. (Sec. 1)

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