The City of Coolidge operates two bus transit lines that serve its own and surrounding communities in an area with limited public transportation options. As growth and changing traffic patterns add pressure to both the Cotton Express and Central Arizona Regional Transit (CART), the City is using a map-based online survey to get feedback about current experiences of the service and suggestions for potential expansion.
Cotton Express has two fixed-route buses serving Coolidge between Walmart in the north and Martin Rd. in the south, as well as point-to-point service throughout the City. CART operates weekdays between downtown Casa Grande and downtown Florence and includes stops at Banner Casa Grande Medical Center, Central Arizona College’s Signal Peak campus and the Pinal County courts complex.
Responses will be incorporated into a Short-Range Transit Plan that will recommend short-term improvements and make adjustments to processes, as well as identify future expansion areas and how much funding will be necessary.
A link to the survey is available at www.coolidgeaz.com/transit.
Maricopa Considers Sales Tax for AZ-347 Widening
The City of Maricopa is exploring a new path to address one of the community’s most urgent concerns: the future of AZ-347, the road that connects it to the Valley.
With rapid growth and increasing traffic, the need for widening the 347 has never been more pressing. City Council members are proposing a half-cent sales tax they say could fast-track progress on this critical project by providing matching funds for construction.
Thirty years have passed since the last major project added capacity to AZ-347, and daily traffic has exploded in volume since. Right now, there is no funding identified to widen the roadway within Pinal County, and no timeline for this widening.
Past efforts, including two countywide half-cent sales tax measures, have ultimately proven unsuccessful in providing a funding solution. The state’s limited resources have left the highway at the back of the line.
The council is considering implementing a half-cent sales tax within Maricopa. This tax would provide funding directly for the widening of AZ-347, with the goal of positioning the project for inclusion in the Arizona Department of Transportation’s five-year construction plan. The council, elected to represent the interests of the community, has the statutory authority to fund this infrastructure project.
The council is holding a series of informational meetings and open houses to explain details and receive input on the plan. After those meetings, the item will be placed on a City Council agenda for consideration. If approved by the City Council, the new tax would be implemented a minimum of 60 days later.
