Infrastructure is the basic physical and organizational structure needed for the operation of a society or enterprise and the services and facilities necessary to function, such as roads, pedestrian and bicycle systems, water supply, sanitary and storm sewers, public transit, airports, railroads, public buildings and facilities, solid waste collection, power supply, and telecommunications.
Priorities
Create and maintain intra-city transportation.
Provide safe, clean, efficient, sustainable, multi-modal surface transportation systems consistent with Complete Streets policies to support mobility needs of present and future residents, businesses, and visitors within the city of Phoenix.
Strategies
- Plan, design, construct, and operate new streets, pedestrian friendly sidewalks, bicycle lanes, hiking trails, bridges, and drainage ways for new residential and commercial development to reduce congestion, improve air quality, reuse materials, leverage new technology, encourage infill development, create livable neighborhoods, and promote growth. Consider using modern street car and light rail as surface transportation modes to support and encourage new development.
- Maintain existing streets and associated assets in a state of good repair so they are clean, safe, and aesthetically pleasing for all users. Invest resources and technology to extend the service life of existing infrastructure, protect the city’s investment, and support a high quality-of-life standard.
- Develop and maintain passenger and operating facilities for a multi-modal regional transit system. Utilize sound methodology and principles to locate facilities to meet ridership demands and bus operations. Implement a maintenance and improvement plan that adequately addresses the needs of federally funded assets. Continue to design and construct facilities that use sustainable design standards, are attractive, and provide an enhanced sense of security to encourage increased use of public transit.
- Procure and maintain assets required to operate the transit system. Coordinate with local agencies to ensure transit infrastructure will support transit operations. Analyze routes to ensure they will support ridership needs.
- Coordinate, permit, and document private utilities within city right-of-way and easement areas to minimize initial roadway disruptions, reduce future roadway cuts, maintain reasonable utility corridors for future growth, encourage future development, and minimize visual impact for residents and businesses. Improve reliability and accuracy of as-built documentation through new technology to increase safety and reduce utility locating and relocation costs.
- Plan, design, develop, and maintain a green infrastructure, such as interconnected trail systems that increase shade canopy coverage and promote pedestrian mobility, parks, preserves, tree and shade master plans and habitat restoration.
Establish and enhance inter-city transportation.
Provide safe, efficient, sustainable, cost-effective multi-modal transportation systems to support economic growth, population growth, and competitiveness through connectivity to regional, national, and global destinations.
Strategies
- Participate in, or lead, planning efforts to maximize the effectiveness of future freeway construction alignments or expansions to the existing freeway system. Coordinate with partners on sustainable funding mechanisms to support present and future infrastructure improvements to the freeway system.
- Maintain local access to city owned and operated aviation facilities and expand the national and international destinations its airlines serve. Continue to improve and enhance or expand internal airport transportation systems.
- Coordinate with the appropriate agencies on expansion plans for increased freight corridors and participate in planning efforts to expand the heavy rail system to provide additional links to out-of-state destinations.
- Plan, design, develop, and maintain a regional multi-use trail system to connect Phoenix with adjacent cities or preserve areas to accommodate walkers, hikers, joggers, bicyclists, and equestrians. Consider jointly-funded regional projects to enhance existing connections and to evaluate inter-city connections and future infrastructure needs.
Develop and operate public utilities.
Protect the public health and environment by providing reliable, efficient and affordable water, wastewater, storm water, and garbage and diversion (recycling, reducing, reusing) services.
Strategies
- Manage, develop, operate, and maintain infrastructure that is integrated, well-maintained, reliable, aesthetically pleasing, and continuously improves the high-quality service delivery standards.
- Develop a financing plan for long-term sustainable infrastructure growth and replacement that implements an equitable fee structure and incentives for conservation.
- Use public/private partnerships for growth and economic development. Optimize regional partnerships to cooperatively utilize new and existing infrastructure to maximize collection efficiencies, implement new diversion and resource recovery technologies, minimize the need for future capital investment, reduce transportation demands, and provide sustainable land reuse.
- Develop an asset management plan that identifies improvements needed to ensure reliability, regulatory compliance, operational efficiencies, and resource recovery, while creating an integrated system that improves information access by sharing citywide and across departments.
Construct and manage public facilities.
Provide safe, efficient, sustainable, cost-effective, well-maintained, and aesthetically pleasing public facilities for delivery of municipal services to residents and visitors; build, maintain, and manage capital assets to preserve long-term investment and ensure uninterrupted support services.
Strategies
- Apply benchmarking and other industry comparison techniques in order to manage costs and maintain industry-leading service levels.
- Communicate the value of Capital Asset Management and establish a dedicated funding source for City infrastructure repair and capital improvements.
- Plan, construct, and maintain park buildings, trails systems, open spaces, picnic areas and ramadas, pools, playgrounds, lighted basketball, volleyball, soccer and softball facilities, restrooms, and golf courses that meet the diverse recreational and cultural needs of the city’s residents and visitors. Continue investment to maintain appearance and safety of existing facilities which could result in greater use.
