Growth in the Valley

It should surprise no one to learn that Maricopa County is among the fastest growing regions of the United States. Anyone who has been in the Valley for more than a few years has seen it happen – and lived with the consequences, good and bad.

Maricopa County is currently the nation’s fourth largest county in terms of population size, and the 14th largest in land area. With a current population of about three million, the Valley’s population is expected to swell to approximately six million by the year 2030.

In spite of this rapid growth, it might be surprising to note that the Valley’s density has increased. While the population between 1990 and 2000 increased by 45 percent, density in the Phoenix-Mesa Urbanized Area increased by 34 percent.

As the Valley’s population has grown, so have employment opportunities. Nineteen percent of all vehicle miles traveled in the region are job commutes. Total employment in Maricopa County is expected to double from 1.5 million today to more than three million in 2030.

Planning for the Valley’s future transportation needs is not simply a question of how to accommodate more vehicles. The problem is one of mobility – how to efficiently move both people and goods to maintain the region’s quality of life and economic vitality. Research has shown that communities with a commitment to planning and developing sustainable transportation systems are more likely to remain economically vital.    

Utilizing input from the community the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Transportation Policy Committee (TPC) developed the Regional Transportation Plan [the Plan]. The 22-member committee included elected officials and representatives from cities and towns across the region, the business community, the Arizona Department of Transportation, Maricopa County, the freight industry, transit, and the Citizens Transportation Oversight Committee

The Plan was developed after three years of comprehensive study and input. The Plan will serve as the foundation for the continuation of the half-cent sales tax for transportation, which is scheduled to go before the voters in November. Continuation of the tax would raise an estimated $9 billion to make the transportation improvements necessary to continue the progress that has been made over the past 20 years.