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YMPO briefs supervisors on long‑range plan, safety grants and sales‑tax study
Summary
Crystal Figueroa, executive director of the Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization, updated the board on regional transportation work including the 2026–2050 long‑range plan, safety grant scoping, a TMA evaluation, and a regional sales‑tax feasibility study.
Crystal Figueroa, executive director of the Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization (YMPO), told the Yuma County Board of Supervisors about the MPO’s current programs and near‑term projects, including the 2026–2050 long‑range transportation plan, a complete streets concept study, and a regional roads‑of‑regional‑significance evaluation.
Figueroa described YMPO’s federally mandated responsibilities — preparing a long‑range multimodal plan, a fiscally constrained five‑year Transportation Improvement Program, and air‑quality conformity work — and said current work includes safety‑related applications to the Highway Safety Improvement Program (eight applications submitted; six selected for scoping, including one county project). She said the long‑range plan update and a complete‑streets study are expected to be completed in the current phase and that public comment has taken place.
Figueroa also discussed a Transportation Management Area (TMA) status study to evaluate whether population, winter visitors or cross‑border travel could qualify the region for TMA designation, a change that would raise federal formula capital funds substantially. She said reaching TMA status could increase annual federal capital funds (YMPO currently receives approximately $1 million in capital funds; a TMA could increase the region's allocation to roughly $4–5 million annually).
Figueroa reviewed a regional sales‑tax feasibility study the MPO will undertake to assess options to fund transportation investments locally, noting long‑term revenue challenges from static fuel taxes and increased vehicle efficiency. She briefed supervisors on recent state funding programs, including the 'AC Smart' allocations, and said YMPO’s 2023–24 AC Smart awards leveraged $44 million in federal funding for the region.
Supervisors asked about air‑quality conformity and cross‑border impacts; Figueroa said consultants are running build/no‑build scenarios while motor vehicle emissions budgets are finalized and that YMPO will coordinate with state and federal partners on new guidance and technical inputs.
The briefing was informational; no board action was required.
