Lake Havasu MPO previews 2050 transportation plan; consultants note safety and connectivity gaps

Consultants from Kimley‑Horn presented the Lake Havasu metropolitan area’s 2050 Regional Transportation Plan on April 14, outlining long‑range priorities and steps to move projects toward design and funding. The plan covers all modes — roadway, freight, public transit, walking and bicycling — and will be fiscally constrained, the team said.

Chris (Kimley‑Horn) said the plan compiles existing studies, models future travel demand and pairs anticipated federal funding with a prioritized project list. "We forecasted out the funding," he said, explaining the team produced planning‑level costs for projects and included inflation factors to match revenues and expenses over time.

Kristen Fultz, who reviewed deficiencies in existing conditions, told the council the top findings were limited multimodal connectivity, inconsistent roadway functional classifications that can affect funding eligibility, and a shortage of active‑transportation infrastructure outside downtown. "Active transportation crashes make up 3 percent of all crashes within the region," she said, and those crashes disproportionately produce serious and fatal injuries.

The MPO reported two rounds of public engagement supporting safety, multimodal integration and connectivity as top priorities. Fultz said round‑one outreach generated more than 160 survey responses and round‑two mapping and project voting produced dozens of comments and up‑votes; after refinement the draft project list now contains 45 projects across vehicle, active‑transportation and study categories.

Councilmembers pressed consultants on two themes: how the MPO matched projects to funding and how to increase public participation. Vice Mayor David Diaz asked whether the plan’s financials reflected both projected costs and currently available funding. Chris replied it does both: the MPO forecasts federal funds the region will likely receive and develops planning estimates for project costs, then maps priorities against that forecasted revenue.

Several residents urged broader and more accessible outreach. Deborah Hunter asked whether physical, printed surveys were distributed for seniors; the consultants said they relied on in‑person pop‑ups and online mapping tools but did not distribute paper surveys in the early rounds. "When we get to the draft RTP," Chris said, staff typically posts hard copies in public facilities and collects comments through traditional means.

What’s next: the consultants said they expect a public draft available for a 30‑day comment period in early July and plan to seek MPO executive board approval in August. Council members and staff said they will continue coordinating the RTP with the city’s general plan and seek corridor‑level studies for major streets before making detailed design or lane‑restriping decisions.

The presentation was informational; no council action was required at the meeting.