Take a look at how license plates are made

This is the blanking line where the aluminum is joined with the 

printed vinyl. At the end of the line is the press that cuts the 

license plates into their rectangular shape. 

Next time you’re at a party and really want to impress the crowd, try throwing out this bit of transportation trivia: more than 1.3 million new Arizona license plates were produced last fiscal year.

That’s a lot of plates!

Your friends surely will be impressed by your knowledge, but if you really want to wow them, tell them they’ll never see the letters I, O, Q or U printed on standard plates.

Want to know why? It’s because the letter I could be confused with the numeral one and the letters O, Q and even U could be seen as zeros on a fast-moving vehicle. Since license plates are used to identify vehicles and by law enforcement, it’s pretty important that they are easily readable.

OK … this party’s starting to pick up! Now that you’ve got everyone’s attention, why not tell them how license plates are made in Arizona?

I-17 closures slated between Happy Valley Road and Loop 303

By Kimberly Noetzel

Senior Community Relations Officer

Typically when ADOT closes an interstate, the closure itself is the big news. As ADOT prepares for the first of two overnight closures on Interstate 17 in north Phoenix, the 18-mile detour drivers will use is the big news.

ADOT will close I-17 between Happy Valley Road and Loop 303 over two weekend nights in June to install a new pedestrian bridge.

The frontage roads also will be closed so crews can set up the giant cranes and other heavy equipment necessary for this delicate operation. Drivers will use an 18-mile detour to bypass the work zone (see map below). North- and southbound I-17 will not be closed at the same time; however the 18-mile detour is the same for both closures.

This Friday (June 1) northbound I-17 will be closed between Happy Valley Road and Loop 303 from 11:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. Saturday (June 2). Northbound drivers will exit at Happy Valley Road and travel west to Lake Pleasant Parkway; north to Loop 303; then east to re-connect with I-17.

One week later, southbound I-17 will be closed from Loop 303 to Happy Valley Road from 11:30 p.m. Friday, June 8, to 4 a.m. Saturday, June 9. Southbound drivers will exit at Loop 303 and travel west to Lake Pleasant Parkway; south of Happy Valley Road; and east to re-connect with I-17.

Drivers play an important role in wildfire prevention

Drivers can help protect
Arizona scenery by
preventing  wildfires.

A three-day weekend is coming up and that means a lot of people will be hitting the road…

It’s the perfect time to take a road trip, but it’s also wildfire season and we’ve all got to be a bit more careful in this dry, desert climate we live.

Earlier this week we provided some tips that focused on how you can safely drive (and pull your vehicle over) in areas with reduced visibility due to smoke. But, today we’re going to talk about what drivers can do to actually prevent fires from starting in the first place.

Yes, drivers play an important role in wildfire prevention!

Over half of the wildland fires in Arizona each year are human caused, according to State Forester Scott Hunt with the Arizona State Forestry Division.

“Roadside fires are common in Arizona and most are avoidable,” Hunt said. “The danger of roadside fires starting from a car pulling a trailer with improperly adjusted safety chains or the careless disposal of smoking materials is very real.” 

Wildfire season is here: tips for driving in reduced visibility

Late last week a travel alert went out to warn drivers of some heavy smoke present near SR 69 due to the Gladiator Fire burning near Crown King.

ADOT advised drivers to slow down and remain alert in the area because the smoke was, at the time, reducing visibility. As of this morning, fire crews are continuing to battle the blaze (along with a few others around the state) and are making progress.

Unfortunately, it seems wildfire season is already here…

We thought now would be a good time to share some tips for safely driving (and pulling over) in areas with reduced visibility. Maybe you’ve heard them before, but they’re worth reviewing and remembering:

• Check traffic immediately around your vehicle (front, back and to the side) and begin slowing down.
• Do not stop in the travel lane unless the vehicle traffic in front of you has come to a stop.
• Look for a safe place to pull completely off the paved portion of the roadway.
• Stop the vehicle in a position ensuring it is a safe distance from the main roadway and not near where any vehicles may travel.
• Turn off all vehicle lights.
• Set your emergency brake and take your foot off the brake.
• Stay in your vehicle and keep your seat belts on.
• Wait for the visibility to improve before re-entering the roadway.

One more thing … you always can stay up-to-date on the latest highway conditions (fire-related or otherwise) around the state by visiting az511.gov or by calling 511.

ADOT reopens routes for summer

Warmer weather means many roads
shut down for the winter are reopening.
Just this week, ADOT reopened SR 67
between Jacob Lake and the North Rim
of the Grand Canyon.

Hard to believe, but just two months ago it was still technically winter…

Since then, temperatures around the state have warmed up and we're officially headed toward summer. Besides the hotter temps, this time of year also brings about the reopening of roads, routes and highways closed by ADOT for the winter.

You might remember this blog post from November. In it we told you that some of Arizona’s state routes are shut down annually in wintertime because they’re in areas where HEAVY snowfall is common. These are routes that typically see light amounts of traffic – so it makes sense for ADOT to use its resources to keep more heavily traveled highways open.

Now that spring is officially here (and summer is on its way), we just wanted to remind you that several routes have been reopened for the hotter months ahead.

Last month ADOT reopened these highways in the White Mountains:

• State Route 261 between Eager and Big Lake 
• State Route 273 between Sunrise Park and Big Lake 
• State Route 473 between State Route 260 and Hawley Lake 

Transportation Defined: Lost Decks

A lost deck for the bridge at Waddell Road and the Loop 303.
The "real" deck is poured on top of the wood framing system.

We’ve got another definition for you, and like last time, this one is related to construction sites.

A Lost Deck is basically a temporary wood framing system that is put in place prior to the rebar and “real” bridge deck being cast. It is built and set at a certain elevation to give the concrete from the “real” deck its proper thickness.

Once the concrete from the real deck is poured, there’s no way to retrieve the lost deck, hence its name.

While the lost deck doesn’t serve much of a purpose once the concrete from the actual deck has dried and strengthened, it is engineered false work that has to be designed to meet certain specifications and carry the weight of the rebar and wet concrete.

The photo above is the lost deck inside the bridge at Waddell Road and the Loop 303.

Transportation Defined is a series of explanatory blog posts designed to define the things you see on your everyday commute. Let us know if there's something you'd like to see explained ... leave a comment here on the blog or over on our Facebook page!

Sand barrel crash cushions designed to take an impact

Sand barrel crash cushions along I-10 in Phoenix near the
Deck Park Tunnel.

What’s filled with sand, weighs up to 1,400 pounds and is designed to save lives?

If you answered a sand barrel crash cushion, you’re correct!

And, if you didn’t have a guess then you’re probably asking: What’s a sand barrel crash cushion?

Let us explain…

Like their name implies, sand barrel crash cushions are filled with sand, shaped like a barrel and work to provide a “cushion” if a vehicle were to crash into one.

A sand barrel crash cushion works similarly to the way an attenuator functions (regular readers of this blog already know all about fixed attenuators and truck-mounted attenuators).

You’ve probably seen them several times on the side of the road. They’re placed strategically in front of fixed objects (signs, poles, etc.) and will take the impact if a driver runs into them. For a brief explanation of how this happens, let’s take a look at this excerpt from our blog post on fixed attenuators:

   This is by no means a physics blog, but a basic grasp of how energy works is needed to understand attenuators …
   A vehicle’s speed and size determine how much energy it has. Normally, this energy is dissipated by your brakes, which burn off that energy slowly, allowing you to come to a safe stop.
   But, if a vehicle stops by crashing into a wall, the energy is dispersed very suddenly, resulting in a car that’s crushed. Attenuators won't exactly give a soft landing, but they do work to dissipate the
energy slowly like your brakes do.

Flashing yellow arrow coming to I-10 interchange at 32nd Street

A view of the sign drivers soon
will see at the I-10/32nd Street
intersection.

Red means stop and green means go, but what about a flashing yellow arrow?

It’s a traffic signal you might not encounter daily, however ADOT plans on adding one to the I-10 interchange at 32nd Street near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and drivers should be prepared for the change.

What are the rules?
A flashing yellow arrow means you can make your turn, but only when it is safe to do so. You must use caution and yield to pedestrians and oncoming traffic – those drivers will have a green light.

Why make the change?
Increased traffic and recent development have translated to big daily backups at this intersection during the peak of rush hour…

The installation of a flashing yellow arrow means more vehicles per signal cycle will be able to make a left turn onto the westbound I-10 freeway entrance ramp. Right now left turns for northbound 32nd Street traffic only are allowed on a solid green arrow signal.

Alternative fuel license plates explained

Pop Quiz: What’s required to receive one of those alternative fuel license plates (you know, they’re blue with clouds and let you drive in the HOV lane)?

It’s OK if you don’t know the answer. In fact, this is one of those questions that we hear often and we’ll share the answer in a minute. First, we just wanted to mention that we love answering your transportation-related questions. We’ve amassed quite a collection of FAQs here on the blog – from queries about landform graphics, signs and even a question on why we build lanes when we do.

We hope you keep those transportation questions coming our way! You can leave them here in the comments, or over on our Facebook page.

All right, back to the alternative fuel license plates …

New special license plates now available

A view of the newest specialty plates.

License Plate Bingo just got a little more challenging!

That’s because three new Arizona specialty license plates have been released and you can already spot them out on the road.

The “In God We Trust” plate design was made available March 4, along with a plate for the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Like other specialty license plates, these two cost motorists $25 for the initial application fee and $25 for annual renewal. Of that $25 fee, $17 goes back to the nonprofit group/cause that put up the initial implementation fee to have the plate issued. Money from the “In God We Trust” plate goes toward promoting the national motto and the Thunderbird School of Global Management plate benefits the school’s operations and activities.

Another new plate – this one just released on May 6 – recognizes women veterans and benefits the Arizona Veterans’ Donation Fund.

There’s already a specialty plate that honors veterans, but the new Women Veterans plate is a little different in that you don’t have to be a veteran (or a woman) to order one – anyone can make the purchase. Several of Arizona’s specialty plates do come with requirements. For example, to order a standard veteran plate, one must be a veteran and provide proof of honorable service. However, the Women Veterans plate is available for anyone to purchase and show support.

ADOT continues to explore solar lighting to save on fuel

A view of emergency vehicle lighting and solar panel (inset). 

Our calendar is nearing the first day of summer and as temperatures start to soar we’re reminded (as we are every year) that Arizona gets sunshine … a lot of sunshine.

Fortunately, ADOT is able to put some of those rays to work.

You might remember that we blogged last August about ADOT’s effort to develop and implement solar-powered emergency lighting for its vehicle fleet.

Back then, things were just getting started and about 50 ADOT vehicles were tapped to test out the newly designed solar-powered lights. ADOT’s test of solar emergency lights has since focused on how well they work in Arizona’s varied climates and temperature extremes.

Now, almost a year later the program is still moving forward.

ADOT plans to install solar emergency lights on 50 additional vehicles over the next several months that will incorporate improvements such as battery packs with a higher heat tolerance, an improved remote control unit with more power level indicators and more lights inside the light bar while testing continues over the next year.

“This solar lights program is part of an agency commitment to use tax dollars wisely,” said John Nichols, director of administrative services. “Having emergency lights that can operate without an engine running saves all of us money on vehicle maintenance. It reduces wasted fuel and helps the environment while still meeting the safety needs of ADOT workers.”

How much are you really paying to drive?

We’ve got an informative guest blog post to share with you today and it comes from our friends at AAA of Arizona.

In it, Linda Gorman, Director of Communications and Public Affairs for AAA Arizona, writes about a recent AAA report that’s focused on the costs of driving.

It’s an interesting read that follows up on our recent blog post on how transportation is funded in this state. Hope you enjoy!

By Linda Gorman
AAA of Arizona

When considering how much you pay to drive, the most visible costs—car payment, fuel and possibly insurance—likely come to mind. But what about other, often overlooked, costs like vehicle depreciation and even vehicle maintenance? When calculating these factors, the true cost of vehicle ownership may be quite surprising. Drive a small sedan? Chalk up your driving costs at approximately 45 cents per mile. If you’re tooling around in a four-wheel drive SUV, you’ll need to set aside a larger chunk of your budget, as you’re paying around 76 cents per mile.

Recently released in AAA’s 62nd annual ‘Your Driving Costs’ study, this data provides a true summary of the cost to own and operate a vehicle. The “true” costs include things like fuel, maintenance, tires, insurance, license and registration fees and taxes, as well as depreciation and finance costs.

According to this year’s study, motorists across the country are paying nearly $9,000 per year if they drive a sedan, based on 15,000 miles of driving per year. Drive an SUV an you’re likely paying over $11,000 to drive it in 2012. On average, you’re paying 2 percent more this year than you did in 2011.

Two new Loop 303 expansion projects to start soon in the West Valley

Loop 303 construction work near Greenway Road last year.

We’ve followed along pretty closely as work on the Loop 303 has started to transform this two-lane freeway into a major transportation corridor for drivers in the West Valley…

First there was the 14-mile segment that opened a year ago – it stretches from Happy Valley Parkway to I-17.

Next, work started last summer on the six miles of freeway between Mountain View Boulevard and Peoria Avenue. Then, earlier this year crews began on the Loop 303/I-10 interchange.

Now we have two more projects to tell you about!

The Arizona State Transportation Board recently awarded contracts worth a total of $96.6 million for the additional sections of Loop 303 – stretching a total of five miles – between Thomas and Camelback roads and between Glendale and Peoria avenues.

Transportation Defined: Rebar Caps

Rebar caps

This blog’s “Building a Freeway” series is our attempt at explaining the many steps involved in constructing a major transportation corridor...

We’ve visited several construction sites in order to share with you this up-close look at the process, but we have to admit sometimes we’ll see some construction-related object and have absolutely no idea what it is.

It’s a good thing there are plenty of people on the site of whom we can ask: “what is that?”

We thought we’d share their answers here on the blog and we’ll get started with rebar caps.

A rebar cap is a special steel-reinforced plastic “mushroom” cap that is placed on protruding rebar at construction sites.

Rebar caps protect from injuries.

Even though it’s small, it serves an important purpose: these caps provide protection from injuries. An exposed piece of rebar can mean scratches and minor injuries … or, worse, if someone were to fall from above onto a piece of rebar that’s sticking up.

If there’s a long row of rebar, a 2x4 piece of lumber can actually be placed on top of these caps providing another layer of safety.

Transportation Defined is a series of explanatory blog posts designed to define the things you see on your everyday commute. Let us know if there's something you'd like to see explained ... leave a comment here on the blog or over on our Facebook page!

Tell us what you think about ADOT's bicycle and pedestrian plan

Back in 2003, ADOT completed the Arizona Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan to address safety concerns throughout the state and to promote biking and walking as a viable transportation option.

That was nine years ago and a lot of change has occurred since then. Now we’re looking to give the plan an update and we want your feedback, but first let us tell you what it’s all about...

The Arizona Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan serves to guide ADOT in making transportation decisions that impact bicycling and pedestrian activities. It includes policy recommendations and design and maintenance guidelines all aimed at better accommodating bicyclists and walkers within Arizona’s transportation system.