The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT, pronounced "A-Dot") is an
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
state
government agency
A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administrati ...
charged with facilitating mobility within the state. In addition to managing the state's highway system, the agency is also involved with
public transportation
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
and municipal airports. The department was created in 1974 when the state merged the Arizona Highway Department with the Arizona Department of Aeronautics.
ADOT was a pioneer in the use of
rubberized asphalt
Rubberized asphalt concrete (RAC), also known as asphalt rubber or just rubberized asphalt, is noise reducing pavement material that consists of regular asphalt concrete mixed with crumb rubber made from recycled tires. Asphalt rubber is the la ...
as a method to increase durability and reduce road noise on state highways while providing an opportunity to
recycle
Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the p ...
scrap tires
Tire recycling, or rubber recycling, is the process of recycling waste tires that are no longer suitable for use on vehicles due to wear or irreparable damage. These tires are a challenging source of waste, due to the large volume produced, th ...
. Its "Quiet Pavement" project started in 2003 surfaced about of Phoenix-area freeways with rubberized asphalt.
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters had previously been a Director of ADOT. The current Federal Highway Administrator,
Victor Mendez
Victor Mendez was the Deputy Secretary of Transportation from 2014 to 2017 and was previously sworn in on July 24, 2009, as Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the 18th person to hold this position.
Mendez was previously ...
, was also previously a Director of ADOT.
ADOT's publications division publishes ''
Arizona Highways
''Arizona Highways'' is a magazine that contains travelogues and artistic photographs related to the U.S. state of Arizona. It is published monthly in Phoenix by a unit of the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT).
Background
The mag ...
'' magazine.
ADOT Divisions
Aeronautics Division
The Aeronautics Division, now a part of the Multimodal Planning Division, promotes aviation in the state, license aircraft dealers, assists in the development of public airport projects and manages
Grand Canyon National Park Airport
Grand Canyon National Park Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in Tusayan, CDP in unincorporated Coconino County, Arizona, United States.
Intermodal Transportation Division
ADOT's Intermodal Transportation Division (ITD) traces its roots back to 1909 with the establishment of the post of Territorial Engineer, to 1912 with the creation of the Office of State Engineer and to 1927 when the Arizona State Highway Department was created. Divided into 11 groups and 10 engineering districts, the ITD is responsible for building and maintaining Arizona's highway infrastructure. It is overseen by the State Engineer. Currently it is headed by State Engineer (Deputy Director of Transportation) Dallas Hammit ITD has had many successful engineers partake in many national events such as WASHTO. For the last couple of years, MD Iqbal Hossain has been taking a part of WASHTO.
Motor Vehicle Division
The Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) is responsible for driver licensing and vehicle registration. It has 1600 employees and an annual operating budget of $72 million. Currently it is headed by ADOT Assistant Director Eric Jorgensen.
As of FY 2009, the MVD has 6,693,413 license plates registered with the department.
Enforcement and Compliance Division
It utilizes certified peace officers to enforce transportation related laws and regulations.
The Enforcement and Compliance Division was originally the enforcement component of the Motor Vehicle Division. Created in 2010 by former division Director, Terry Connor (retired Arizona DPS Commander), the Division separated from the Motor Vehicle Division to improve the enforcement capabilities of the department. Under current Division Director Tim Lane, the division continues to provide the state of Arizona a highly trained agency to protect Arizona's infrastructure. The Enforcement and Compliance Division has 3 separate units: the Enforcement Services Bureau, Office of Inspector General and the Executive Hearing Office.
The Enforcement Services Bureau (ESB) utilizes certified police officers to enforce state and federal commercial vehicle regulations. Stationed at Port of Entry stations, mobile scale teams and MVD offices, these officers are trained to perform a variety of duties and also enforce fuel tax laws. The Bureau also assists other state, local and federal agencies when needed.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) utilizes detectives to deter theft, fraud and other crimes as well as assisting other state, local and federal agencies.
The Executive Hearing Office (EHO) employees an Administrative Law Judge and staff on driver license hearings and other administrative cases.
Multimodal Planning Division
The Multimodal Planning Division (MPD) is the arm of ADOT involved in transportation planning. As its name suggests, the mandate for the MPD deals with creating plans for various modes of transport, including highways and public transit at both a regional and statewide level. Currently it is headed by ADOT Assistant Director Scott Omer.
Freeway signs
ADOT is noted for using pop-culture references to catch commuters eyes and deliver important safety tips on the electronic overhead signs. References have included ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'', ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'', and ''
Pokémon Go
''Pokémon Go'' (stylized as ''Pokémon GO'') is a 2016 augmented reality (AR) mobile game, part of the ''Pokémon'' franchise, developed and published by Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for iOS and Android ...
''.
Signs have included:
* "Drinking & Driving go together like Peas and Guac"
* "Awaken your inner force. Focus on the road."
* "Texting and driving leads to the dark side."
* "The force is strong with you. Put down the phone."
* "Be a rebel, not a clone. Put down the phone."
* "Road rage? Let the
Wookiee
Wookiees () are fictional humanoid aliens in the ''Star Wars'' universe, native to the forest planet Kashyyyk. They are distinguished from humans by their gigantism, hirsutism, and physical strength. The most prominent Wookiee is Chewbacca, c ...
win."
* "Drive Sober
Live Long and Prosper
The Vulcan salute ("🖖") is a hand gesture popularized by the 1960s television series ''Star Trek''. It consists of a raised hand with the palm forward and the thumb extended, while the fingers are parted between the middle and ring fin ...
"
See also
*
Vehicle registration plates of Arizona
The U.S. state of Arizona first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1912. Registrants provided their own Vehicle registration plate, license plates for display until 1914, when the state began to issue plates.
Plates are c ...
Transportation
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...