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 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. 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 m ...

'' magazine.

ADOT Divisions

Tom O'Halleran with Arizona Department of Transportation

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 ''

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'', ''

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'', and ''

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''. 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 win." * "Drive Sober

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References

External links

Official website

Arizona Highways magazine website

Arizona Roadway Conditions

Arizona Driver License and Types
{{authority control 1974 establishments in Arizona Government agencies established in 1974 Motor vehicle registration agencies

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, pipelin ...

State departments of transportation of the United States Transportation in Arizona