ADOT forced to close 13 rest stops in state
More budget cuts could ax all

Drivers heading east on Interstate 40 need to drive several miles farther than Haviland for a rest.

If the Arizona Department of Transportation sees additional cuts, drivers may not have anywhere to rest until they get out of the state.

Mohave County’s only rest area, Haviland, is one of 13 ADOT rest area closings following a $100 million budget deficit. The cuts are already affecting driving in the state, said Michele Beggs, Kingman District ADOT Public Information Officer. But a report released Monday states an additional 15 percent budget cut would shut down all rest areas and almost all Motor Vehicle Division field offices. “We have reached a point where drivers will notice the cuts and mid-year cuts would amplify those impacts,” Beggs said. “The mid-year reduction would create impacts over and above those outlined in ADOT’s 2010 Budget Roadmap announced earlier this month.”

The ADOT report states that about 2,000 to 2,400 layoffs would be necessary if legislature cut funding further.

“It could mean the termination, and this breaks my heart, of 50 to 60 percent of the agency’s active workforce,” Beggs said. “Staffing cuts of this magnitude will certainly hamper services for drivers around the state and could affect local tourism.”

The ADOT report comes on the heels of Gov. Jan Brewer’s request that all state agencies outline the impact of possible budget cuts in hopes of narrowing the state’s midyear deficit. The report states that in addition to layoffs and closing of all rest areas, most of the 61 MVD offices would shut down and nearly all highway maintenance would cease.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” Beggs said. “It’s in the legislature’s hands now.”

MVD Spokesperson Cydney Demodica said she is not certain how it will affect state employees.

“It’s going to be devastating to our agency to say the least,” she said. “I don’t think there’s anything to say other than these are going to be far-reaching impacts on our employees as well as on our customers.”

Demodica said the department is still looking at possible MVD closures, but no decisions have been made.

“With any potential office closures, ADOT is receiving clearance from the Department of Justice, and they’re looking at many factors including security, proximity and alternatives before any decisions are made,” she said. “We have nothing back yet as this isn’t a decision that can be made immediately.”

Many MVD services are available online at www.servicearizona.com, she said.

“Of course people can go online for a lot of things, but there are specific services we have where people need to make an in-person visit,” Demodica said. “It’s going to inconvenience our customers for certain, but so far we have not made any decisions.”

Beggs said the 13 rest areas closed earlier this month would remain inaccessible until the department reexamines the budget for fiscal year 2011, or June at the earliest. She added that the next closest rest area along I-40 would be the Lake Havasu City traffic interchange.

“The closings and everything else we’ve done will save us about $2.5 million but it will be looked at again in (June),” Beggs said.

ADOT officials examined factors including distance to nearest facilities, the age of facilities, condition, visitor count and services provided, Beggs said.

“There were several things that went into decisions, and I believe it was a combination of all of them that led to the closing,” she said. “But they will be looked at again next year, and we’re currently working on alternative options for drivers.”

Residents concerned about the rest area closures can view alternatives at the department’s Web site at www.azdot.gov/BudgetRoadmap.

You can contact the reporter at nbruttell@havasunews.com.