Surprise, AZ News blog

E-MAIL NEWS FROM THE CITY

SURPRISE, AZ (December 24, 2008) Bell Road between R.H. Johnson Blvd. and 134^th Avenue will be under construction beginning January 2, 2008.  Both median (inside) lanes for east and west bound traffic will be closed 24 hours a day for the entire duration of the project, scheduled for completion February 1. The west bound left turn from Bell onto Dysart Road will not be permitted due to the reconstruction of the medians. Surprise traffic engineers will work with the contractor to minimize the duration of this west bound to south bound left turn closure and encourage motorists to use alternate routes during the month-long improvement process.Periodically, the west bound curb lane will be closed between the hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., to allow for utility crossings and concrete to be placed on the north shoulder. During these times, west bound Bell Road traffic will be restricted to one lane.The utility work is associated with future development planned near the intersection. Resident Update December 24, 2007Changes at Bell and Grand:In an effort to ease the delays on Bell, Engineering in conjunction with ADOT has been working on implementing some changes for the Bell Rd and Grand Ave (US 60) intersection.  The first phase of this project took place last Sunday night (12-16) which included some re-striping of the left turns and some programming\operation changes to allow concurrent left turns for north and south bound Grand Ave.  Previously these left turns had to run separately which requires significant more time to complete all turning movements.   ADOT is evaluating the timing and operation of this new configuration.  Once satisfied with the operation they will work with the City of Surprise to implement corridor coordination so that the green times coincide with the recently developed timing plan for Bell Road to further improve efficiency.  Initial observation of PM peak shows significant improvements.  Initial observation utilizing the ITS camera at this location shows that what used to be a 4-6 cycles (changing of the light) wait for a vehicle to clear the intersection at 4:00 PM is now a 1-2 cycles wait with a 1 cycle wait being quite common.  This is a great improvement and engineering hopes that once the new coordination is in place it will show even more efficiency.  The occasional train will continue to cause delays but the signal recovers a lot faster now when a train does pass through. Economic Development Updates::Surprise Economic Development staff is actively pursuing conference amenities for the City of Surprise. Currently, the City of Surprise has no full service hotels with large meeting spaces.  Staff will be looking into the question of whether a hotel/conference center would have sufficient demand to be feasible. :Surprise Economic Development staff is actively pursuing conference amenities for the City of Surprise. Currently, the City of Surprise has no full service hotels with large meeting spaces.  Staff will be looking into the question of whether a hotel/conference center would have sufficient demand to be feasible.GPEC Economic Development Directors Team Solar Task Force, of which the Surprise Economic Development Department is a participant, kicked off on December 20. The purpose of this group is to encourage participating communities in solar initiatives taking root nationally and internationally which communities like Surprise can take advantage of.Fifteen potential “green volunteers” have stepped forward and expressed interest this week in assisting with the Economic Development Department’s new Sustainability Opportunities Advisory Team. The team members will potentially assist the department in the future with both external marketing attractions of sustainable industries and internal development of green initiatives. The department is compiling names with a view to meeting with members after the New Year to assess experience levels, time availabilities, and overall fit with the City’s strategic vision.  Celebrity Flag FootballThe Celebrity Flag Football Challenge that will be held during the Circle K Super Time Saturday in Surprise is officially listed on the Arizona Super Bowl XLII Community Calendar of Events and designated as an Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee recognized event. The Celebrity Flag Football Challenge that will be held during the Circle K Super Time Saturday in Surprise is officially listed on the Arizona Super Bowl XLII Community Calendar of Events and designated as an Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee recognized event. For your coverage consideration. For more information please call Melissa Miller, Recreation Manager at 623.222.2207.