Arizona spent millions expanding the highway to Las Vegas a few years ago. Why isn’t the road to the Grand Canyon getting the same respect? That was part of the message Tusayan Mayor Clarinda Vail delivered to the Arizona Legislature.

A bill to spend $500 thousand dollars to study traffic and safety on Highway 64 was approved by the Senate Appropriations, Transportation, and Technology Committee January 27th in Phoenix following Mayor Vail’s testimony.

 She joined the Mayor of Williams, and the Coconino County Sheriff in support of SB 1154, sponsored by Flagstaff State Senator Wendy Rogers.

If the bill becomes law, Arizona will spend  $500,000 to conduct a traffic and safety study on State Route 64 from the city of Williams to the Grand Canyon.

Mayor Vail told the committee, “We have lost many lives on Highway 64. I know lives are lost on many highways all over our state but the traffic counts on this road to our amazing Grand Canyon National Park should not be ignored any longer.”

Mayor Vail noted that Tusayan financially supports the Tusayan Fire District which frequently and faithfully responds to vehicle accidents many miles beyond Fire District and Town borders on Highway 64.

Mayr Vail said Highway 64 should be a true four lane highway and she doesn’t think passing lanes are the answer.  Vail noted, “Highway 93 to Las Vegas somehow got split into four lanes and most tax money (from that vehicle traffic) goes to Las Vegas and Neveda. Please invest in the local economies and the Grand Canyon National Park’s only entrance open 365 days a year. We need equitable access to state plans and funds to this national park and wonder of the world.”

Here is a link to the mayor’s testimony.

The vote was along party lines with Republican Senators Hidy Angus, Mark Finchem, Vince Leach, Carine Werner, John Kavanagh and David Farnsworth voting yes.

Democratic Senators Lela Alson, Denise “Mitzi” Epstein, Lauren Kuby, Brian Fernandez voted no.