Tusayan Mayor Clarinda Vail said a recent trip to Washington, D.C., gave the town a chance to make a direct case for federal help with State Route 64 safety.

Vail said, “It's an international national and international issue. People from all over the world are coming to Grand Canyon on State Route 64.”

Vail along with City Manager Greg Clifton and Vice Mayor Greg Brush met with Arizona’s congressional delegation, as well as representatives from FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Vail is encouraged by the response they received, and she believes federal officials better understood Tusayan’s role as the closest community to the park’s South Rim and the importance of keeping access open for residents, workers and visitors from around the world.

Vail also thanks Coconino County’s efforts to secure funding for the Tusayan Drainage Master Plan. County and town officials have pursued federal transportation funding for the Ensuring Grand Canyon National Park Visitor Access Project, whose first phase has been estimated at $25.9 million and includes upstream detention basins intended to reduce flooding that can overtop the highway and threaten community infrastructure.

Vail said the Washington meetings also helped clarify which grant programs may be the best fit, especially as federal agencies emphasize shovel-ready projects and compliance with changing program requirements. She said the goal is to keep all levels of government focused on Tusayan’s needs before another monsoon season brings the possibility of renewed flooding.

In addition to flooding and highway safety, Vail said she raised concerns about insurance costs in high-fire-danger areas, where coverage has become increasingly difficult or expensive to obtain. She said Tusayan will continue pressing for every available funding opportunity, arguing that protecting the town also means protecting reliable access to one of the nation’s most visited public lands.