Manfredi: Residents agree that Maricopa needs a consistent voice regionally

By Vice Mayor Vincent Manfredi
Oct 20, 2026

At the Table

To the editor,

Residents consistently tell me transportation is Maricopa’s top priority. They want safer roads, shorter commutes and more ways into and out of our city. I have spent years pushing for those improvements, working with state leaders, ADOT and regional partners to turn those priorities into funded projects.

Our work has advanced SR 347 widening and secured the funding needed to make it possible. More work remains, and Maricopa needs a consistent voice at the regional table to keep that progress moving.

Many decisions affecting our roads are made outside City Hall, through county plans, regional committees, state programs and coordination with tribal governments. That is why I have made representing Maricopa in those discussions a priority.

My assignments have included Central Arizona Governments, the Pinal Regional Transportation Authority, the Rural Transportation Advocacy Council and the League of Arizona Cities and Towns Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Works Committee. I have also represented Maricopa on the Maricopa Association of Governments Transportation Policy Committee. These organizations have different responsibilities.

CAG serves the Gila and Pinal County region. MAG coordinates transportation planning for the greater Phoenix region. The Pinal authority focuses on county transportation projects, while RTAC advocates for rural transportation needs. The League committee addresses statewide infrastructure policy affecting cities and towns.

Maricopa Association of Governments Transportation Policy Committee

The Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Transportation Policy Committee (TPC) helps guide transportation planning and the regional transportation investment plan for the greater Phoenix area. It develops policy recommendations for the MAG Regional Council, the organization’s governing body. This work matters directly to Maricopa because SR 347 connects us to I-10 through Maricopa County. Decisions about that portion of the corridor affect our residents every day. Not every city who is part of MAG gets a seat on TPC. This seat is earned over years of hard work advancing transportation issues throughout the region.

Central Arizona Governments

Central Arizona Governments, or CAG, helps communities in the Gila and Pinal County region plan transportation improvements and pursue funding. Its staff develops regional project programs, assists with grant applications and coordinates with state and federal agencies. For Maricopa, that provides a way to connect our local road priorities with broader regional plans and funding opportunities.

League of Arizona Cities and Towns Transportation

The League of Arizona Cities and Towns Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Works Committee helps develop policy proposals affecting municipal roads, infrastructure and public works. Those proposals can advance through the League’s resolution process and become part of its legislative agenda. Serving there gives Maricopa input into the policies Arizona cities and towns collectively ask state lawmakers to support.

Rural Transportation Advocacy Council

The Rural Transportation Advocacy Council, or RTAC, brings rural and smaller metropolitan communities together to advocate for transportation funding and policy. It tracks state legislation, shares information and helps communities make a stronger collective case for investment. For Maricopa this means working with communities facing similar challenges to explain why growing transportation needs require state attention and support.

Pinal Regional Transportation Authority (PRTA)

The Pinal Regional Transportation Authority, or PRTA, was created to develop a countywide transportation plan and pursue a voter-approved funding source. Its purpose is to address roads and connections that serve several communities, because traffic does not stop at city boundaries. My service there has provided an opportunity to advocate for Maricopa’s needs within the larger Pinal County transportation discussion.

Why?

Serving on a committee does not give one person control over the outcome. It gives Maricopa a voice, a vote where applicable and the opportunity to build support before final decisions are made.

The State Route 347 widening shows why that work matters. Bringing the project together required local funding, county participation, regional transportation dollars, state support, ADOT management and coordination with the Gila River Indian Community.

Our work through MAG helped secure a regional commitment described at the time as $90 million for widening the Maricopa County portion of SR 347 through Proposition 479, the county’s half-cent transportation sales tax extension. Building on that commitment, I worked with our partners to bring the funding forward to fiscal 2028 and align it with the broader corridor improvements. Under the current adopted program, MAG schedules $74.26 million for construction on the I-10-to-Riggs Road segment in fiscal 2028. By bringing these funding schedules together, we help ADOT coordinate this work with the investments made by Maricopa and Pinal County.

At the April 15, 2026, MAG Transportation Policy Committee meeting, staff presented a recommendation to align construction funding for the I-10-to-Riggs Road portion with contributions from Pinal County and Maricopa. I participated in that discussion and thanked our partners whose work helped bring the project together.

Progress

That progress belongs to many people and agencies. My responsibility has been to keep Maricopa’s needs in the conversation and help move the work forward.

The same sustained effort is necessary for Riggs Road improvements, future interchanges and alternate routes into and out of our city. These projects compete with transportation needs throughout Arizona. They require credible planning, funding commitments and representatives who understand how to move a proposal through the process.

I understand that residents sitting in traffic want results. A committee assignment means little unless we use it to advance the work that matters to them. To do that, we must first read the reports and ask questions. Then, we must build support and, most importantly, follow through between meetings.

Experience and connections matter

Experience in those forums is part of the record I bring to this election. I understand the funding process, the history behind these projects and the relationships needed to keep them moving. That experience does not guarantee every request will be approved. It helps me make an informed case for Maricopa and recognize opportunities to move our priorities forward.

As our city continues to grow, we need consistent representation wherever transportation decisions are made. For that reason, I remain committed to this work. Ultimately, the decisions made at those tables affect every family trying to get home safely.