Transportation improvements are underway.  City council members and staff spent two years discussing and gathering input to identify citizen priorities now contained in the Transportation Master Plan. The projects in the plan are collectively known as Sedona in Motion, and are designed to improve traffic flow, support transit, provide non-motorized travel options by improving walking and bike-riding paths, and improve safety. All projects are focused on reducing environmental and visitor traffic impacts, and preserving Sedona’s beauty and livability.

How transportation projects get done

Extensive planning is required. All transportation projects must comply with state and federal guidelines and regulations designed to protect public and environmental safety, and must follow established engineering practices. There are required specialized environmental studies and coordination with regulatory agencies; specialists in such fields as noise and air quality, archaeology, architectural history, biology, and land-use planning may be needed. Design and traffic engineering studies are conducted to identify the safest and lowest-cost alternatives.

Public input. Changes in traffic and pedestrian infrastructure can impact private and public property. The city engages property and business owners to ensure that proposed changes will generate a net gain for the community while minimizing impacts. The planning process for each project includes: citizen input; data collection; engineering studies and drawings; reviewing qualifications of potential contractors; working with other government agencies and property owners to secure permissions; and, finally, coordination of schedules among various contractors, utilities and government entities.    

Funding. All of the projects are funded by a half-cent Transportation Privilege Tax, a sales tax, that took effect March 1, 2018. Tax revenues, 60 percent of which will be paid by visitors, are spent solely on transportation projects.

Most recent SIM update for City Council

Go here to watch the most recent meeting in which City staff presented a SIM update to City Council on August 9, 2023.

---

Background documents

• Jan. 2018 - Transportation Master Plan final report - 14.4MB PDF
• Oct. 2017 - The 14 original potential strategies in the Transportation Master Plan.
• Aug. 2017 - Council agenda bill and slideshow presentation with public survey results.