PHX Perspective

WTS Presents Awards to City of Phoenix Aviation Department

The city of Phoenix Aviation Department and a top City leader have been honored with two prestigious awards. The presentation took place on Saturday, March 5, during the annual metropolitan Phoenix chapter, WTS (Advancing Women in Transportation) Awards and Scholarship Ceremony at the Tempe Center for the Arts.

Jane Morris, Executive Assistant to the City Manager, and former Assistant Aviation Director for city of Phoenix Aviation Department was honored with the WTS Woman of the Year award. This award recognizes a woman who has made significant contributions to the transportation industry and who has directly contributed to the advancement of women in the transportation field. Throughout her extensive career, Jane has provided considerable support to women in the transportation industry.

Additionally, the city of Phoenix Aviation Department/Gannett Fleming were honored with the Innovative Transportation Solutions Award for the Planning and Design of the PHX Sky Train.™ The Innovative Transportation Solutions Award recognizes a transportation project or service that strives to improve the quality of life for the community and its users. There were four parts to the nomination. The first was to address how the transportation element has contributed to the success of the initiative. The PHX Sky Train will be a free service, running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It will provide users with reliable and dedicated non-stop service between the stations at the 44th Street and Washington METRO light rail stop, East Economy Parking and Terminal 4. Shaded and climate controlled facilities will be available to make easy connections at the terminal passenger levels as well as between the METRO light rail system. Additionally, the PHX Sky Train will allow for more convenient connections for strollers and wheelchairs.

Next, nominees had to identify how the project improves accessibility to key services, employment or other opportunities. The PHX Sky Train will provide local economic growth. For instance, during Stage One, the project will result in almost 6,000 jobs. Additionally, it will improve transportation to the Airport allowing users a more seamless way to connect from the METRO light rail to the Airport. And, each station will be architecturally unique and integrate public art into the design. Finally, the project is sustainable and environmental friendly. The project has LEED certification and will help to reduce airport roadway traffic by approximately 20,000 vehicles per day thus relieving congestion and subsequent emissions.

Nominees also had to address what obstacles, if any, they had to overcome. The PHX Sky Train project has required extensive collaboration between the city of Phoenix Aviation Department, the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and the Maricopa Association of Governments to transition State Route 153 from the regional freeway system to a city Street (44th Street) and change ownership to the city of Phoenix so that the PHX Sky Train can utilize it, thus reducing project costs. The project also required additional permits and coordination with key officials and organizations prior to the final design and start of construction.

Finally, nominees had to address how the project has made a difference in the lives of users. The PHX Sky Train will help members of the community in that it will keep the Airport easily accessible, user-friendly, and safe as it connects the Airport with the METRO light rail.

The award nomination was submitted by Gannett Fleming, the Facilities Designer for the PHX Sky Train project.

“We are honored to receive this award,” said Morris who was extensively involved in the PHX Sky Train project while working as Assistant Aviation Director at Sky Harbor. “The PHX Sky Train not only is a more environmentally conscious way to get people to and from Sky Harbor, but the project itself has created jobs for Arizonans and will enhance the community with a quicker and easier way to get from the METRO light rail to the Airport.”

WTS is an organization whose goal is the professional advancement of women in transportation. The organization provides professional opportunities, networking activities, and access to industry and government leaders to help women find opportunity and recognition within the transportation industry.

For additional information on the PHX Sky Train, click here.

Pictured above are: Jane Morris, Executive Assistant to the City Manager and former Assistant Aviation Director for city of Phoenix Aviation Department (center); Kristy Lockhart, Nominations Chair for the WTS Chapter (left) and Kammy Horne, President of the Metropolitan Phoenix Chapter of WTS (right).

Pictured above right are: Assistant Aviation Director Tamie Fisher (second from the left) and Mark Pilwallis, Gannett Fleming; Kristy Lockhart, Nominations Chair for the WTS Chapter (far left) and Kammy Horne, President of the Metropolitan Phoenix Chapter of WTS (far right).

First posted: 3/9/2011