Frequently Asked Questions

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  The Downtown Mile Safety and Connectivity Improvement Project is an effort to design and construct improvements in several areas of Downtown Flagstaff to improve public safety, multimodal transportation, and rail service and operations.

The Downtown Mile corridor represents a heavily-traveled portion of Flagstaff’s urban area, an area that is also growing at a rapid pace. The 2019 City of Flagstaff Active Transportation Management Plan and Flagstaff Urban Trail System Master Plan identified several crossings in the corridor in need of additional safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists. The construction projects will help expand multimodal options for people traveling in and around downtown Flagstaff and make crossings safer and more efficient. 

• BNSF Rail Realignment;
• Florence-Walnut Pedestrian Underpass;
• Milton Roadway Improvements;
• Milton Avenue Bridge Reconstruction/Underpass;
• Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS) Underpass;
• BNSF/Rio de Flag Drainage Crossing; and
• Amtrak Platform Improvements.

• BNSF Railroad Mainline Expansion: https://www.bnsf.com/news-media/railtalk/service/index.html#category-service
• Lone Tree Overpass: a new overpass that will provide a continuation of Lone Tree Road to Historic Route 66, spanning the Rio de Flag and BNSF railroad. https://lonetreeoverpass.org/
• United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Rio de Flag Project: a flood control project to prevent hazards and damage from significant flood events. https://www.flagstaff.az.gov/4189/Rio-De-Flag-Flood-Control-Project
• Mountain Line Downtown Connection Center - https://mountainline.az.gov/dcc/

This Project is a recipient of a Federal InFRA grant that will support the construction of the project. For this grant, the following requirements will be met during this project:

1. Develop engineering designs for the project;

2. Evaluate estimated project cost and risks; 

3. Evaluate additional funding from potential grants;

4. Coordinate with stakeholders who have responsibility for infrastructure construction, operations, and maintenance in the area and obtain appropriate third-party permits; 

5. Obtain environmental clearance through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); and 

6. Inform and engage the public.

Jan 2023     – Project Start

June 2023   – Public Meeting #1

Fall 2023     – Public Meeting #2

2025            – Construction Starts

2026            – Completion

Public meetings, City Council presentations, and other opportunities for input will continue to occur throughout the project. You may also email ccameron@flagstaffaz.gov.   

Visit the project website to view project materials, view recordings of the public meetings, review the Economic Impact Study and join the email distribution list.