Light rail in the news today
Reuters announces the opening of the new light rail line in Phoenix. The question on people’s minds is whether or not it will catch hold, if people will actually use it. Phoenix is not a city known for its convenient public tran
sportation system. I’m hoping it will become more of just a novelty that wears off.
A day pass to ride on the new light rail costs $2.50. That’s a lot cheaper than driving a car to work, and it’s a safe alternative to getting around if you want to visit the bar scene in Tempe or downtown Phoenix.
The Arizona Republic calls the new light rail system a milestone for Phoenix. And if you’ve been around the Valley of the Sun since the 80s, when the light rail idea was first introduced but never made it past the voters, it’s been an idea the country’s fifth largest city has needed since way before then. This article notes that Phoenix once operated a trolley system, but that was 60 years ago. Today’s grand opening marks four years of construction and more than three times that in planning.
A local refrigeration school is celebrating the grand opening with a very “cool” event, according to an article in the Phoenix Business Journal. The Refrigeration School, located near the Sky Harbor rail stop at 44th Street and Washington, brought in 12 tons of snow, hot chocolate and live music to celebrate this special occasion. Valleywide, more than 100,000 people are expected to celebrate the grand opening.
An Associated Press article called the city “car crazy.” I guess Phoenix is. The metro area includes enough urban sprawl that it’s spread so far out, it has become impossible to get from here to there without reliable transportation: the car. Maybe light rail will help ease the pollution. If nothing else, it’s a start.
If you’re new to Phoenix, if you’re visiting, if you’ve lived here for a while now, what’s your view on the new light rail system? Will you ride it–for fun, to get to work, for entertainment purposes? Do you think it’s going to have an impact–on what? Go ahead and post your opinion here.
(Photo used with permission by Jackie Dishner.)
6 Comments
I don’t like that AP article. 100% biased against light rail. This isn’t a Bridge to Nowhere, people. It’s a high-speed transit line that connects the two biggest downtowns in the 5th largest city in America, and it comes every 10 minutes.
Call me in 5 years, and if Phoenix hasn’t reaped benefits from this system, I owe you lunch.
I’m going to take full advantage of the new light rail system. In fact, I’m going carfree for a month starting Monday. If anything, it’ll make for good conversation at a dinner party.
Will,
I can see how the journalist might see light rail this way–it seems like just a dent in the transportation system as it is now. I think with a continued to push to try it out, people will like it and begin to rely on it. Your 5-year bet is a smart one. It might take that long to move this system into mainstream minds.
Right now, it surely could seem like a mere novelty to some, such as that AP reporter. To those of us who live here and know the Valley well, this is a huge and exciting event.
It’s already spurred new businesses, which I think is a huge test of faith. I wish I had more opportunity to ride, but since I work from home, it won’t be a daily habit for me; however, I have some upcoming meetings in Tempe and Mesa, so I’ll be exercising this new option soon.
What are your family, friends and colleagues saying about light rail?
Thanks for visiting The Phoenix Traveler.
Jackie
Tony,
Great idea to go car free. I’d love for you to come back and report how that’s going. Maybe you’ll let me tag along with you mid-point.
Anyone else planning to go car free?
Thanks for joining the conversation here at The Phoenix Traveler.
Jackie
Thanks Jackie. One would think an AP reporter would make some effort to be balanced instead of spinning everything in a way that makes rail enemies nod with smug confidence that their conservative-libertarian world is disintegrating around them. I wonder if the writer is a Fox News correspondent (seriously.)
There are valid reasons to doubt the rail, but they weren’t presented in this article. This article simply affirms the naysayers’ belief that anyone who likes this has “drank the kool aid.” Did you know that the NYC subway, in its infancy, was called the designer’s folly? There will always be enemies of big projects, but sometimes big projects are necessary.
Friends and family are generally mixed. We agree that politics and bad planning can ruin a project like this- bad placement of tracks is a big concern. I think this is one of the best possible routes for a system backbone though. The terminating Park N Rides are mostly outside of the rush hour snarl, and the route connects the valley’s core. Hopefully bus feeder lines will improve and extend the rail benefits beyond the immediate area. Expansions need to be carefully planned to continue connecting the city centers of Glendale, Scottsdale, and Mesa as well as population centers in the North and West Valley.
What irritates me most is that, after the money has already been spent, naysayers don’t change their tune. At this point its not about money, since success benefits all taxpayers. At this point they’re just bitter, crochety people with nothing to do but complain.
Will,
Bus feeder lines will probably be my biggest concern. I’m in north Phoenix and can take a bus to the rail line. But I’d really love to see it expand further north, and beyond, of course. I’d love to see our transportation system being as effective as possible, particularly for those who do not have access to move from one place to the next otherwise.
I think the community, in general, will become more involved in future planning, now that they can see for themselves how Light Rail really is benefitting the whole.
But I encourage you to ignore the naysayers, Will. There will always be people whose minds will not change. Whether it’s because of the money, the intrusion, whatever the reason, they will choose to believe what they want.
And as you noted, it looks to be quite a seamless system. I was deeply impressed with how little space it actually takes up on Central Avenue, for instance. From my perspective, it looks as though it’s always been there.
This is a huge moment for the Valley. Just look at the news reports this morning. You probably read comments from people who were seeing parts of the Valley never open to them before–maybe they don’t drive, don’t have a car, whatever. That was such an eye-opener even to me–a pleasant one.
Thanks for continuing the dialogue.
Jackie