Article: Light-rail system opening marks new milestone for the Valley (USA)

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Light-rail system opening marks new milestone for the Valley

Light-rail system opening marks new milestone for the Valley

60 comments by Glen Creno and Casey Newton - Dec. 27, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

It has been 60 years since trolleys ran on the streets of Phoenix. Beginning today, rail transit returns to the Valley.

Metro light rail, a $1.4 billion system that runs from central Phoenix to west Mesa, opens to the public this morning with a series of events that could draw an estimated 100,000. Metro expects a similar turnout Sunday, even without the parties. The opening of the 20-mile system is a milestone in Valley transportation. It ranks with - some say outranks - such things as completing the final piece of Interstate 10 through the tunnel in downtown Phoenix or the opening of Terminal 4 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

"I think it's bigger than both of those," said Curtis Lueck, a Tucson transportation consultant. "The reason I say that is the light-rail system provides an opportunity for changing community form and lifestyle."


Lueck said those other landmarks expanded the city's existing styles of transportation. He said light rail brings something new.

After earlier attempts to bring light rail to Phoenix were defeated, Phoenix and Tempe passed transportation taxes to help pay for the system. Mesa also chipped in with promised allocations. Part of the regional Proposition 400 sales tax and federal grants pay the rest of the tab.

Planners have been working on light rail in one form or another for more than 15 years, including about four years of construction. That culminated Friday with the kickoff of Metro's grand-opening weekend.

There was a preview ride for contest winners, elected officials and other VIPs in Tempe on Friday morning. The day ended with an appreciation dinner in Phoenix featuring a keynote speech from outgoing Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters, an Arizona native.

Russ Dudenhofer was riding one of the trains Friday morning. He estimated that two years of construction on the line near his Phoenix insurance company cost him $250,000 in lost business. He backs Metro because it's a big investment for the area.

"I'm just glad it's running, that it's done," he said.

Arizona State University engineering Professor Ram Pendyala, a transportation-system specialist, said Metro will get some cars off the roads and play a big part in how land is developed along the line. One of Metro's objectives is to discourage sprawling development by luring people to high-density housing close to the rail line.

Many big-city transportation systems are multimodal, meaning commuters can use several methods of transit to get around town. Pendyala said light rail is a big step toward that kind of system for the Valley.

"This is not some 'boutique-y' transportation thing that is sort of a nice thing to have in the neighborhood," he said. "This is a major piece, a component of the transportation system. This is a very integral piece of the puzzle. Without it, the puzzle is not complete."

The public will get the chance to ride beginning at 10 a.m. today, when the first trains leave stations at 19th Avenue and Montebello in Phoenix and Sycamore and Main Street in Mesa. Along the way, riders will find a dozen parties with a variety of themes and entertainment.

Regular service begins Monday at 4:40 a.m., with free rides through Wednesday. After that, it's $1.25 a ride, or $2.50 for an all-day pass.