All aboard the light rail

Critics of a pricey light rail line in Phoenix envisioned a colossal waste of money. Instead, riders have boosted local businesses amid an economic slump.

By

E.B. Solomont

Mon, Sep 21 2009 at 11:45 PM

Related Topics:

Public Transportation, Train & Rail, Economics

Photo: Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Critics of a pricey new light rail line in Phoenix envisioned a colossal waste of money when the project was proposed some years ago. But instead, the billion dollar rail line has reinvigorated local businesses amid the city’s economic slump – thanks in large part to weekend riders.

Since opening in December, tens of thousands of passengers have been traveling by train to the city’s restaurants, bars, cultural events and ball games, the New York Times reported. Even detractors are admitting there is something to be said for the light rail. “I’ve taken it,” conceded Starlee Rhoades, a spokeswoman for the Goldwater Institute. “It’s useful.”

Today, close to 33,000 riders take the new light rail daily, a number that eclipses initial projections that estimated 26,000 riders daily. Many are students from Arizona State University who rely on the light rail to get from the school’s Tempe campus to its downtown campus. Just over a quarter of riders use the train for work, compared to an average of 60 percent of riders in other cities who use public transport for work.

As a result, the light rail has been a boon for businesses in downtown Phoenix. In the first quarter of 2009, the downtown area saw revenues increase by 13 percent compared to an overall drop of 16 percent in the rest of the city, according to the city’s Community and Economic Development Department.

“There has been this pent-up demand for downtown Phoenix to grow up,” said Nick Bastian, a realtor who blogs about the light rail. “And the light rail has given people an excuse to say let’s go down there and check it out.”

Initially, critics of the light rail grumbled about its cost, which was subsidized by taxes approved in 2001. With a price tag of $1.4 billion, the rail line costs $1.75 for a single ride and $3.50 for an all-day pass. But tracks reach deep into suburban areas to the east and west of downtown Phoenix.

Now, the rail line is only expected to grow. Public and private investors have poured $5 billion into ventures around the site of the light rail, including a thriving real estate market, according to the city’s development agency. And in 2012, Valley Metro, which operates the line, hopes to break ground on 37 miles toward Glendale and northeast Phoenix. By 2017? All aboard!

Also on MNN:

• Portland, Ore., gets another light-rail infusion.

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Comments: 5

Guest Sep 25 2009 at 2:13 PM

I live in Phoenix and can vouch that the light rail has helped the area tremendously. It's things like the light rail and Cityscape that are going to transform Phoenix into a truly urban downtown area.

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Randy Luethye Sep 22 2009 at 4:32 PM

A "Train Business Directory" was launched in conjunction with the Phoenix Grand Opening at LightRailNetwork.com. The site shows parks, businesses, bus links and more near train stations in nine cities (so far).

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Melissa Hincha-Ownby Sep 22 2009 at 4:06 PM

I live on the edge of the metro area but whenever I need to travel into Phoenix, I always drive to the Light Rail Park & Ride and hop on. I have ridden it dozens of times with my children and while I'm sure there may have been homeless people on it (nothing wrong with that), there were also students, other families, business professionals, etc. I also have a friend that owns a coffee shop on Mill Ave in Tempe that has seen an uptick in business now that construction is over.