Lightrail running through Downtown tomorrow

[ABQSunseeker]

So true, Steve-O, but one day it will give Chicago a good run for the money.. It's still a city of the future.

[snowthedirtbub]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

Actually, I would LOVE it. I would love if downtown Phoenix looked and had 1/4 the feel of NYC or San Francisco.

Couldn't agree more I wish it would to.

[twiggy]

Wow, the light rail is so cute! ha ha It's very narrow or is that the video? Glad to see it getting people excited about something around here! Go light rail!

[HX_Guy]

It's pretty tall, which makes it look narrow. Each car can hold up to 175 people and 3 cars can be linked to form one train, carrying up to 525 people.

A bus, on the other hand, holds between 40 people on the standard version and 70 on the articulated ones.

[twiggy]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

It's pretty tall, which makes it look narrow. Each car can hold up to 175 people and 3 cars can be linked to form one train, carrying up to 525 people.

A bus, on the other hand, holds between 40 people on the standard version and 70 on the articulated ones.

Wow, that's cool. I'm going to have to get a ride. How exciting for Phoenix. Way to go!

[joninaz]

Originally Posted by silverbear

Since Old Town Scottsdale is a major pedestrian-centric nightlife center and the Scottsdale Airpark is a major employment center, a line running along Scottsdale Road would make incredible sense. Unfortunately, the City of Scottsdale hasn't seen it that way so far. Some of the City's leaders have been threatened with recall for just contemplating the option of rail within Scottsdale borders. Ultimately, I think Scottsdale will come on board (sorry, awful pun), but probably much later that it should have.

I'm not a huge fan of light rail because I think the same transport planners have done such a lousy job with the bus system. It has probs but it seems they simply never tried hard to solve them. Shaded stops for starters. And using smaller, neighborhood shuttles that swing by most streets now and again, delivering people to the larger grid. As it stands, a good number of people have to hike a good distance to get on a major NSEW route. I've never had an issue with riding a bus, it has simply been such a pain to get to it, wait for it and navigate the system. Solve some of those and ridership could soar.

With respect to your post, I can see the reluctance to send a spur up Scottsdale Rd. Firstly, the residents haven't yet figured out what they want the road to be. There are a lot of people/groups who simply don't want any development. But that's a discussion worthy of a whole new post or website! Secondly, the Federal funds that paid much of the tab for the original lines have dried up, which makes the price of a few mile spur become a massive capital project cost-wise.

Even then, assuming it was well desired and funded, I'm not sure if a Scottsdale Rd. approach makes the most sense. The nearest connection to Scottsdale on the current route would be at Priest/Washington, where the current line takes a sharp drive South. The smart spur would go north from here, delivering people to the Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Papago Park, the spring training park, etc. It would run through the middle of these attractions and end up in Scottsdale around McDowell. Here, it could turn East and join with the ASU/Skysong center, a quick shuttle stop from Old Town. There would be no need to mess with Scottsdale Rd. at all, but would put people right in the middle of the action in Scottsdale, plus serve a bunch of PHX attractions.

Thoughts?

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by joninaz

I'm not a huge fan of light rail because I think the same transport planners have done such a lousy job with the bus system. It has probs but it seems they simply never tried hard to solve them. Shaded stops for starters. And using smaller, neighborhood shuttles that swing by most streets now and again, delivering people to the larger grid. As it stands, a good number of people have to hike a good distance to get on a major NSEW route. I've never had an issue with riding a bus, it has simply been such a pain to get to it, wait for it and navigate the system. Solve some of those and ridership could soar.

With respect to your post, I can see the reluctance to send a spur up Scottsdale Rd. Firstly, the residents haven't yet figured out what they want the road to be. There are a lot of people/groups who simply don't want any development. But that's a discussion worthy of a whole new post or website! Secondly, the Federal funds that paid much of the tab for the original lines have dried up, which makes the price of a few mile spur become a massive capital project cost-wise.

Even then, assuming it was well desired and funded, I'm not sure if a Scottsdale Rd. approach makes the most sense. The nearest connection to Scottsdale on the current route would be at Priest/Washington, where the current line takes a sharp drive South. The smart spur would go north from here, delivering people to the Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Papago Park, the spring training park, etc. It would run through the middle of these attractions and end up in Scottsdale around McDowell. Here, it could turn East and join with the ASU/Skysong center, a quick shuttle stop from Old Town. There would be no need to mess with Scottsdale Rd. at all, but would put people right in the middle of the action in Scottsdale, plus serve a bunch of PHX attractions.

Thoughts?

If Scottsdale had been part of the project from the beginning, it might have had access to some of those initial federal dollars. Unfortunately, Scottsdale's fence-sitting when it comes to rail will ultimately result in a higher price tag for any line that ever reaches Scottsdale.

As regards the route, I see a certain logic in the Papago option, but I think the window has already passed on that. At this point, there are two routes that seem logical to me:

1) North - South along Scottsdale / Rural from the Scottsdale Airpark to Chandler Boulevard. Such a route is likely to be built through Tempe and Chandler. The big question is whether Scottsdale will join, or whether the line will end in Tempe. I think this route makes a great deal of sense in terms of connecting people to their jobs and schools. I know an awful lot of people who do north-south commutes along the 101, Hayden / McClintock, and Scottsdale / Rural.

2) East - West along Camelback through the Biltmore Area, Arcadia, and into Old Town Scottsdale. As much as I'd like to see this route, I don't expect to see it in my lifetime due to inevitable neighborhood opposition not only in Scottsdale, but also on the east side of Phoenix.

[shiphead]

HX_guy: thanks for the list.

I am very excited about the light rail. Giving a path for mass transit now and replacing it with future technology later. Yes it costs money, but everything costs money. Good to see tree's and shade for people waiting... Unlike the bus stops... lol.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omFbaHGly3k