What do you think of light rail for Bell rd?

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by ELOrocks17

Its a well known fact that Bell road is the busiest street in Phoenix. Do you think it would be wise for the city to build a standalone light rail from Tatum to 156th ave? I mean it covers Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Glendale, Sun City, and Suprise. What do you think?

First of all, I wasn't aware that Bell was Phoenix's busiest street ... seems like there would be others that are just as busy (if not more so). Even so, it wouldn't make any sense to put a stand alone light rail system on Bell. It's not centrally located enough, and there would be no other connections to it. Not only that, but think of all the mess it would create during construction. If the traffic on Bell Road is heavy now, think of what it would be like once they start tearing it up for light rail construction.

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

Anything is possible but five years seems absurd. Reminds me of when I was a kid and was told we would have flying cars by 1980.

Or by 2015 (as in the second "Back to the Future" movie). No flying cars to be found anywhere, and no plans to make them possible. They won't be possible with all the restricted air space ... and besides, you'd need a pilot's license to have a flying car, which is more difficult to obtain than a drivers license, and much more expensive.

[ELOrocks17]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

First of all, I wasn't aware that Bell was Phoenix's busiest street ... seems like there would be others that are just as busy (if not more so). Even so, it wouldn't make any sense to put a stand alone light rail system on Bell. It's not centrally located enough, and there would be no other connections to it. Not only that, but think of all the mess it would create during construction. If the traffic on Bell Road is heavy now, think of what it would be like once they start tearing it up for light rail construction.e.

Here you go;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Road_(Phoenix_Metro)

[observer53]

Originally Posted by ELOrocks17

Here you go;

Bell Road (Phoenix Metro) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Even if it is the busiest (and I don't use Wiki as an official source for anything), for all the reasons stated in this thread, it doesn't make sense.

[ELOrocks17]

Originally Posted by observer53

Even if it is the busiest (and I don't use Wiki as an official source for anything), for all the reasons stated in this thread, it doesn't make sense.

Do you actually drive on Bell road? Have you ever even been on Bell rd?

[swbrotha100]

Originally Posted by ELOrocks17

Do you actually drive on Bell road? Have you ever even been on Bell rd?

I've been on Bell enough to think it's worse in Surprise and the Sun Cities than in Phoenix. At least in Phoenix there are more alternatives (Greenway, Union Hills, Loop 101, etc).

As far as Scottsdale goes, this is an old story on the current park-and-ride lot on Scottsdale and Thunderbird:

http://www.kpho.com/story/25734566/s...with-no-riders

[observer53]

Originally Posted by ELOrocks17

Do you actually drive on Bell road? Have you ever even been on Bell rd?

I certainly do. There have been periods when I drove it on a daily basis. It is a busy road, and I can accept that it is the "busiest"-- in no small part due to how busy it is on the weekends, in addition to the other days. But, for various reasons well stated by many on this thread, light rail on that stretch, or any stretch, of Bell Road just to deal with the traffic on that road does not make sense.