Phoenix Opens Light Rail System
Phoenix christened the first 20-mile stretch of its new light rail system on Saturday, the culmination of decades of planning, four years of construction, and $1.4 billion in investment. The opening attracted 150,000 riders in its first two days of operation.
Phoenix is the nation’s fifth most populous metropolis and the biggest U.S. city without a public rail transit system (the city shut down it’s original trolley system 60 years ago). The sprawling metropolitan area has been characterized as “car crazy” and critics suggest ridership will be limited by the areas urban sprawl and grueling summer heat.
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Thousands pack in for a ride
That didn’t stop thousands of eager riders from getting a look at the new train stations and light rail cars, while taking advantage of the free rides (which last through New Years Eve).
The system currently wends its way north-south through downtown Phoenix and then east through suburban Tempe and Mesa. An additional 30+ miles of track are planned for Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, and Glendale, but the extension isn’t expected to open until 2025.
It’s built - will they come?
Light rail officials say they expect about 20,000 daily riders to use the system at $1.25 for a one-way ticket.
While naysayers question whether people are willing give up their cars to wait for trains in the summer heat, that regularly reaches over 100 degress in the middle of summer, many are ready to give it a try.
“People use mass transit in other cities. You know, gas is not going to stay cheap forever”, said Sam Mazzeo, a Phoenix mortgage broker waiting for a train at a downtown station.
Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon scoffed at critics at a ribbon-cutting ceremony: “Today, you don’t hear or see very many of those individuals.”
Regular service and fares begin on Thursday, and time will tell how much Phoenix residents take to their new light rail.
Update - Phoenix Light Rail Records it’s First Crash!
Just in from PhoenixNewTimes.com is a report of a minor collision between a motorist and the train on Tuesday afternoon. The car fled the scene and passengers were held up for a short time until police arrived. No one was reported hurt. It does bring up some safety issues of the on-street rail system. Safety was the issue of previous EcoLocalizer post, some of those humorous safety slogans are suddenly appropo.
Image Credit: kjzz.org
Bravo for finally getting a rail system running in Phoenix, though it’s sad that such systems weren’t being developed across the country for the past 50 years - NYC excepted - as our cities would have grown based on rail access instead of ribbons of concrete and asphalt.
The summer heat issue is a big one in Phoenix and it will be interesting to see how ridership varies throughout the year.
Phoenix sounds like it’s suffering from some of the same issues as Atlanta: crazy traffic, crazy sprawl, crazy heat in summer. Ridership here seems to follow gas prices more than weather. When gas got near $4/gallon, my morning commute was suddenly far more crowded!
It’s interesting that Phoenix did have a trolley system sixty years ago, long before it became the sprawling urban metropolis it is today and right about the time the whole nation became car-crazed. I think this is the case for a lot of cities - they tore out their trolleys and light rail built in the early 20th century, only to rebuild them decades later.
It is too bad that city planning in many urban centers has thus been built around the car. We’ll see how Phoenix takes to their new light rail. My Grandparents used to live in Mesa - I can tell you it gets very, very hot down there!